What Is a Summary of “Death Constant Beyond Love”?

“Death Constant Beyond Love” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is about a senator who finds out he has mere months to live. The short story chronicles the man’s reaction to his impending death.

“Death Constant Beyond Love” begins with a man named Senator Sanchez finding out he has exactly six months and 11 days left to live. Despite his fate, the senator decides it is important to continue his political duties. He travels to Rosal de Virrey to give a re-election speech and in the process makes promises to the voters he has no way to fulfill.

After the speech, Senator Sanchez runs into a man named Nelson Farina and his daughter, Laura. Seeing that the senator is attracted to Laura, Nelson offers to let him have sex with her if he takes care of some legal troubles he is experiencing. The senator agrees, but before he can sleep with Laura, he dies in bed with her, causing a scandal and disgracing his family.

This story contains several different elements of irony. The most ironic situation is that the senator knew exactly when he was going to die, so he could have avoided the scandalous way he died. The senator was ultimately so interested in living the remaining days of his life he forgot he wanted to die in a dignified way.