Prompt: Why do you think I might have assigned this as the first story of the course?
I think the professor assigned this as the first story of the course to give us a taste of what literature can represent and show us how it can make us feel, think or speak. Literature is an abstract of expression and we will come to learn and understand that as we continue with this course. The story made us think about what could have been when Esteban was alive and the same is with real life. Life imitates art and literature is no different. The villagers in the story show the general empathy humans can have towards strangers and this is something we should practice more every day. Esteban or should I say Esteban’s corpse represents hope and what could of been even if he is dead. Esteban’s corpse is a metaphor and an interesting one at that.
4 thoughts on “Esteban the drowned man”
I think the story was assigned to see how many different perspectives can be drawn from it. For example, I did find the empathy in the actions of the villagers but, more through tradition with extreme naivety. They seem to create this entire fantasy around this corpse, beginning with how Esteban didn’t resemble any of the men in their village. How his massive size was gave them the impression of someone who was almost god like. Their lives were mundane and simple and the appearance of this stranger opened their imagination up to the kind of things that exist that they will not get a chance to experience. Tradition carries weight within communities that don’t typically have outside visitors. There’s nothing to influence change so the behavior just seemed more like routine. However, there was definitely an expression of empathy stemming from the women. The men seemed to want it all over and done with as quickly as possible. How unimpressive are the native male villagers that a bloated drowned corpse could trigger so many women to swoon over him and the idea of who he might’ve been? or maybe Im taking the story too literally.
Melissa, please submit your post according to the directions. You have posted as a comment to Vivian rather than as an original post. If you need help, let me know!
I can say that after reading your statement, I respect your point of view. This was a really effective literary and creative reading exercise. It’s not every day that you get to read a short story that is also heartbreaking and enlightening, so this was a good way to start class. After Esteban’s burial, the villagers’ compassion for him inspired incredible growth in their own communities. They didn’t have to help him in the way they did, but it still demonstrates how fantastic it is when people band together for a total stranger. Especially when it comes to death, everyone should be handled with respect, and they did.
Vivian, your comments are good. It’s true that there is a hope that we will mirror the villagers in our openness to new ideas, including the importance of stories to change perspectives. Please make you include your full name in the title of your post. Thanks!