Victoria Santagato Discussion 2

I believe “The Handsomest Drowned Man In The World” is the first story of the course to be assigned to show us a piece of writing that illustrates a specific culture through myth, the basis of story telling. In this case, Latin American culture through a children’s tale.

Myths and legendary tales passed down from generation to generation exist in every culture. These stories teach us about peoples’ belief systems and what they hold important, most times ultimately teaching a lesson or knowledge to contemplate afterwards. Mythological stories have become the model narrative for many contemporary books and films.

In “The Handsomest Drowned Man,” the women in a village grow an attachment to an anonymous tall, handsome man who washes to shore. They clean him, make clothes for him, and give him an identity, Esteban. From these actions, we can assess that the people in the village live in a small, welcoming community where the afterlife is important. When the men and women are preparing to bury Esteban, they make people in neighboring villages aware of the funeral and assign family members for Esteban including people from the other villages, uniting them all.

“The Handsomest Drowned Man,” has the potential to teach children to unite and work together, while the author is able to honor his family and culture by displaying this idea through the style of story his Grandmother would tell. This myth also displays how many places are identified by one single person, who is human but idolized, which gives this story importance as well.