In Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World, the precision of the language used transforms ordinary story elements and makes powerful symbols like greatness and possibility. For example
“Not only was he the tallest, Strongest, most virile, and best-built man they had ever seen, but even though they were looking at him there was no room for him in their imagination.”
The simple words used “tallest”, “Strongest,” and “virile” create a vivid and overwhelming image of the drowned man. This straightforwardly highlights the drowned man’s physical presence, making him literally and figuratively larger than life. These common adjectives are used very precisely transforming the man from a mere corpse into a symbol of greatness and possibility, through these simple yet effective words, Marquez conveys how the villagers’ world is limited but expands as they project their dreams and desires onto this drowned man, showing the potential hidden within the ordinary things in life.
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Alexander, while much of your discussion here veers from the topic of style into a discussion of theme, you do highlight some of the simple, clear words used by Marquez that help to create a strong and vivid impression of the drowned man.