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In the beautiful and haunting story “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, a great change takes place in a remote village on a seaside cape after a beautiful drowned body washes to shore Why do you think I might have assigned this as the first story of the course?
Please be sure to include your section number at the end of your response. There are 3 sections of students in our big discussion group!
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97 thoughts on “Week 1 Discussion”
In “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez the village was small, desolate and isolated, the people of the village were not motivated. When the beautiful drowned body washes up it awakens the villager’s dreams, beliefs and faith. They assign a personality to the body and name its Esteban and portray him as a god. By doing so they draw attention from far away villages where people came to attend the funeral where they decide to make changes to the villages giving them a purpose in life and a sense of meaning causing them to evolve. I believe this reading was assigned first because it can be related to how this course will evolve and inspire our writing and our understanding of different works of literature while being able to make connections and analyze them thoroughly. Also, it is interesting that the village was a remote village and the drowned body washing up on shore was a glimpse of the outside world for the villagers, and this is a remote course so this is like a glimpse or a reminder of the outside for us too.
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Heather, you get the prize for “breaking the ice” and getting the first discussion underway! All your comments are well taken. I don’t want to say too much until others have weighed in, but the idea of opening our minds and hearts is definitely a big part of the reason I always start the course with this beautiful and mysterious story.
Heather, i really agree with what you said about how the villagers started evolving, because in the story the people start changing the way the home is made, they made everything more fitting for a large person. Its like the dead man showed them how different he was from them. so things should be made for all types of people. It made them more open to different things.
In “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez shows a very simple yet entertaining use of setting, theme and character. It is hard not be captivated from the start. The use of curiosity carries the story in a significant way. While reading you are left puzzled like everyone in the village.
I believe you picked this story first because our life has also been impacted significantly by something we do not understand. Something we individually and as a whole village must embrace. A big change. You chose this story also because the simple use of setting, theme and human emotions.
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Kevin, thanks for jumping in! All the works we are going to read in this course make entertaining use of setting, theme, and character. But you’re so right that there is a sense of the unknown in this story, which makes the reader very curious. But I have a thematic reason for choosing this story as the first one. Since this is the first discussion, I want to remind you—and everyone in the group—that posts must meet specific length requirements. Everyone (not just you) should review “Information about Discussion Boards” in COURSE INFORMATION. Thank you for including your section number!
I think the core reason why you chose this story to being this course is almost metaphorical, We see in this story how the village is devoid of any true personality. The houses are colorless, the streets have no life. It seems that the people live sedimentary and uneventful lives. But once this dead man washes up on the beach, their entire mindset, their entire outlook on life, completely changes. They share stories about what this man’s life could’ve been like, they collectively assign him the name Esteban, they change the look of the town to make sure Esteban is sent off properly. The town regains their sense of purpose.
During this course, we will be analyzing various forms of literature throughout the semester. Stories that can change our outlook on life, stories that can make us question the way we think, the way we operate on a day to day basis. We might even form identities based upon the characters that we read about. Like the dead man, a piece of literature can change our lives possibly forever. That why I believe you chose this story to begin our course.
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Caleb, I completely agree that works of literature can change our lives forever. I think that now more than ever, people need the escape a good story can offer! One thing that struck me about this story is how Esteban changed the village not only for the people living in it when his body washed up but also for the generations to come. Everyone benefits from the expanded and beautified village, even those who never got to see Esteban in person and might not understand why he affected the original villagers so deeply. To me, this is a great analogy for the way that expanding our minds through literature is something we can pass on to our families. Even if they don’t consume the same works of literature that we do, or if they don’t have the same experience as us, we can still share our expanded world views. Like the improved village covered in flowers, everyone benefits from having a broader outlook on life!
Hi Caleb,
I agree with you that stories can change a reader’s thinking and outlook on life! I feel like certain events that happen to people can change the way people feel about themselves, just like how the event of the dead man appearing before the villagers have changed their perspective on life. There are many people who live the same daily repetitive lives and they only need that one thing that could make a difference. I think this story proves that and it’s also very interesting because a dead man, with no life in him, changed the way of the living. This story tells us how these people have transformed. In the beginning the story tells us there are no flowers, then the women picture the man planting flowers and during his funeral, flowers are everywhere. It starts to make us wonder, are we missing flowers in our own lives? We start to imagine flowers in our lives and how we can change or even improve our identity.
Stories can change our lives forever. As readers, we start to connect with the characters in the story and we also start to imagine what our life could be like if we were them, just like how the villagers imagined Estebans life.
Caleb, that’s my reason. It’s the hope that we become like the villagers, allowing the appearance of new things and ideas to our minds and change us! Thanks for posting!
Caleb, beautiful response. Books are like little imaginary worlds in the palm of our hand! Many books have that impact on changing our views on life or how to deal with life. That’s the great part of it. Stories can change our lives even in the littlest ways!
Thahina, please make sure comments to others meet the length requirements, so you can get full credit.
Caleb, I wholeheartedly agree with you, it is a proven fact that the art of literature can shape our lives long term. It seems like in a way this story was trying to convey that we should confide in each other more (or at least in my mind it seems that way). Everyone can benefit from this one simple thing just as Esteban did to the village, a good analogy for how this class will be as we proceed, and as we apply ourselves. Everyone can be provided with a satisfactory outlook on life when they have a fisheye lens (wider scope/perception) on things.
Hey Caleb,
My response is somewhat is something to what my thoughts were regarding this story.
I believe that was my favorite part of the story, the fact that Esteban changed the entire mindset of the village people that they even went as far as changing up the structures of there home and painting the outside of their homes bright colors. I felt like the truly meant his death really affected the people around him and they did not have an idea of who he was. He’s presence changed everything around him. This is why I felt this story had something thing to do with the current climate in America. I felt like George Floyd was similar to Esteban. No, we may not have knew him personally but his death has effected America in some many ways . Its opening door and breaking ice on conversations that no one was having.
Hello Caleb,
This was a great idea behind the reasoning to make us read this piece of literature first. A lot of time we breeze over literature with out using our imagination and going deep into the text. Just like the women went deep into the death of the handsome drowned man. The story turns out to be a good guide to self-improvement, to living a better and more interesting life.
“The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World” by Gabriel García Márquez tells a short story of how a dead body of a beautiful man, found along the shores of a small fishing village, has made a huge impact on the people that live there. At first the narrator describes the village as a rather depressing place:
‘made up of only twenty-odd wooden houses that had stone courtyards with no flowers and which were spread about on the end of a desertlike cape’. (2)
This goes to show that the village has very little to no excitement at all until the dead body shows up, it alarms the people of the village to come together and see if it was anyone they knew. Amazed at how tall, different and unique the dead man looked compared to the men in the village, the women become completely fixated on the dead body they give him an identity and name him Esteban. They begin to imagine what Estebans life was like and portray him as someone who was magnificent:
‘They thought that he would have had so much authority that he could have drawn fish out of the sea simply by calling their names and that he would have put so much work into his land that springs would have burst forth from among the rocks so that he would have been able to plant flowers on the cliffs.’ (4)
But because such a man has never existed in their village before, they also start to imagine how difficult his life would be if they have lived among them because of his body size:
‘It was then that they understood how unhappy he must have been with that huge body since it bothered him even after death.’ (7)
Not only did Esteban change the villager’s perspective by giving them an outlook of their imaginations, he also inspired them. When Esteban returned to the waters, the villagers wanted to change the way their village looked by creating bigger beautiful houses and planting flowers. Before Esteban, life was dull and after Esteban, life was colorful.
I think you may have assigned this as the first story because as writers, you’d want us to use our own imagination to enrich a story and make it sound fascinating, yet realistic. As a reader, I think this story makes us wonder about our own identity and how we look at our perspective on life.
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Angela, thanks for your reflections on the beautful story. I think the important word used in your post is “imagination.” Identify is also an important theme in this story. What act do the villagers engage in that expands their imagination, and how does this expansion of imagination affect their feelings about their identity?
I believe the event in when the dead body appeared brought all the people together and they all want the same thing, improvement for the village. They share their common beliefs that the man was once indeed, a magnificent person who probably lived a great life. The men didn’t believe it at first, but when they saw his face that is when they knew and they also believed the same thing.
When the people of the village start to imagine how Esteban lived his life, they also want to be like him. They want to strive for a great life like his. At the end of the story, they all envision a village that Esteban would have lived his life in and they share this common goal.
(reposted with better format) In In the story “The Handsomest Drowned Man In The World” by Gabriel García Márquez, I believe many parallels can be made corresponding to the college experience. Throughout the story we see the villagers change, and accept what was, while also realizing things can be better. This sort of change is ever present in the college experience, we find ourselves pushing further and further, seeing what we can achieve and what we have not dared to even dream.
We see symbolism of an almost cocoon type change several times in the story, such as In the first paragraph when the children “removed the clumps of seaweed, the jellyfish tentacles, and the remains of fish and flotsam” from the dead man. This symbolism comes again on page 2 when the women clean the man’s skin.
The cocoon-like state the beautiful man is in is much like being an undergraduate. An undergraduate has yet to come free from their cocoon, to unfurl their wings and display all the beauty aligned with the enlightenment of their education, just as the dead man’s beauty unfurled bringing enlightenment to the villagers, who realized how wretched their lives were. They basked in this newly found light!
The beauty and knowledge obtained in college only goes as far as college though. Graduating i can imagine is much like the funeral for the dead man. His body floating back to sea, leaving his memory behind, and taking with him this enlightened state, as it says in the story “they did not need to look at one another to realize that they were no longer all present, that they would never be.” (7) though they were no longer present they actively decided to make a better home for themselves, as we all must along our journey once it is our time to leave college. Through acts of good intention we may become present.
I believe you chose this as our first reading so we can put a bit of magical thinking into our college experience, so we can be excited for what’s ahead and to try to remember to stay present during it all.
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James, thanks for the interesting interpretation! I wasn’t thinking of the college experience exactly but about this class in the context of the whole college experience. I like what you write about the “cocoon” state of the villagers before the appearance of the dead man. The appearance of the dead man brings the people to live, while at the same time the villagers give life to the dead man by creating a story and an identity for him. I also like what you write about bringing some magical thinking into the learning experience. I think that if we open our minds to the literature we read in this class, we too will expand our lives and views of the world.
James, you provide a really interesting perspective. When you really stop to think about it, what happened to the villagers when they discovered this dead body is very similar to your analogy of undergraduates being in a “cocoon” like state. We may come in to school with our walls up, we might come in not knowing much of the world around us. But the knowledge that we receive during particular courses can really make us shine. They can make us find new purpose in our education. It’s also very interesting how you tie finally graduating to the funeral for the dead man. Being cast away back into the sea, but this time with a newly found identity.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s work entitled “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” depicts an desolated village where the villagers know everyone and they live day by day with no disruption of the comfortability they have grown in their village. This is, however, until a body of an unknown floats ashore that catches the eye of everyone that admires what is in front of them. Suddenly the villagers feel the need to change their dynamics and create a village in which the handsome “Esteban” himself would be proud of.
I believe this story was assigned as the first for this course as the author’s use of wording to present and create an image and atmosphere to the readers is part of what makes literature a fundamental part of the human experience. By being able to experience the imagery, atmosphere, and emotion the author is conveying through his words is a technique that makes literature stand out to readers. As the reader, I felt emotion and passion through the text and that demonstrates how those techniques gave way to the human experience for me personally. I am interested to know if anyone else felt the same way.
Richard, thanks for posting. And thanks for sharing your own experience of reading the story. I always feel a sense of mystery when I read this story, yet I’m also struck by how kind the villagers are to each other. It is during the collective act of caring for the corpse that they begin to write a story for the man, thus giving him a life. By the time he is buried in the sea, he is no longer a stranger to them. By engaging their imaginations, they enrich their own lives.
The analyses of “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” that were assigned this week delved into the concept of magical realism and how Gabriel Garcia Marquez took inspiration from his childhood to form the basis of the tale. However, underneath the magical and mythological influence, the story is fundamentally one of hope — specifically, the hope that comes from gaining a fresh perspective.
For the villagers in “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” who live dreary lives focused more on surviving than thriving, Esteban’s appearance marks the arrival of that fresh perspective. When they lay their eyes on someone so beautiful and otherworldly, the villagers begin to see a world beyond their droll existence. Although Esteban is clearly dead, they cannot help but imagine him in the living world. After holding a funeral for him, the villagers strive to turn their town into a place worthy of their handsome Esteban, filled with the hope that he might return to what is now (at least in their minds) his home. However, by transforming their town for the dead man, they end up creating a healthier and happier environment for themselves. Their existence is richer for having “met” Esteban because they now have hope and purpose.
I believe this is an excellent reading to start the class with. I think one of the most important reasons to read and analyze literature is to gain new perspectives and expand our worldview. Like the villagers in “The Most Handsome Drowned Man”, we too can have a richer existence by consuming different works of literature and engaging with them in different ways. Not only does literature allow us to see the world in a new light, but we can and should also strive to break down individual works from multiple angles. The more perspective we have, the more full our lives can be.
I also think this is a timely reading because of its focus on hope. We are living in an unprecedented era where nothing feels normal and none of us have much agency over the trajectory of our lives. Many (if not all) of us are focused on survival. Just like the villagers in the story, it’s hard to imagine trying to thrive right now. Reading a story that culminates in hope and change for the better means a lot to me on a personal level in these times. It serves as a reminder that we can all try to find our Esteban — the catalyst for change that will bring new meaning to our lives in lockdown.
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Kia, thanks for the great post. You express so well the reason I assign this story first. As i commented to another student, this is very much a story about the power of stories to change lives and perspectives. “Worldview” is a very good word to use here, and as you write, literature can enlarge that worldview and allow us to be larger, more conscious people. Your comments in the final paragraph are so true now. During other semesters when we were reading this story, we were not in such strange and isolating times. It’s interesting that you use the word “survival” to describe the mode in which many people are now living. Before Esteban, the villagers were in a kind of survival mode too. In this story, they assert their imaginations and create an identity and a history for the dead man. It is a beautiful paradox of the story that the dead man gives life to the village while the village gives live to the dead man.
Thank you, Professor! I love that paradox and find it very bittersweet. One has to wonder how the villagers would have treated Esteban had he come to their village while still alive. Were they able to grant him deity-like status only because they manufactured everything about his life and personality? And if that’s the case, was Esteban himself truly necessary to bring the village to life, or could any beautiful thing have sparked the villager’s imaginations and expanded their minds?
Kia, I believe you described it best! I agree that reading and writing literature allows us to see the world in a new light and expand out perspectives. The villagers in many way represent our us and perspectives we have not yet imagined. I like the take you took on hope. The current times are truly unprecedented and we all our looking for the best way to simply survive like the villagers. I hope you are staying safe, and happy we are in the same section !
Kia, your response is nicely put. I completely agree with your views of the story. Sometimes gaining a fresh perspective does bring hope: Esteban, a dead man, powerful enough to transform an entire village, speaks volumes. You confirmed this reading to be magical realism, just as I thought! A realistic view of what we are living now in the modern world. In these unprecedented times, it is crucial to look at things with hope. “Try to find our Esteban”! Love that.
Kia, I completely agree and love your view on the story. Reading is so important in expanding our perspective on life and the world around us. I enjoy the way you describe how Esteban courage the villagers to create a village worthy of him but in all reality, they created a better village for themselves. I like the idea of the focus of the story being hope when I first read it, I didn’t realize how much hope Esteban brought to the villagers but I see it now. It’s fascinating how a deceased man can bring people together and change an entire community.
Hello Kia, such an amazing in depth post. I enjoyed reading your fourth paragraph. Because it gave me a new perspective on the reason why the professor gave us this text to read. Overall, the point being made by Marquez is that people, when in pursuit of the lastest trend, can become so caught up in their fascination that they forget to use rationality and abandon sound judgement.
This was a beautiful story. I believe you assigned this reading as to show that right now the world seems black and white.. no color, no happiness, despair. Just like how the village was. The dead man signifies a glimpse of hope, possibly maybe even seen as magical. The villagers were in awe with Esteban, chattering away and rewarding his body with flowers and stones. He reshaped the town with his presence. I believe we need this little glimpse of hope during these eventful times. If we hold onto that hope, we will begin to see the color of our city coming again. Just like how the villagers attitudes changed.
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The short interesting and enthralling story “The Handsome Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, involves the tellings of a small fishing village and the corpse of a beautiful man that was found along their shore. The beautiful man affected the village in a glorious way than how it was first mentioned, sounding like a depressing and drab place. Throughout the story it’s made clear that there is no excitement within the village, until “The Handsome Man” arrives, and alarmed by the newly found corpse and just who it might be they checked to see if it were one of their own. Mesmerized by how tall, and overall divergent he was to their own men, they became obsessive over the body who they named Esteban. They started to speculate what his life was like and drew painted him as someone outstanding:
“They thought that he would have had so much authority that he could have drawn fish out of the sea simply by calling their names and that he would have put so much work into his land that springs would have burst forth from among the rocks so that he would have been able to plant flowers on the cliffs” (Márquez 4).
Esteban changed the villagers’ life drastically while also opening up their imaginations from the closed minded perception, you can say that the villagers were also inspired by him, and saw him as some kind of god. Esteban in a way brought life to the village and equally brought life to the villagers, when he was returned back to the sea the villagers did more, built larger houses, and planted flowers. Life before Esteban was dull, depressing, void of life but, life after Esteban became meaningful and full of life.
I think you assigned this short story as a way of telling us that some of these stories will and can have the effect to change our perspective on life, as well as just how this course like the village will change and give way to our imagination, and help to evolve the way we write. Helping us to comprehend the various arts of literature while simultaneously making the connections and thoroughly dismember each piece of literature.
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The beautiful story “The Most Handsome Downed Man” by Gabriel Garcia Marques is a perfect start to this course. It is a tale of curiosity. The people of the village lack happiness of life and knowledge of the outside world, they are stunned by the body that has suddenly appeared. They give the body and name, “Esteban” and start to praise his presents. Using their imagination and giving an identity to a dead body with no life, symbolizes what literature is all about. English literature is made to open our minds and think of things differently and from a second perspective. We as writers should take letters writing in black colors like the homes of the village, and create colorful stories that portray meaning.
This reminds me in many way of the “Allegory Of The Cave”, by Plato. Although it is not as extreme, the people of the cave and their unknown remind me of the villagers. Esteban represents the escape from the cave into a real world filled with the unknown.
I believe that well written literature can pass through generations. Just like Esteban that has brought light to the village for generations ahead, literature can portray that same effect.
As writers in this course, we should always try to be the villagers after meeting Esteban. Our writing should be able to shed light and make us exercise our imagination.
Hello David. While reading this short story, I also found it to be similar to Plato’s “Allegory Of The Cave”. I would describe the similarities similar to the way you have in which the cave in his work represents Esteban’s corpse as they both lead to change for the protagonist and, in this case, the protagonists in the villagers. These authors different takes on the aspect of change is what makes literature an interesting subject as one meaning can be interpreted and demonstrated to readers in many unique ways.
Hey Richard! The aspect of change as you mentions is truly a common denominator between the two authors. I find that the best and most inspiring writing, is usually the one that leaves you self reflecting. I hope you are staying safe and appreciate your comment.
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I believe you might have chosen to assign “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez because it inspires changed perception and captures somewhat of a representation of reality. The villagers lived mundane lives, but once “Esteban’s” shockingly handsome body arrives, their views start to shift. He leaves them wanting better, wanting to be just as stunning. His presence alone broadened their imagination—a complete transformation from within.
After reading this entertaining story, it left me feeling inspired as well. Encouraged to be great and to change the way I look at online learning. Instead of having the thought that I thrive, especially in a face to face setting, I believe that I can thrive in any environment. This piece of literature has me excited about what is to come in this course. I have changed the narrow perception that I once had and accepted this transformation.
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Faith, I agree with your point of view from reading this story. It also made we take a step back and re-evaluate my views on online learning too. The way unexpected situations change the way people see things is a prominent part of the story. I mean, who would have thought a dead man would give a village of people a new purpose to hold on too; not me lol. But it shows us in our present day, how we should rethink and rewrite the stories we had by holding unto to hope, keep striving and find our purpose.
Faith, I’d be interested in hearing more about how your views about online learning were reevaluated as you read this story!
In “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia Marque tells a story about the dead man with the good-looking. The villagers were shocked to see his body. This story caught my attention because the small fishing village never saw a man like Esteban who’s a really handsome and very good looking man that ever saw those village women in their lifetime. When those men see Esteban’s face they awe at his handsomeness and his size. I like how those village people change their lives permanently because they know they have to change their houses and make them bigger for men like Esteban.
I like how the narrator symbolism each thing in the story line between life and death. After reading the story I’m really curious how the villagers will react if the dead man were alive, especially those women. The way those women joy when they found out that Esteban doesn’t belong to any neighboring towns.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez wrote this story because he wanted to show how people can be affected by health. He wanted to show how people can be affected by death, but also what it means to live. I think that this story is very interesting because it shows how people can be affected in different ways.
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Humayra, your response to the story is well expressed, but have you answered the question about why I might have assigned this story first?
Hi professor, Yes I forgot to answer you’re question
Esteban changed the villagers’ life completely because before villagers never thought to make their houses bigger or planting flowers. There are villagers in this juncture of reality and surrealism. The central sign of the story is the person drowned on the shore of the small village. He is bigger, denser, well, and seems greater than anyone that they have seen earlier. The recognition that women make for the person is Esteban. He is the result of these female’s desires. Esteban is the prediction of the purpose of these women’s lives.
I think you assigned this story first because it’s a fascinating story to begin with. It is a very good example of how people can be so easily manipulated by others. As a reader this story makes me wonder about the myth of “Esteban”.
Humayra, thank you for the followup.
My interpretation of your assignment choice, “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, is to expose us to a form of writing that we may be less accustomed to. The use of Magical Realism shows a facet of writing that can take an otherwise bland story and depict it in a larger than life way. There were certain observations that stuck out to me in the story; the differences in the women of the village, who found deeper meaning and compassion for Esteban, vs. the men who viewed it all almost as a nuisance.
As Esteban changed the way the village perceived the world A.E., perhaps you wished this to be a parallel, to the hope for this class to have a lasting impact on your students hereafter. To leave us with not only a understanding of how to critically examine literature, but how literature can be used to enrich our experiences and the experiences of others.
Section 0504
“The Most Handsome Drowned Man” written by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, is a short story that depicts the life of some people in a mediocre village who one day came upon the body of a man, who washed up on the seashore. The arrival of this stranger gave them mixed emotions and changed their perspective of life as they knew it forever.
The story takes us through the mixed emotions of the villagers moving from helping a lonely stranger to fantasizing over the physical attributes of the man and the potential he had to improve their community, to compassion for him as he must have been a misfit his whole life because of his size.
I believe the premise of the story and why it might’ve been assigned to us, is to demonstrate the lasting impression made by a stranger can modify our perspectives, motivate our need to improve ourselves, and think beyond our own needs or limitations to facilitate others.
Hi Senia! I felt drawn in to your use of the word “stranger” in your last statement and wished to make a comment. Immediately, as if I had made this connection long ago, I thought about my last experience at a bookstore (like, a while ago unfortunately) and pictured in my head the rows of books that you would face in the shelves to select from and came to realize that in a sense, all of those books are “strangers” that like you said, could “modify our perspectives”. This image of books wasn’t entirely accidental. Books are obviously the physical manifestation of literature but like the millions of people we know exist but also “don’t”, the study of literature involves works both familiar and unfamiliar but are equally capable of delivering the “lasting impression” you mentioned.
David, your comments made me think of all the “people” who exist because they exist in literature. Later in the term, we’ll read a Shakespearean sonnet that touches on this theme.
Section 0534 , I apologize for this being so late. I had some trouble finding my section number.
In “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia, the literary techniques of suspense and curiosity are employed throughout the text. These techniques kept readers waiting till the very end to see how the story unravels. There is a sense of mystery and unknown that keep readers guessing what the outcome may become. Once this man’s dead body washes up on the shore of this village, it changes their mindset about things and their outlook on life. This beautiful dead man gives the villagers the ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ or ‘there is more to life’ feelings.
I believe you assigned this story as the first in this course because you want us; as students, to ask ourselves thought-provoking questions whenever we read stories going forward. You want us to warm up our minds into imagination and creativity of creating stories the way the villagers did for ‘Esteban’. I think another reason is that you want us to open our hearts to the possibilities of new beginnings and hope despite previous tribulations.
Section 0504.
Hello Ebube, I completely agree with your view of the story. The villagers were very close minded and content with the way they were living their lives. But when the mysterious dead man was found and his abnormal size compared to the villagers and they realized he probably had a hard time with the size of his body. with that realization the opened their minds and changed things in the village to keep his memory or to keep the inspiration they got from him alive.
Hello, Ebube you have a very good writing style, and the way you express your ideas is awesome. I agree with all your reasons for this story to be first but, the most I like is the last one. This story shows us how people are solidarity with the dad man that even they had to make special clothing for him. We have to be solidarity, and respectful with all people around us.
Prior to life before Esteban, the protagonist in Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s “The Handsomest Drowned Man in The World”, “the fear that the wind would carry off [the people’s] children” distinctly exemplifies a naïve mindset within the self-imposed isolation among the villagers from the rest of the world (2). In one sense, the seemingly dull and transitory moments that fill the gaps in our lives are unavoidable yet, as penned by Marquez, are available to enchanting heights. In reconfiguring our perception of the world, Marquez challenges our ability to accept and trust in the substance of his magic. As though the reader were grouped in with these villagers, this challenge to the reader parallels their acceptance of a man for which “there was no room for…in their imagination” (2). This concept serves as an apt symbol for literature; our study and connection to reading relies in part on that moment of transition from the mundane to the sublime. Marquez himself alludes to the universality of the sublime after the total assimilation of Esteban’s influence on the village. Esteban’s immediate impact on the villagers inspires them to paint “gay colors” on their houses to make his memory “eternal” (8). Furthermore, Marquez allows this impact to travel far beyond the coves and cliffs of the village in his use of the captain character at the end of the story. Representing the most respected people of our world, the captain, with his “row of war medals” proclaims the beauty of Esteban’s village “in fourteen languages” encapsulating perfectly literature’s ability to lift our raw and earthly sense to a universally perceived divine (8).
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David, this is beautifully written! We do see at the end of the story how the village takes on a distinct identity and becomes part of a much larger universe. Now the travelers on all the ships know that this village exists, and they will spread the word about it just as the women who bring flowers to memorialize the dead man tell other women in other villages, who in turn, bring more flowers to honor Esteban.
David Flick, I loved reading your post! The way you write has a very fun flow. I liked that you touched upon the superstition and “naïve mindset” of the villagers. I too found this interesting while reading, realizing I had to take on a few of these thought processes myself in order to enter the world being described by Marquez.
I also liked how you linked Estaban being too big for the villagers imagination to a symbol of literature. It’s so very true, we cannot begin absorbing a book, which may be too large for imaginations, until we move from the mundane to the sublime as you said, accepting the literary world before us and taking part in it.
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I think “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez was the first story assigned because before we read a work of literature, we may not realize how the story will impact us or change our perspective on life. Before “Esteban” the villagers lived in a spiritless, boring village with strong winds, no flowers and wooden houses all the same. When “Esteban” washed up on the beach the villagers had no idea who this handsome man was but together they created an identity for him, they imagined the life he lived and the struggles he might have faced. He brought the people inside and outside the village together, they viewed him as a god and had compassion for him. “Esteban” inspired the villagers to fix their homes making them bigger and stronger, they planted flowers and painted their houses beautiful colors. He left the village a little more magical than before. I believe reading stories bring a little magic into our lives, expanding our imagination and changing our views on life. Just like “Esteban” changed the lives of the villagers, literature can change the lives of readers.
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Hi Michaela,
I enjoyed your point that “reading stories brings a little magic into our lives”. The way imagination can paint entire realities for us to live in, is powerful. A good writer can make the words come alive and tfghe ability to give stories this skillful touch can certainly influence our own outlook on life as you say. I think because of this it’s important to expand on the types of literature we consume as much as possible.
“The Most Handsome Drowned Man”, is a short piece that tells a story about a village that is changed after it unites to create an identity for a dead man they discover. Even though the dead man obviously cannot speak and share his actual life story with the villagers, they use their imagination to build a life for him, give him personality traits, and create an influential and cathartic narrative. This narrative opens their minds up to ideas they never considered, giving them a whole new perspective on life. The villagers made a vow to change after the man’s burial, they would think of him and his difficult life as a large-sized man unable to fit anywhere. This narrative could, and most likely is, far from the actual truth of this man’s life story. They come up with such specific details about him, like how he may have felt like a burden his whole life and what a sincere human being he must’ve been, but the likelihood of this being correct is unknown. The change that will come about after this life-changing incident was not because of this dead man, but because of their interpretation of him.
The magical realism in this story normalizes this made-up story about this man. It may make the reader feel as though this shot in the dark is likely, and all of this makes sense. I think if something like this were to occur in society today, people that actually accepted these made-up beliefs would be ridiculed. To look at a dead man and decide what his life was like and fall in love with this fake story would be considered insane. But in this world, it is acceptable because everything is up for interpretation.
I feel like this message connects to this class because literature is very creative and everyone seems to have a different understanding of it. Personally, I’ve always struggled in literature classes because I’m the type of person that is always looking for a definite answer. That’s why I feel more comfortable in a math or science class. But with English classes, you’re expected to be imaginative and inventive. I’m always in fear that my interpretation is wrong. But from this story, you see that a possibly incorrect interpretation has led to something beautiful. This account of “Esteban’s” life may be totally wrong, but it caused the whole village to unite and come together to mourn the death of a stranger they’ve welcomed into their communities. A barren, depressing village, found meaning for their existence. Neighboring villages joined because they were so touched by this story. So ultimately, whether this story is true or false, is irrelevant. What matters is what was gained from it. Similarly, you shouldn’t worry about whether your ideas are conventional or not. In other words, let your imagination run wild without worrying about anything else. I think this piece was assigned to encourage us to be creative. Even as I explain my understanding of why this was assigned I am slightly self-conscious that none of this makes sense to anyone but I think in order to do well in this class and gain something from it we need to find that creative and expressive part of us and let it think freely.
Sorry forgot to mention Section 0504
Hello Zubaida,
I absolutely love the way you expressed your own uncertainty with your interpretation of this reading, and I one-hundred percent identify with you on that! I absolutely agree that this reading is intended to address the idea of individualistic perspectives and interpretations of concepts we are unfamiliar with, and that’s exactly what we’re trying to do for this assignment: interpret an idea that is a little foreign to us. And, of course, with that comes an unshakeable feeling of uncertainty and doubt, as if the message that we, ourselves, took away from this piece is conventionally “wrong.” However, I hope you find solace in the fact that you and I have very similar ideas about this reading, and we both agree that the change that was incited by Esteban was actually influenced by the villagers’ own perspectives and interpretations of his life– a narrative that they can’t ever truly confirm or deny. Thank you so much for your post, and I’m really looking forward to this semester with you!
Section: 0503
I believe you assigned “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” because it has a lot similarities to whats happening in America right now. Esteban is like George Floyd, and we are all the village people. Some people are like the village people who made a mockery out of his death and then there were other people who cared to know where he was from. Men in the village, sought his identity in other villages to understand where he was from.
The same thing happened in America. Some people absolutely did not care about any of the circumstances regarding the situation and immediately made a mockery. Others rallied around him like the village women who rallied around him assure he was clothed and given a proper funeral.
What really resonated with me was the ending when Marquez writes how the whole village would be forever changed by a stranger death and thats the same thing with George Floyd. We all never him, but his death has impacted us all in some way or another. America is going to forever changed regardless if people are uncomfortable with the protest and or looting. Some may feel as if it will not make a change or difference, but black Wall Street was burned and surely made a huge difference in the businesses and families.
This story was very important and I truly believed it was picked because it was a lot of underlying themes that are relevant to our society.
Section: 0534
Summer, I always love it when I see students applying themes from our readings to events in real life. I think it is so true that the killing of George Floyd has changed our country. There were even protests in other countries around the world. I think the theme of identity runs through the tragedy of George Floyd, as well. The whole world knows his story now. And his story sheds light on what is the American story, which is something all citizens are being forced to consider at this very painful time. Thanks for the great post.
Hi Summer,
I never thought of this, you have a great point! George Floyd’s story has created a new chapter in world history. All the protesting, rioting and voicing opinions were caused by the impact of his story. The parallels between the two stories are really similar. This just goes to show how powerful a story can be and how there’s always some kind of insight or new perspective to gain from them.
In ” The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World”, the villagers seemed as if they lacked inspiration, they were just living day by day as life continues. Once Esteban’s body arrived to the villagers, the women were completely astonished by the presence of his features, as if he was ” the something missing” from their life. Esteban’s features caused the effect of the women to tend to him, as well as the men eventually. One of reasons I think you chose this short story for us to read was so that we understand how change occurs. Change requires work and dedication, as well change can be either a good thing to others or not, it’s also something that doesn’t come easy to accept as others.
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Zaria, thanks for the good comments. I like what you say here about the work involved in the making of change. Please be sure that your posts meet the length requirements so you can receive full credit. See “Information about discussion Boards” in COURSE INFORMATION.
I believe you assigned this story first because of the overall message it sends, and because of your views on Literature. At the top of the homepage of this class, you have a lovely F. Scott Fitzgerald quote that talks about stories and the impact it can have on people–no longer feeling alone, or being outcast by fellow peers. In “The Handsomest Drowned Man In The World” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, the village is so in awe of the man who washed up on shore. Although he was not alive, he was not just buried and forgotten. His very being influenced the ordinary town and its people so much, they vowed they would make their houses and yards big, colorful, and bright in order to capture the attention of foreign visitors and give him the rightful praise and honor he deserved. In Literature, a simple line or stress on a word can impact our view on something forever. Many books in history have been banned due to the lessons they can put in our heads. Stories are just bunches of words placed in a certain order, but the effect they can leave on us can literally change our life. It is a great place to start: sometimes the tiniest things can impact enormous change.
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Gezelle, thanks for the good comments. I like what you remind us here—that books are sometimes considered dangerous by those who don’t want people to think and interpret and open their minds. That’s why some governments ban certain books. Dictators and tyrants know that literature can change lives and perspectives. We should know it too!
Hi Gezelle,
I love this idea! I once watched a TedTalk about how powerful storytelling can be especially if the story is as compelling and emotional as this one, and I thought it related to this. The story of “Esteban” was incredibly influential and changed the village for the better. I think we can relate to this as well, we’ve all read a book or watched a movie that had a big impact on us even if they were fictional.
In “The most handsome drowned man” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez the body of a drowned man washes up in a small village by the ocean. The people in the village attempted to discover his identity, they discover he was taller, stronger and handsome. They assigned a name for the body which was Esteban and painted him as a god. Esteban gave the villagers a magical view of reality. I think you assigned this reading for our first story because you wanted us to have a different perspectice of maical realism. Just as esteban changes the villagers perspectives by giving them an outlet for their imaginations, so does magical realism enrich our perspesctive by exploring the supernatural operating behind physical reality.
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By now, it’s obvious that “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez addresses themes of identity, imagination, interpretation, and perspective. The story of a beautiful man who washes ashore a dull village and changes the way the community lives forever is undeniably making a statement on the duality of identity and the inspiration that lies within our interpretation of the unknown. Although they know nothing about him, the villagers create an identity for Esteban, beginning with his name. The fact that Esteban is a complete stranger, foreign to the village community, is exactly what provides the opportunity for the collective creation of his identity. They interpret many aspects of his life almost exclusively from his stature, his face, and the manner in which he was brought to them. Suddenly they are inspired to imagine what his life was like, and to make changes based around those assumptions. They imagine the challenges he faced, and how others viewed him. They decide to paint their houses bright colors, widen their doorways, and plant flowers so that the memory of Esteban can return to the island. What’s important to understand here is that it wasn’t Esteban that implemented change within the community– it was the community members themselves and the way in which their perspective influenced their own ideas about him. Yes, Esteban initially prompted the villagers to change their perspective with his unforeseen arrival, but, in the end, it was the identity they assigned him through their own collective imagination that drove the village to believe in magic.
In my opinion, this is the perfect first story to kick off the semester because the way in which we, as students and individuals, analyze the messages that we take away from each reading will differ in many ways. Our perspectives are exclusive to us and us alone, and although we may end up with similar ideas, the way we carry these ideas with us and the way these ideas might change us will never be exactly identical to the next. However, with that being said, we are, in a way, a “village”, too. Foreign ideas will be thrown our way this semester and with the help of each other, we can begin to make sense of it all. Throughout the semester, we’ll interpret things differently and the way we identify with different pieces of literature will change, but, ultimately, we are creating a community to share these ideas. It’s almost as if Professor Conway chose this reading because in the same way that the villagers create an identity for Esteban and his arrival creates an identity for them, we will interpret the meaning of literature with our own perspectives and literature will change the meaning of the world around us.
Section: 0503
Emily, it’s great to hear from you, even at this last moment. You write that the themes of the story are “obvious by now.” Yet isn’t one of the themes the very idea that things may not always be obvious? Is it possible that what others have said is not all there is to say and that there are many other ideas embedded in this story that are not obvious at all?
I believe that you chose this story because you strongly believe that college and life are still things that have purpose. In the story “The Most Handsome Drowned Man,” the village is incredibly lacking in purpose and life. There isn’t much life to this village. They don’t know much, if anything, about the world outside of their small, reclusive town. The homes do not have many differences between them. Besides the people who live in them. The village doesn’t have much purpose besides the usefulness it brings to help the people survive. The people go about their lives the same way everyday. Much like how we do in our daily lives. Once this corpse, – covered in vegetation and ragged up from the harsh sea – washes up on their beach, the lives of the villagers completely change. His stature and weight are unlike anything these people have seen before. None of the clothes that were in this village could fit this corpse. He was too heavy to be set on a table or a chair. He couldn’t even fit on a bed. So, the women who clean up this corpse start to wonder what this man’s life was like. Even to the point of calling him a large fool. Ultimately, they notice how much smaller their husbands are. They suddenly have questions and realize how their village cannot properly take care of this large corpse. The women clean the corpse, give him clothes out of sails, and name him Esteban. They realized he is so important. They end up changing how the town looks to fit Esteban. Especially via the doors. The town regains their sense of purpose. They finally saw there is more than what they know. In this course, we will be studying multiple pieces of literature. It is all online, and our days are mostly the same as everyday. These pieces will change how we perceive our monotonous views of life and routine. Overall opening our minds to different opinions. People attach to media they consume. It is very likely multiple students will change throughout the course. The corpse that washed up on the beach of that village changed those people purely by being in front of them. Much like how the pieces of literature will do to us.
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Hi Marisa! I like your in-depth analysis of the town and how it contributes to the concept of needing a purpose. This definitely opened my eyes a bit more when it comes to understanding the story and how it applies to a class like such. As students, we should most definitely be opening our minds to everything education has to offer, especially during these turbulent times. I don’t think I could have explained the purpose of this story and how it applies to this specific class, in being the first story we analyze, any better than you have.
In the story, “The Most Handsome Drowned Man,” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, the author touches on concepts of compassion and perception throughout the story. Perception is exhibited through the many different shapes his viewers decided to see him as while his body approached the shore. Compassion is exhibited by the women in the story trying to protect his dignity when arranging for his burial by making proper clothing and accommodations before burying him. I believe you, Professor Conway, assigned this as the first story of the course because it could be interpreted as a subtle reminder to be open-minded and understanding when entering into a course about literature. Funny enough, I also believe this is relevant to the current issues we are dealing with in the world with Covid-19 and civil rights movements. It’s difficult to become successful without an open mind and compassion for others and to be successful in a class like this, I believe exercising these traits is crucial.
Section 0504
The story “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia shows how one idea can lead to multiple changes. Having the villagers create bigger and stronger structures shows you what these villagers are capable of doing when they are inspired and motivated. It shows you how one dead body leads them to think about the future.
I think you gave us this story because of what’s actually going on in our real world. There are many things that are happening right now in the year 2020, but the one that is currently stuck in my mind is racism. There have been multiple deaths that can be avoided by the police. The people aka “the villagers” want a huge change to happen that can help prevent these disastrous events from occurring. I understand we can’t have a utopian world, but there must be a change where minority people aren’t victims of social discrimination.
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Hi Victor. I like it when you say “one dead body leads them to think about the future” and yes an event has to happen to prepare us for the future in this story the people decided that they will build bigger villages. This story is also compared with all the strange life that we are living in 2020.
Miguel, please be sure posts meet the length requirements.
In “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Marquez writes about a dead man that becomes a sort of god for the villagers that find him. This dead villager over time becomes something larger than life. I think that is why you had us read this short story as our first story as a class because the rest of the stories that we read will be the same in that sort of sense. The ability to draw people in and inspire people is what well-written pieces of literature does. In the story, the villagers attach a personality to Esteban’s body and it inspires them to think and create something larger than themselves. To add on to the fact in this class we will be reading the text just like this, the literature will inspire us to write essays as we’ve never written essays before and hopefully inspire others with our writings.
Section 0504
“The Most Handsomest Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez describes a story where people live next to the sea and in small villages. They find in the sea a strange dead man covered with sea materials. I think that you start with this story because it is easy to identify some literary techniques for us to recall. This story also represents the beginning of the societies as we can see the author describes small villages and those villages are not close to each other. We can see also that people ate very solitary with the dead man they try to cloth him and carry some flowers for the funeral.
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Miguel, please be sure your post responds to my question and that the post meets length requirements. See “Information about Discussion Boards” in COURSE INFORMATION.
I believe “The Most Handsomest Drowned Man,” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez was your first short story pick because of how much identity is influenced by what you perceive. This can be influenced by a person, an experience, nature, a story, it is endless. What we absorb and digest, mentally, will change us forever.
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In ¨The Most Handsome Drowned Man¨ by Gabriel Garcia Marquez we meet a very small village that is heavily impacted by the appearance of a drowned man along the shore. As the villagers prepare the body for a proper sendoff and funeral, they begin to question and grow tired of their normal lives (and their very normal spouses) and find escape through imagining the life and experiences of this beautiful and dead stranger.
I think this story was assigned as the first story because it explores the depth and beauty of the unknown. Tired of the mundane pattern of their life seeing the same dry land and the same dry people, the entire village falls in love with a man they don´t know at all. Whilst they created their reality of this man, their love for this man is quite real as they are sending him off well and sobbing for him. I think that maybe this story is a reminder to not get stuck in the same medium and to always explore different patterns and techniques in the literature. Like the villagers who began to notice the decline of their surroundings only after encountering the stranger, we shouldn’t be caught up in the unknown, but rather let it fuel and help impact what we already know.
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while reading “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez” I was so curious about the end, because the story seems not to be real, and I was trying to imagine the size of the Men specially when the talked about the should cut his nails by using a knife. I think you choose this ready at first because the story make us use our imagination to understand the story. Also because this story teach us a lot of things about human behavior in society. For example the way the people in the village choose to honor the memory of the Dead man by making changes in the houses of the village. If it’s true that a handsome man chooses to drown himself, that also teaches how we should accept ourselves regardless of being different from others, and also respect, accept and welcome others that are different from us.
while reading “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez” I was so curious about the end, because the story seems not to be real, and I was trying to imagine the size of the Men specially when the talked about the should cut his nails by using a knife. I think you choose this ready at first because the story make us use our imagination to understand the story. Also because this story teach us a lot of things about human behavior in society. For example the way the people in the village choose to honor the memory of the Dead man by making changes in the houses of the village. If it’s true that a handsome man chooses to drown himself, that also teaches how we should accept ourselves regardless of being different from others, and also respect, accept and welcome others that are different from us.
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“The Most Handsome Drowned Man”, by Gabriel Garcia depicts the turning-point moment in the life of a remote group of people after a strange body appears in the village shore. Finally, after obviously having lived a miserable life in that dismal, inhospitable village, the inhabitants, women are reminded by the corpse of the giant man that life has to be a colorful pleasant gift which is in people hands to make it as joyful and prosperous as their imagination reveals it.
I am not sure why you chose this as our first story, but one can easily relate this to the horrible times we are living with the pandemic and political turmoil. It can be seen as announcement that hope is strong and a brighter future is awaiting us, if only we started to focus on life’s right side. Just like the story when the women’s feelings move from admiration that they have for the attractive drowned man, Lautaro, to the sympathy for the same ill-starred man, Esteban; from belief that “…his wife would have been the happiest women” to “they understood how unhappy he must have been with that huge body since it bothered him even after death”, so our lives can be changed by the perspective of our imagination. So, hopefully we will overcome these hardships together and give our life and environment the true powerful colors they deserve.
In the passage “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” By Gabriel Garcia Marquez the author really conveyed an empowering story. Even though the village wasn’t the best area to live in based on the lack if motivation and perseverance, It’s crazy how one event can occur in an area and the whole village can change the way people thing and go about living their lives. I respect the fact that the community village envied Esteban.
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“The Most Handsome Drowned Man” is a short story written by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, is an example for a great combination between magical realism and literature, which means it combines actions of daily routine with myths and superstitions. This short story represents the power of change, and it shows how unexpected things, people, and situations in life can affect and change people’s minds, thoughts, and behaviors.
From my point of view, after reading the story, I felt inspired by the village people’s ability and power to love and care for a stranger. This story affected my situation and thoughts, especially during these hard times we are all experiencing. Therefore, I believe you chose this to be our first story in order to encourage us to see the beauty in things, even if at first it seems hard and impossible.
I believe this story you chose is supposed to help to focus on the good and stable things we currently have in life, and just like the woman in the story, to stop for a second and to admire the beauty we see in the dark. “But they also knew that everything would be different from then on, that their houses would have wider doors, higher ceilings, and stronger floors so that Esteban’s memory could go everywhere…”
Section 0504
This story paints a unique picture, portraying how beauty is sewn into the very fabric of life, and it can be found in any circumstance. From the very first lines of the story, we see that the drowned man becomes an object of admiration for villagers, especially for women. They have never seen such a handsome, tall, and well-built man. I think the purpose of reading this story first is to tell ourselves that no matter how one’s life may seem satisfactory. As readers and writers we should never stop developing and improving. Second, a lot of good qualities and inspirations for changes hide inside us. We simply need to discover them, and sometimes very strange events can help us do this.
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