Week 1 Discussion

I believe that the reason why Professor Conway assigned “The Most Handsome Drown Man” as our first article to read was for us to get a glimpse of how different perspectives can play a part in people’s beliefs and understanding. In the article, everyone who came across the Handome Drown Man had a different answer or idea as to where he may have come from since they had never experienced or seen a man like him before come across their village. So everyone there came up with an idea of where this man must’ve originated from. While reading this article, has given me a meaning that as we partake in this course, lots of us are going to have different perspectives on the articles that we read from here on out.

In ” The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World ,”García Márquez tells the story of a little seaside town significantly impacted by the appearance of a departed outsider. At first confused with a hostile boat or a whale, the townspeople find the huge body of a suffocated man. As they interface with the body and set it up for internment, they are spellbound by his unprecedented size and excellence, naming him Esteban. The residents’ impression of themselves and their environmental elements are changed by Esteban’s presence, driving them to envision a more excellent, more lively presence. Through clear symbolism and otherworldly authenticity, García Márquez investigates subjects of magnificence, local area, and the human condition. “An Exceptionally Elderly person with Huge Wings” presents a comparative investigation of the phenomenal inside the common, as an older man with wings shows up in a town, provoking reflections on trust, empathy, and the idea of supernatural occurrences.

I believe that “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez was strategically chosen as the first reading for our course for several reasons. Firstly, Marquez incorporates various themes, notably beauty and identity, throughout the narrative. By diving into these themes during class discussions, both my classmates and I have the opportunity to develop critical thinking skills and gain deeper insights into the complexities of the human mind. Moreover, the story has captivating imagery that immerses readers in its world, allowing us to visualize the coastal village and presence of the drowned man. This vivid imagery not only enhances our reading experience but also serves as a door opening for deeper analysis and interpretation. Additionally, Marquez’s narrative style demands active engagement from readers. The portrayal of the narrator and the layers of meaning scattered within the text forces us to approach the story with an open mind. By initiating our course with “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World,” our professor has set a tone of curiosity and exploration. This text encourages us to delve into the depths of literature with open minds and keen insights, which I feel like transforms us in the world of literature.

I believe that the reason that professor Conway chose “the most handsomest drowned man in the world” was because the main themes of this story had to do with compassion and imagination. This is because throughout the story we see the way all the characters wonder so much about this man. They are curious about a complete stranger who they have no genuine idea where in the hell he came from. And they all make up and imagine what this mans life and experiences must have been like. They imagine what it would have been like being so tall, so large, and so much different compared to all of the villagers/neighboring villagers that they are so used to seeing. And even though they do not know who he is, they care for his corpse and try their best to give his corpse as close to a proper burial as possible.

I think that Professor Conway assigned ” The Most Handsome Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez as the first story of the course because she wanted us to see other people’s perspectives on how a character would describe someone and the details they would show from it. Also shows how the villagers are captivated by the man’s extraordinary beauty and decide to give him a burial, as if he were royal figure to them.

I think the reason why professor Conway might have assigned the “Most Handsome Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez as the first story/reading of the course might have to do with the main idea of this story which is about change. In the story by Gabriel Garcia Marquez “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” wee see the inhabitants of the village undergo a change of attitude and character when Esteban washes up shore their village. Esteban revealed their flaws and pushed them to be better; to do better.  I believe professor Conway is trying to invoke in us a desire to look into ourselves and see if there isn’t anything that demand changing. I think this story as the first story of the course can helps us to want set up goals for ourselves on what we can do to succeed not only at this course but also all of our courses this academic year. We should look for our “Esteban” so to speak to motivate and encourage us to change ourselves and become the better versions of ourselves we can be.

“The most handsome drowned man” by Gabriel Garcia makes a reader understand the use of imagination/ imagery. The village women use their sense of imagination to create a version of this unknown deceased man that washed up on the shore to a noble man who has the qualities of being called “Esteban”. This man had the ability to transform the village and the people as well. This is very similar to how stories have an impact on its readers, by providing distinctive  description to allow the audience to paint a vivid image in their head that goes along with the story. I believe that this is the first story of the course for possible reason that the professor wants the class to dive into their imagination and connect to the stories to come. This also can help the reader to understand the story from the authors perspective, like a puzzle.

I believe Professor Conway assigned us to read “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez because it is a beautiful story that shows and introduces us to the power of imagination, creativity and to be kind and care for others. In the story the author goes to explain how the people of this small village gave this man a background story including how his life must have been like even though they didn’t know him. But this led them to rebuild the village to better suit “Esteban” and others like him, wanting to make sure anyone who passes by will smell their sweet scent of the flowers along the cliffs know it was “Esteban’s village” . If the villagers didn’t care and just let him get washed away or gave him a burial without using their imagination of how his life use to be none of these changes to the village would of happened and Professor Conway could have been showing us how important it is to be kind, Creative and to use your own brain.to imagine and be optimistic. 

I believe the reason we were assigned “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez as the first reading is to distinguish our analyzing and processing skills. For example, the story begins with establishing the setting, but the writer wrote it with so much imagery that we the reader can clearly see the setting as we continue reading the text. Marquez also brought of something I found extremely interesting which is the thinking of the women and men in the village. For example, the women in the village gave the dead man a background story where he seemed heroic while on the other hand the men were enraged by the treatment, they saw the stranger receiving and were agitated, in the text it states “men finally exploded with since when has there ever been such a fuss over a drifting corpse, a drowned nobody, a piece of cold Wednesday meet”. (Marquez Pg. 6) Marquez using exploded in this part of the reading made it clear to the reader that the men were angry with what they were seeing concerning the dead man, the “drowned nobody” as the men in the village called him.

I think Professor Conway assigned “The Handsome Drowned Man” as our first story to show a sense of caring for others, no matter if we know them or not. I say this because the in the story The Handsome who drowned up onto the village was unknown to the woman of the village and even though they did not know him, they wanted to make sure that the was cleaned, clothed, and had a funeral. They also felt saddened by the fact that he had drowned onto a village that he was unknown that they went to neighboring villages to  get people to come to his funeral. These things showed a great sense of caring by the women of the village that The Handsome Man drowned up on because the women did not know the man at all but still felt compelled to care for him and prepare him for a funeral that they were going to give to him.

The professor selected “The most handsome drowned man” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez to give an opening for the class semester, a piece that opens up the whole universe of literature in most magical way possible. The story gives a sense of reality and magic that involves a story, leading to the creation of the world created in our imagination that Gabriel Garcia Marquez illustrated for the readers. Gives an Epic adventures for us as students and readers to evoke interest for more literature pieces, turning into a journey of discovery. The story of Sebastian and the people of the village is more than a story creates an inspiration of philosophical thoughts, made by strong messages that comes out of the piece. The professor selected “The most handsome drowned man” as an invitation to dive deep into the richness of literature setting this opener to an intellectual exploration into the landscapes of literature.

I think you chose the short and interesting story “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez for your class because there were several intriguing literary devices throughout the novel, such as the use of magical realism, which combines fantasy and reality. Also, this story had a lot of topics that can create conversations on human nature, community, acceptance, and storytelling. Additionally the story was very unique and interesting. All things considered, the story was picked because it is engaging, rich in culture, and an appropriate spot to begin exploring into literature.

I think Professor Conway assigned “The Most Handsome Man” as the first story to introduce us to the writing style of magic realism. To add on how this magical story along with other folktales can establish new senses of identity within ourselves, while also expanding our imaginations. With this story being the first magical read since my childhood. This short story was a very captivating and intriguing read. From the start of the story, the descriptive words used about the villager’s home and the unorthodox arrival of their guest has provided the ability for me to create mental pictures. The way how the villager’s looked at their lives once their handsome guest arrived was truly interesting. This newfound guest that nobody knew the identity of was able to birth a new life, a new meaning to the people in the village. While the villagers gave an identity to this new man birthing “Esteban”. Describing him as this god like person, more handsome and stronger than their husbands. Professor Conway assigned us this story to show the magical realism of unexpected events and that it can change our lives too.

Hello. I really liked the story “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” and how you (the professor) broke it down and ask questions to really make sure we understand what’s going on. I also like how we had to think from the characters perspective when it came to how they felt throughout the story duration.. I think you might have assigned this as the first story to show how far imagination can take you. Imagination is a factor that develops the plot. In the story we can see the small village go from finding a random body to using that imagination to build a story for this man without knowing him. The story ends up causing everyone to have sympathy for this man (Esteban) and even leads to them feeling inspired. Without the imagination of this story for Esteban the town would’ve stayed the same and they would’ve never tried to improve the village in memorial of him.

The reason I think this was the first story of the course was because it shows us (the reader) about having compassion for others even if you don’t personally know the person, also to include others. The story shows how the people of the village find a body of a man washed up on the shore dead. These people took him in and saw that he was huge for a man he couldn’t fit on a chair on the bed, the women and men of the village were impressed by his sheer size. The people of the village started to have empathy for the large man saying it must be very inconvenient to be that large and so by the end of the story people started to make their homes and everything bigger just to include and honor the large man. This story was great as the first of the semester it makes be want to see what else we are going to read in the future

Hello professor! This was a great story and also A quite interesting one. I think what is important while answering your question is knowing that you really have to be able to comprehend the moral of the story after all is said. You have to put yourself , so to speak, in the shoes of the author and ask yourself, what is it that Gabriel Garcia Marquez is trying to tell me? What do I feel when reading this?What I have received from the overall message of the story was live your life with no restraints; to appreciate your life while you are blessed enough to have it. In other words value what is important. I feel like you assigned this as the first post because you want us to start and continue moving forward into this semester with an open mind to have that mentality of having a positive mindset of valuation of life .

I’m not quite sure why but I do know there are many different reasons. I think you assigned this as the first story because you want us to not only focus on the setting or purpose of the story but to expand into it, to put ourselves in the same situation and feel the same way the characters are feeling in that moment. You could also be preparing us to read other stories like this one as it expands the stories we are used to reading. There is also something about the story that is intriguing but I still don’t know what it is because I’m still figuring that out myself. It might be because Gabriel Garcia Marquez stories have so many things to examine with details. It could also be because it’s a good story to start with. All I know is that there is a good reason behind why this story was chosen.

Hi everyone, I liked Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s short story and enjoyed having Professor Conway’s soft voice reading it to us. To be honest, I am not sure why it was chosen as our first story. Maybe because it had a theme of identity, which is something that we can all relate to as it part of the human experience? Or maybe it was because it is a very well-known story from a very well known author that most of us would not have been exposed to and so, her goal was to broaden our horizons, as she will attempt to do throughout the semester. Maybe it’s her favorite story! The same way that for the villagers there was a before/after Esteban, I feel like I have a before/after the introduction of this author in my life. Not that the story had a profound impact in my life, but it did tickle my curiosity about Gabriel Garcia Marquez life story and his other works. I am now intrigued and may try to look for other stories that could be of interest for me.

I believe that you picked this as the first story, to make us expand our mind when it comes to stories of this kind. I also think that Gabriel Garcia Marquez is a perfect author to help us introduce ourselves into the magic world of writing and storytelling. I’m a latin student, of course I knew about Gabriel Garcia Marquez. His stories have left a big mark in our culture. It was my first time reading this one though! I truly loved how his wiring’s style is so magic, and even fascinating. I actually love the way he used words to catch the reader’s attention using his magic style to write. This story is the perfect example of how a hopeless palace can turn into an extraordinary one just because of one event. Esteban really changed the village’s environment. To me, the most ironic part of it is that Esteban wasn’t even alive, that makes me think that the people of the village only needed something unusual like the discovery of Esteban’s body to bring the village that hope and brightness that they needed. 

Hello everyone, Assigning the ” the handsomest drowned man” as the first story of the course severs the various purposes. Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s tale works as a masterful example of magical realism. This story introduces the power of symbolism to the students, as the arrival of the handsome drowned man profound the change and transformation of positive change within the ordinary existence of villagers. The story also shows the theme of beauty, acceptance, and the influence of extraordinary in the commonplace prompts readers to ponder how perceptions can mold reality, challenging ingrained biases and preconceived notions. The tale’s poignant allure is likely to capture students’ attention, encouraging them to delve into literature with greater depth. The story concise yet impactful nature makes it appropriate starting point for discussions on storytelling, Character development and the broader implications of nature. In summary, starting the course with this story set the stage for exploring the profound impact that literature have on human nature, social dynamics and the power of storytelling.

i believe Starting with this story could serve to introduce students to the complexities of narrative style and genre, particularly magical realism, which is characterized by the seamless integration of the extraordinary with the ordinary. This could help students expand their understanding of how stories can be told and how authors can convey deeper meanings and explore human experiences in a variety of ways .The story’s vivid images, symbolism, and exploration of community and identity offer a multi-layered approach to literary analysis. It invites readers to interpret its elements in different ways and stimulates critical thinking and debate about how literature reflects, constructs, and challenges social norms and personal beliefs. So by opening up the course with this story it can lay the foundation for students to approach literature with an openness to its potential for surprise and thought-provoking, thereby preparing them for a wide range of future texts. It could also indicate an emphasis on global literature

“The Handsomest Drowned Man In The World” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, is a story that is different, a small town being affected by a washed up corpse that changes the perspective of life for every person that looks at him. Assigning this story first is a decision precisely on the fact that it can broke into different interpretations. It has a larger meaning to it and it can be different meanings to others. In this story, We are introduced to men and women in this small town with a daily routine. This routine was then interrupted by a corpse, who they all began to obsess over. They began to build a story for his life and how he could’ve ended up here. This story is not only different, but very descriptive, which sets a perfect example of setting and imagery that we will be exploring throughout this semester. These quotes are from the overview of the story, “…stories about how one interprets unexpected events in one’s life…” and “…demand that the reader approach interpretation–and the process of reading these stories–with an awareness of the problems of interpretation.” These quotes bring out that the reader is who is breaking down this story and giving it meaning for themselves. In this course, We will be writing essays on stories and using our knowledge on the stories to write. This is why “The Handsomest Drowned Man In The World” is preparing us to do the same for other stories.

I’m currently poring over some rudimentary annotation (mostly just underlining) that I did with a browser extension while we were reading “Overview of ‘The Handsomest Drowned Man'” in Wednesday’s class, and the sheer size of “POWER OF STORIES/IMAGINATIOI [sic]” scrawled in the margin of the final paragraph makes me laugh. It’s a potential that I strongly connect with as a former “professional escapist” through media. I just hesitated to use the term “escape artist” in a word-playing sort of fashion, but I was that too! Interpretation is an art form, 100% !! My screenshot of the notes I took is slightly cut off, but it looks as though when I wrote the above, it was beside a box I made around Raymond Williams’ quote re: ‘suspending disbelief when interfacing with literature because rationality is limited when it comes to the human experience’, which I obviously agree with. It’s about immersion, about self-inserting and empathizing even when it doesn’t make sense to Make It Make Sense — enjoying reading and writing about reading, that is! “Expect the magical, take advantage of the miraculous when it arrives at your doorstep”… “The Handsomest Drowned Man” and indulging the fullest extents of creative, if esoteric thought both embody that in spades. That’s why I think this short story was chosen for the course’s first — it’s a good Introduction to Literature- my god I can’t make that the last sentence without acknowledging how corny it is-! A partly-related to this current subject, personal experience that’s not part of the word count under read more, and hopefully it works! EDIT: it does not seem to work! mayhaps because “read mores” are opened by default when looking at “full posts”. I’ll make a Pastebin link next time, probably.

Hello my name is josue gomez, I’m a criminal justice major here at BMCC.

In “The Most Handsome Drowned Man”, the coming of Esteban’s body transformed the village from a gray and desolate place into a more vibrant and grander location. The villagers were unaware of any part of this drowned man’s life, but were able to show enough compassion towards him to celebrate his end of life, which made way for a new perspective. In comparing the outcome of this story to our class, the stories we are about to read and dissect will allow us the same chance to uncover fresh viewpoints. We could easily fall in love with these new characters in literature just as the villagers fell in love with Esteban through their empathy and compassion. We can also learn from their choices or circumstances in a way that can transform our own. Therefore, through exploring new ideas and human experiences, we ourselves can reframe our mindset to make way for other concepts we did not know previously.