"Chronicle of a Death Foretold," by Gabriel Marquez, comments on gender roles through ironic religious expectation and degrading implications on female value in society. Set in the 1950's in a Colombian costal town, there was strict belief that women were to remain pure, domestic figures for prospective husbands. Men, however, maintain power with wealth to receive respect from the townspeople and were not shamed for promiscuity or breaching Catholic principle. The parameters of cultural expectations create confines on power among the characters, specifically between sexes. The relationship between gender and power throughout the work makes it evident that compliance with cultural expectation determines the amount of power a man or woman holds. Both sexes are confined by these conceived gender expectations; without being agreeable to them, their societal standing is devalued and therefore honor cannot be preserved. When female characters in the book are submissive to societal expectation, including serving as a caretaker in the household, acting as the lesser being of a couple in marriage, and upholding a pristine reputation according to Catholic principle, then power is gained to make decisions for the family, and potentially in business. In discussing the events of the night preceding the murder of Santiago Nasar, the milk shop that Clotilde Armenta and her husband, Don Rogelio de la Flor, own together is referred to as "Clotilde Armenta's establishment, " and earlier as "Clotilde Armenta's store" (45, 15). Although a seemingly minute detail, the reference to her ownership alludes to Clotilde's power as a business-person, which incorporates wealth and respect from the townspeople. Clotilde is aware that Pedro and Pablo Vicario were going to kill Santiago as they had waited in the shop for three hours, watching for Santiago to cross the town square. Clotilde requested of the killers, "leave him for later, if only out of respect for