Review Of ‘The Handsomest Drowned Man In The World’ By Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Gabriel Garcia Marquez, a Colombian writer and novelist, is known for his short stories that introduced the world’s literature to the Magical Realism genre. Magical Realism is the merging of fantasy and reality, the appearance of myths and magic in everyday life. This is because the protagonists are accepting of these elements, and so is the reader. The naturalistic tone helps the reader to accept them. Gabriel Garcia Marquez credits his grandparents for the success he has achieved, as his parents weren’t allowed to live together. Gabriel Garcia Marquez became a journalist after his experiences in real life. Master revolutionary who claims that his stories are based solely on real-life events that were even more bizarre than what he could have imagined. His hometown of Ara Cataca-Macondo has been the setting for some of his real-life stories, such as “A 100 years of Solitude”.
Although this novel may have been one of the best-selling novels in his lifetime, his short stories are still as relevant today as they were when he grew up. His writing and symbolism have inspired millions around the globe. Gabriel Garcia Marquez not only uses a wide range of imagery and symbolism in his stories, he also helps bridge the divide between society and the author by addressing it. This short narrative, “The HandsomestDrownedMan in the World”, is one example. Marquez’s short story, “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World”, is an example of a short narrative.
Marquez’s short story “The Most Handsome Drowned Man In The World” depicts a scene where a village has a small settlement consisting of a few squeezed houses. This settlement is made up of twenty or more wooden houses that have stone courtyards, but no flowers. It hangs on a desert cape without any vegetation. It is also shown by the description of this cape, where the villagers can’t even bury the dead but instead toss them over its cliffs. A drowned body washes onto their shores every day, and children from the village rush up to play because they are curious and naive. When the body of a drowned man washes up on the shores, the children are curious and run to play with him.
Women slowly begin to pick up the debris of the drowned male in preparation for his burial. They also uncover the shell which is the man. The women are overcome by a dormant desire to be with him. They find his beauty deafening. Marquez’s statement that “he leaves them breathless…there is no room of them in their imagination” causes the women to be unable to process the scene. They then begin to imagine the possibilities of having the drowned victim – now called Esteban – living in the village. They are a bit jealous of Esteban, as they take him to the cape. However, after a few minutes of being overwhelmed by his presence and envying him as they do so, the villagers realize that their village could be better. Marquez emphasizes at the end that the village was transformed from a dull place to a lively one after Esteban arrived.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez shows and relates to anyone reading the piece in “The Most Handsome Drowned Man In The World”. He also explains his life in this short story. The theme that runs through the short story “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World” is transformation.
Marquez’s writing not only shows his own journey from his small rural Colombian town to a world stage that is honoured by him, but it also shows how we transform ourselves through the various life processes to achieve greatness. Marquez uses his writing to express all of his emotions: jealousy, admiration, self-understandings and realizations of how to be better. He holds this part of his journey dear to his heart.
Marquez uses an intrusive omniscient style of narration to show himself as a narrator who knows everything. It also allows the reader to get to know the characters and what they think. Marquez had the ability to communicate with people as a journalist and then later as a novelist to learn more about what was happening in the world. Then he could narrate it to the newspaper readers and engage them further with the knowledge and daily experience of Colombia. His use of hyperbole, exaggeration and other techniques to grab the attention and mind of his readers is also evidenced.
The short story depicts a small village that is covered in a barren cape with residents who are all close friends. They learn by looking around that no one drowned. Esteban’s arrival on the shore of the village and the fact that the people are now able to see the vastness of the world and realize how rich it is, has caused a drastic change. Marquez was motivated by the same drive to leave journalism behind and to share stories and experiences of real people with everyone.
Marquez’s South-American heritage and pride is represented in the name Esteban given to the drowned victim. Esteban, who was said to be one of South American’s first heroes/explorers and to have set foot on the new continent and opened fellow slaves eyes to a whole new world of possibilities is depicted by Marquez. Esteban is portrayed as a symbol for unity, and the realization that there are many more things the villagers can do and become better because of the world of growth and possibilities. This is illustrated by the realization that the villagers have better chances to grow as people and as villages while they still are alive.
“The Handsomest Downed Man in the World”, a simple, naturalistic story with significant symbolic value. The village will be awoken by the agent of change. So can we. We can too live in this village of Roses. Esteban’s arrival has transformed the village into a beautiful, sunny village. According to Marquez, it is the world’s most peaceful village.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez once said: “It isn’t true that people stop pursuing their dreams as they age, but that they become old as they stop pursuing them.” This calls us to never stop pursuing our dreams and to be better human beings.
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