“The Most Handsome Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is a story about transformation and the power of beauty. The arrival of the drowned man leads to a profound change in the remote village on the seaside cape. The villagers’ perception of themselves and their own lives is altered as they become enamored with the beauty of the drowned man.
Assigning this story as the first one in the course could be a way to set the tone and introduce the students to the themes that will be explored throughout the course. The themes of transformation and the power of beauty can be relevant to many aspects of life and can serve as a foundation for discussing a range of topics.
Moreover, the story’s powerful imagery and vivid descriptions can also be a great way to engage students and pique their interest in the course. Its simple, yet captivating style can also be a great starting point for students to explore the magical realism genre.
In conclusion, the assignment of “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” as the first story in the course can be seen as a way to introduce the students to the themes of transformation and the power of beauty and to engage them with the course material.
4 thoughts on “Ihab Gomaa Discussion 2”
Ihab, thank you for your thoughtful comments. I hope that all the stories we read in this class will offer enlightening and compelling themes though it’s true that this story contains particularly beautiful imagery and language. For me, what really transforms the village is not just the beauty of the man; it is the awakening of the villagers’ imagination inspired by his beauty, which leads them to imagine a story for the dead man’s life. This creative act gives life to the dead man just as the dead man gives life to the village. Stories and myths have transformative power, and I am hoping that in this course, at least one story will open each student’s mind and heart to a new perspective. Thanks again for such an articulate post.
Thank you, Professor. I’m looking forward to thinking about more interesting ideas as the course goes on.
Hi Ihab, I agree with everything you said specially “a great way to engage students and pique their interest in the course” because it kind of worked out good for me. got me really interested to start reading and it really gave me a great first impression on this course that it won’t be a boring course. Also when the people from the village started discovering this man’s body was something new. It sounded great living in a small village that everybody knowing everybody there.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Omar. I’m glad to hear the story sparked your interest in the course.