I believe you assigned the short story “The Handsomest Drowned Man” because it not only teaches a lesson but it also puts magical realism into perspective; The author speaks about a small village in which a giant is washed up on shore and his presence causes the people of the town to imagine different theories and feelings about him. Although the drowned man is not unbelievable, the reaction he elicits from the villagers is unexpected and propels the story into the realm of magical realism. There are many different opinions/takeaways from this story, but I feel as if the main thing is magical realism because the author causes the reader to imagine and even fantasize about how the main character who they label as “Estaban” is. ‘The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World,’ in my opinion, can be interpreted as a fable that focuses on the power of the imagination.
