Printed with permission of Artist Luisa Rivera
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.
94 thoughts on “Week 1 Discussion”
This story may have been assigned as the first story of the course because it shows many changes throughout the remote village and among the villagers. It shows how the characters of this story have developed after the character Esteban was found in the ocean by the group of children. The remarkable effect of the dead man Esteban on the entire village made them think differently. This story shows and explains how one person has the power to be able to change others and encourage them to become a better person and wanting them to be different than the others. The drowned man brings the village together since they all have the same goal of becoming better human beings since the villagers find his qualities to be rather valuable. They believe that the village needs to be transformed as well as themselves. This story shows how making changes can have positive effects on a society and on a person.
Section number 11606
section 0503*
Hello Gagandeep,
I am interested in your interpretation of the role Esteban plays in the narrative. The way you phrase it makes it seem as though he could represent an author or writer, playing the role of one who inspires others. The role of writers or any artists in society is to ultimately open the minds of others through their work, which Esteban certainly does, in addition to allowing the villagers to access their own creativity, through both the way they discuss and think about Esteban’s life and death, and the way they tend to his body after death.
Gagandeep, thanks so much for jumping in with your very astute observations about the story. Your comments about what is at the heart of this story are excellent. However, why do you think I assigned this first instead of, maybe, at some later time in the semester? Please include section number in all comments here. Thanks!
Gagandeep, I should have posted this from Minute One. Please sign into the OpenLab course and follow the easy steps in the attachment below. Thanks! You’ll still receive credit for your posts.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IC2_0rD-pBMYWm4O1Ik5pxbBG1jt5AzqjUKbYQQEarE/edit
I thought over your ideas, and I find that your point of making changes, and the effects that those changes bring is interesting. For one, change in our world usually is followed by conflict, because that conflict is caused by the change, or vice versa. Maybe Esteban coming to the village is an example of a conflict, but the villagers changed it to something more positive.
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Hello Gagandeep, I believe your evaluation of the story“The Most Handsome Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is a strong one and makes a lot of good points, though I believe it is a bit deeper for the villagers then the man just simply washing up on shore. In my opinion it was the fake life they had created for this man, the fantasy they found themselves in induced by this event that widened their eyes to new possibilities for themselves and their village. In conclusion I believe it is more an event and or occurrence can widen someones eyes to the truth or a new perspective ( in this case the villagers) rather than a single person.
I believe this story may have been assigned because in many ways it serves as a metaphor for the power of stories to transform lives for the better. Although some may see literature as an antiquated means of communication, a good story can open minds and shift one’s perspective on the world, as is the case when the villagers come across the drowned man and begin to spin tales about him. Before coming across the man they name Esteban, the villagers do not possess very vivid imaginations, however in their quest to name him and describe his past, they wind up discovering their own ability to spin almost mythical tales, and therefore perceive the world in an entirely new way. Therefore, as the introduction to an English class, it makes sense that the first piece of literature we read is one which emphasizes the importance of creativity and storytelling in order to improve one’s outlook on the world.
Section 0503
Hello Justine,
Your interpretation of this story as a literature makes sense as it shows different point of views among the village. The imagination of the villagers changed when Esteban arrived and was viewed by the village. Their perspectives changed and their imaginations as well. They wanted to change and become better human beings and transform. The villagers mindset changed and became more intelligent to change themselves and to make a difference. The drowned man Esteban did help the villagers think creatively.
Hi Justine,
Perspective, or rather the cause of change of perspective, is a great explanation of the story and why this story was assigned. Esteban represented the cause resulting in the change in perception by the villagers of the world around them. Just like how Esteban transformed the villagers, how is this story transforming us. The desirable result is our broadened perception of the world.
Justine, thanks for the insightful post. I don’t want to say too much about your comments at this point because I want to hear what others have to say. (Don’t want to give away the answer). Let’s keep the conversation going! Thanks for including your section number. It helps a lot!
Justine, I should have posted this from Minute One. Please sign into the OpenLab course before submitting any further comments. Don’t worry. You will receive full credit for the posts you have submitted. Click this link for easy directions:
To sign into the OpenLab course, please follow the easy steps in the attachment below. Thanks!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IC2_0rD-pBMYWm4O1Ik5pxbBG1jt5AzqjUKbYQQEarE/edit
Hi Justine. I also agree that stories have the power to change perspectives, however I think that we as people, give the literature a lot of that power. When we sit and take the time to observe a story’s plot and themes we can learn from them. The change of perspective happens when we understand and apply what we understand. The villagers observe and try to understand the importance of Esteban. This understanding leads to their shift in perspective which is why your statement about perspective is so interesting to me!
I was thinking that as well. Their thoughts were changed of the men around them ,they all fell for the look of the man even if they did not know him, They went out of their way to send him off with all the flowers .
This story might have been selected as our first story of the course giving us an insight into working with topics related to superstitions, character development, and more around the concept of “magical realism”. These myths seem to have some sort of hidden moral which leads to development as seen with the children and the villagers as they found the body of Esteban. The way they observed his size and features to taking care of his corpse by cleaning it from the remains of the deep sea indicated how important it was to them to find him. In addition to giving him a proper funeral, questioning the change in the flow of the sea, the pressure of the wind, and the brightness of the sun’s relation to him is what made them want to take action for themselves. What I took away from the story was how one thing can spark curiosity in the world and influence others to change in being able to identify themselves. As seen in the village wanting to change after the discovery of Esteban revealing the impact he had on them was a life-changing experience. Thus building a known image for themselves to be noticed.
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Brandon, thanks for posting. You touch on many good reasons for students to read this story. The idea of something life-changing is close to my reason for assigning it first.
Hi Brandon, your ideas that a spark can charge something larger is relatively important to our current experiences. In English this year, maybe some sparks of ideas can help us write certain essays in the future. I think that the impact of this story is a great metaphor for our current experiences.
Section 0505
I believe that this was chosen as our first piece of literature for the course because it provokes thought through its complicated story. The story is complicated to me because if the story is read with a literal mindset much of the story seems scattered. The author creates a life for Esteban that the villagers could never have known but presents this fantasy as a fact of Esteban’s life. The story is beautiful in the way that it seems like the villagers just needed a reason to improve and they made Esteban that reason. The improvements in the village were made for a man that would never again see it but they maintained it knowing he may never see it. This shows the intense power of expectations amongst us. Perhaps the power of expectations for the rest of this course
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Justin, I like your comment about possible expectations for the semester. This is true. And it does relate to the reason for which I assign this story first. I loved reading your post because you let us all in on the evolution of your thought process. My reason is quite close to your ideas.
Section: 0503
Professor Conway may have assigned this as the first story of the corse to convey a message. Creativity leads to productivity. As shown in the story, when the villagers discover the drowned man he is already dead, meaning the people are responsible themselves for the changes that they’ve made. And with that said it is very clear that the villagers positive transformation originates completely from within. The mythical tales that they made up based off of the mans complexion awoke the suppressed creativity that the small community may have had within them, prior to finding the drowned man. If so, I think this was a great first reading. We may all contain suppressed creativity within ourselves when it comes to writing or just life in general, but if we dig deep enough the results may even be life changing as well as open up doors to new opportunities, thoughts and perspectives as it did for the villagers.
Nicole, there are a few phrases in your post that are very salient. One is your comment that “positive transformation originates completely from within.” Another is that “creativity leads to productivity.” And your last line says so much more!
There’s a certain magic in imagination, and the rural, distant village that is depicted in this story about a drowned man shows this perfectly. Someone that can be seen as a dead corpse, a “piece of cold Wednesday meat”, is transformed through the village woman’s imagination. From wife, then to husband, as their collective thoughts created a man that can be seen as a gentle giant. They fleshed out the details of this corpse’s life, to the very actions he takes when visiting others, though they truly know nothing more than his appearance. Perhaps their imaginations were wrong, perhaps he wasn’t a gentle giant after all. Perhaps he was a killer, a murderer, someone that is very mean and cruel. We don’t know, but it can be just as true as the interpretation made by the villagers. That is the power of imagination, to the point of changing the life of the one dreaming to the many experiencing that same dream. The point or reason why we are led to read this for our introduction to this course, then, may be for the lesson that certain simple things can be interpreted very creatively, to the point of making it much more interesting.
Section: 0505
The fact you brought up the idea of the magic in imagination intrigued me because when reading the story I simply went along with the idea of Estaban being a gentle person but reading your comment in reality he could have been anything while the women thought of him as a gentle giant as you say the men could’ve thought of him as a threat. However in the story case they came collectively and use the imagine of Estaban as a way to improve there own life. To continue on your interpretation of why this was the first story to be assign really did make me broaden the way I think of things rather then a more logical stand point to be more creative in how a interpret things.
Kexin, what an interesting thought you enter here. It’s true what you write—that the drowned man might have been a serial killer for all the villagers know. It is their collective imagination that creates the sympathetic story they write for his life. And yes, this is a good first story in its emphasis on imagination and interpretation. It’s all about how stories can change our perspectives.
Hey Kevin,
The point you made of the transformation of Esteban from dead corpse to a giant idea/figure was something that stood out to me as well. The passing down of information from the villagers shows how myth is created and things can become more grandiose and fabricated as they get further from the source. I also believe it’s interesting to see how the perspective created by the villagers took an optimistic point. This may speak on the villagers view on humanity, coming from a more optimistic place rather than a cynical one.
Hi, kexin, after I read your idea, it just makes me think a different way because you come up with interesting ideas about imagination. When I read this story, I was following what the story tells and does not have an idea of Estaban might a bad person. This might describe that people have different ideas and that might change other viewpoints and people can imagine things that are bad or good.
Kexin, I also felt that the magic aspect of the story was a predominant presence. The imagination of the villagers literally formed the idea of Esteban as this larger than life individual even though they knew absolutely nothing about him. The description of his colossal size and beauty almost seemed as if he was a giant and god-like because no normal human can be so large and prefect and beautiful. The story reminded me of a gothic novel I read in the past called “The Castle of Otranto” by Horace Walpole. The writer took liberties is that story the same way the write of this story did to introduce the magic factor into it. It gives the reader the feeling of natural and supernatural worlds colliding and can really elevate a story in my opinion.
When reading this story only one thought really comes to mind; the amount of care the villagers had for an unknown man who had washed up on their shore dead. As the men went to other villages to figure out who this mystery man was, the women had taken the man in attempting to find clothes that would fit him for the funeral however in doing that had admire his size and the overall beauty of the man. As admiration came so did sympathy because they quickly realized how inconvenient the man’s size was, unable to sit on the chair without the thought of breaking it, unable to go through doors properly only by walking in sideways and the worst of all being treated as different because of how he was born. Furthermore, he was named Esteban by the women of the village due to his manly characteristics but also the imaginary role that the women thought of if he were alive. As the men of the village come back announced he did not belong to any other village the women were relieved claiming Estaban as their own. When beginning the ritual to put him back in the sea the women squander to waste time however when it was time and the handkerchief that was covering his face had been removed the men also became “breathless” with his features becoming attached to him. As he was thrown off the cliff only one thought came to them; to improve their village for Estaban. I think this was the first story to be assigned because not only can people come into your lives at random moments but also how they can have a huge impact on your life and open your mind to new improvement. As we continue this course, we are with new people and when we read their writing, we must continue to see how it will change and improve the way of our thinking (ENG 201 0505)[11615].
Mosheur, I like your comments very much with their emphasis on community. This, as you know, is my first class on the Openlab platform, which brings together two different sections of ENG 201. What you say about learning from others and expanding ideas is very encouraging and makes me excited about working on this larger platform. As the villagers all contributed to the creation of the dead man’s story, so can we contribute to ideas about the works we will read in this class. The more voices, the more ideas!
I have to say, there is something awkwardly beautiful about this piece. It starts off with villagers in awe at the beauty and size of a man who is now deceased. A mixture of emotions presented themselves from awe, to jealousy, to sadness, and then mourning. It raises so many questions. Who was this man Esteban other than an awkwardly large sized male. Did he touch the hearts of the villagers while alive as he did while dead? Why in the beginning did they describe Esteban’s face at death as proud and then when they realized who he was, they mentioned he looked sad instead of proud. Could a person being a “John Doe” or an “Esteban” really change a persons look or does it change the perspective of those looking? I really enjoyed this piece.
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What both stories by Gabriel Garcia Marquez have in common are, both men whether alive or dead had their mysteries and unintentionally left their imprints on the people they encountered. Which often happens when it comes to people’s words or writing. We often put messages out there that may not always be received in the ways we intend, and everything we say and do is up for interpretation. Just like Esteban or the angel that never really seemed to choose their circumstances or ever really said much to give certain impressions that they did. For one Esteban was dead so no one in the village had any real knowledge as to who he was, yet gave him a story and meaning. And two, according to the story the angel (although alive) did not interact with anyone who came to visit him while he was in the cage unless he was provoked. Our writing can be similar to these characters Gabriel talks about because it is up for judgement when whoever is reading it, wants to receive or “provoke” something out of the words we use.
Samantha, thanks for the post. So you read two stories. Good for you! You are so right that literature is open to interpretation. This is a great moment to note that all interpretations must be backed up with reference to the text. We can interpret stories in many different ways as long as we can point to the words to explain our interpretation.
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I think this story may have been assigned to us at the beginning of the semester because it shows us a transformation, or at least the process, maybe similar to a transformation that we will go through. I think Esteban represents an idea or a trigger of enlightenment. The old way was represented by the life of the villagers B.E. A new idea or new way of thinking arrives in the form of Esteban. The initial reactions are all emotion-driven, skepticism by the men, passion by the women, then the village settles in, acceptance of a new way. There is a new way of life A.E. that is more vibrant and purposeful compared to B.E. I think this story reminds us to open our minds without prejudice and we might be enlightened during our transformative process throughout this course.
Kenny, I love what you write about transformation. This relates to well to my reasons for assigning the story first. In this story we see how the creation of stories or myths can change lives on so many levels. My hope is that during this semester everyone will be changed in some way by one of the works of literature that we read.
The story ” The Most Handsome Drowned Man” was chosen as the first piece of literature to give us insight on how a drowned can empower the villagers to become good. They were automatically admired by his beauty and size. They were breathless, he was the strongest man they have ever seen. The villagers pointed out that Estaban didn’t even have the lonely face like how other men were. The peaceful man brought peace to the village.
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Jenisey, thanks for posting. Yes, the appearance of the drowned man has a profound impact on the village. But can you tell us more about why this is so. Please be aware that the first post should be at least 150 words in length in order to receive full credit. Why do you think this beautiful story might be the first I assign for the class?
Hello,
When you analyze one of Marquez books you would read at the end of the reading you would relate yourself with what he saying. I think you choose this as the first story of the course because it was a perfect story to start our semester. Sometimes we can relate with the people of the village, we live everyday without believing that everything its possible and all we need to do its to look for the bright side. College can be overwhelmed but we also have a lot of people to help us go trough this path and everything we do, sooner or later will bring us joy.
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Estafany, I like what you write about college as a community. This is especially important in an online course, where we do not meet face to face. Writing in this Db is the main way we can connect in the virtual classroom. Please be sure your posts meet length requirement. I want you all to receive full credit.
Section: 0503
I believe that this short story has been assigned to us for the fact of allowing us to think and find the deeper meaning within a story. When the story first starts there is just a group of people who were closeminded creatures of habit finding the body of a man who drowned that washed up on the shore, after seeing his body they all started working their minds to figure out who this man was. During this process they opened up new parts of their minds that they may have not even known existed. They came up with the whole life for this man, from his personality to his name, doing this opened their eyes as well. In coming up with the wonderful life this man could have had or did have the people came to a realization that they are the rulers of their own lives and together can make a change to the village and their views on things. This brings forth the message how when one opens his or her mind great progress and change can be made.
Giulia Cester ENG 201-0505
I really enjoyed reading this short story because it was strange and unusual. The story portrays the change that occurred in the village as a result of the drowned man washing up on the shore. Even though the villagers did not know the man they worshipped him for all of his great characteristics and even gave him a name, Esteban. For me, Esteban is a metaphor for each of us in this class. I am Esteban washing onto the shore of this class and the other students are the villagers. I hope that I can prove to the class through my participation that I am worthy of praise even though I am unknown to everyone the same way that Esteban was. I think we all have the ability to change eachothers lives through this course even though we are complete strangers because learning and growing together is a positive thing.
Hi Giulia,
I completely agree with the metaphor, that we can individually be Esteban coming to shore and the rest of the class can be concerned the villagers.
We an change our understanding and gain new knowledge from one another, as well a different perspective of the material we will be reading this semester.
Guilia, I love how you imagine yourself in the place of Esteban washing onto the shore of this class! It’s a beautiful image. We can create a story for this class, one that enlarges all of us, if we share ideas and work together. It’s a wonderful thought.
I think that this story was assigned as the first story of the course because it show us that you always need to look deeper and, not always bee to quick to form an opinion on someone or something just because it fits into a box things are very complex and you sometimes need to set aside your first judgement to get a better understanding, this is shown in the story with, how the villagers opinion of the man Esteban change constantly throughout the story at first they were in awe of him due to his huge size and beauty and started to compare their husbands to him and, suddenly it was like the grass is “greener on the other side” but then they took another look a deeper look and realized that while he very handsome and likely, very strong due to his size he in all probability lead a very lonely and hard life because of it and that goes to show that you shouldn’t judge someone or something just with one quick look and decide, you know everything because what you see is not always what you get and everything cannot be known with one glance to what enough to make a real opinion on something. It also shows a strong sense of community, sympathy, and understanding as seen when everyone in the village came together to have a funeral for this unknow man and one by one started to created, a bond with him each one accepting him into their lives even though they just encountered him ,and how they allowed him and his story to change their lives for the better even if they didn’t realize it but they will never let his story be forgotten and showed that by changing their surrounding to remined ,them of him sometimes all it, takes is one person or one story to change the world but we cannot, let those die out yes this is a myth and maybe its not completely true the truth is that it made us thing and wonder why were these villagers affect so much by this man, and then we may have started making compassion to real life and how something just affect everyone differently, and how sometimes being quick to judge isn’t always a good thing you should always have a open mind when dealing with new things. 0503[11606]
I find your interpretation of the story very interesting. I did not think about judgment when reading the story but now I see where you’re coming from. With all of that, I think your comment is more about change. For example when their opinion changed about Esteban and also when you talked about how their life changed after the funeral. You did connect how change and judgment connect but I think that you needed the explain the part about judgment more than how their life changed.
Section number: 0505 [11615]
Ariadna, yes, there is a strong element of compassion in this story, which we can bring to our experience of the class. Having an open mind is vital to learning, and I think this story opens the door to this idea.
I was fascinated with many aspects of the story. Particularly the way in which the villagers were so astonished when they laid their eyes on Esteban. They never saw a man like him before; so handsome and so big. This eventually would lead up to the villagers upgrading their homes in honor of Esteban. I think that’s basically saying no matter how good you think you are, there’s always someone better out there.
I think you may have assigned this as the first story of the course because maybe you want to change our perspective of the world through literature. It may also be because you want us to strive to be better than what we are and make life changing decisions much like the villagers in the story did.
Section – 0505
Hello Professor and classmates! Here is my take on why this piece of writing may have been the first story assigned to the class. Much like a piece of literature, the drowned man in the story was analyzed for clues, used as symbolism, and gave meaning to the people that encountered him. A piece of writing can be dull and lifeless, if not read and analyzed carefully, and thoughtfully. When we encounter something in our lives, whether it be a piece of writing or any odd occurrence (such as a large man floating up to the shore of a village), it is important to remember to take lessons from them so that we live lives with meaning attached. I think this story is a great reminder to carry forward into the semester. We have to ability to decide how much we will learn from something and how many layers there are to uncover in each person and each piece of writing. (Section 0505)
Sima, thanks for posting. I like the thought you express about how we can choose to respond to new and different things in our lives. In the context of the class, this could mean taking the time to truly understand a piece of writing, such as this story. It could also mean being open to the ideas of others.
I infer that this short novel was chosen first is due to a distinct part of the story that resonated in my thoughts. The villagers had found a deceased body and named it Esteban. They had spoken in the story of how this body was crusted and repulsive with all sorts of rocks that were mingled in Esteban’s hair and even plants growing on Esteban’s body. Yet despite this, the women of the village had started to clean Esteban and because of that, they truly saw how magnificent he was in body and spirit. The people of the village were not able to figure this out by the first glance on the beach. Only once the body was taken back to the village the women there understood. They observed what an exceptional physique he had and even made up legends about him without even knowing Esteban. The novel continues from there about how the whole village changed for better even the people themselves changed. They made resolutions for things that they had seen earlier as not needed. In turn, transforming the entire village into a beautiful place to commemorate him. I perceive that this is applicable in many respects towards a new semester or class. Just like Esteban a total outsider, a body mucked up on the surface, surrounded by people we have never seen before. With care, however, you can have immeasurable potential to change a society of people or even the nature of the world itself as presented by the author conferred on the analysis page specifying ”He is responsible for the restlessness of the sea and the steadiness of the sea” and “the sun’s so bright that the sunflowers don’t know which way to turn”. These are mentions of what a single person can accomplish no matter who they are. We should all strive to be the best that we can be because we don’t know what we effect in the world around us with merely our presence.
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Hi Yosef,
I really like the image you selected to discuss. When the body first washed up, it was covered with sea life, crustaceans, etc. No one knew who he was. The women worked (sort of like we will as a class on these discussion boards) to clean him up, until eventually, they uncovered his face, his exposed body, could see what his name was. Esteban. That is similar to how will we work to uncover the meaning of texts. Your post really elevated my understanding of why this text was chosen for the first reading. I wish I had read this before creating my own post. You touched on some really good ideas and helped me to form some of my own !
Yosef and Bryanna, I hadn’t really thought of the analogy of the women’s uncovering of the drowned man to our uncovering of texts in this course, but I like the idea very much and appreciate your consideration of it.
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I believe that the professor have assigned this as the first story of the course to show that everyone has a different point of view and opinion about things. Just like the villagers thought of Esteban they all had their own story of how he lived his life when he was alive. They all had their own imagination of things.
Evelyn, thanks for posting. But please read the requirements for length of posts in COURSE INFORMATION. I want you to receive full credit!
ENG 201-0505 LEC (11615)
This story opens with a discovery- the discovery of Esteban’s body. In the story, this discovery changed many lives. It added excitement, it made the townspeople unite- all the women were getting together to groom Esteban’s body, trim his nails, decorate the raft that they sent him back to sea on. Even women from other towns brought flowers. In some way, it also caused a divide. The men were jealous at the women’s excessive fascination, idolization, fixation, and admiration of Esteban. The women idealized him, thought him to be the perfect and most attractive man. They imagined him taking on with ease tasks that the men they knew and were married to struggled with. The men knew this, and were intimidated, threatened even. I think that the reason this was assigned as the first reading is because through discovery of themes, metaphors, etc. behind the texts that we will be reading and discussing weekly in the class, we, like the townspeople, will unite through shared ideas, and may also divide if confronted with ideas that oppose our own. However, opposing ideas can still lead to positive change.
Bryanna, yes! I would like our activities in class to mirror those of the villagers, who are transformed by collective imagination and regard for the power of storytelling in all its forms. And yes, we can all help each other in this creative process.
Hey Bryanna, I thought your ideas were very insightful. I overlooked the divide between the male and female villagers. After seeing how much the women adored Esteban, the men wanted to be better versions of themselves. Maybe that’s what professor Conway hopes that we accomplish this semester. No matter where we are in life we can always improve ourselves because there is always someone out there working harder.
Also you mention how the townspeople were excited over the discovery of the drowned stranger. Is there a connection between that and the real world? For me, it reminded me how unfortunate events can sometimes lead to greater success. The death of Esteban is surely a tragic moment however, it leads the villagers to strive for greatness and to be remembered for ages. This is similar to a real world scenario in which you lose your job which forces you to work hard and land yourself and even better job than before. A tragic situation that is the breeding ground for success. It’s as if the universe is telling us that our loss will eventually lead to something greater.
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Hi Brianna, I hope you’re doing well. About your post, I liked how well you described the story and i agree with you about how little things like grooming Esteban’s body added a little excitement to the people from the village, maybe from being used to the same things all the time. The women definitely are mesmerized by his looks but I think mostly from fantasizing about what could’ve been if he were alive and with them. The men feel somehow fear to realize that the women of the town are not satisfied with their own life and probably marriages too.
The imagery in The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World is incredible. I truly felt like I was apart of the village and experience the change alongside them. I think stories have the power to influence our view of the world and the way we relate to it. Perhaps that is why this is the first story of the semester? The villagers were impacted by the power and beauty of Esteban. They and their village will never be the same going forward. Throughout the semester, I believe we will read and experience many Esteban related stories. We have a chance, like the villagers to value, respect, learn, and grow from the experiences. And like the villagers making their village and homes a place worthy of Esteban, I wonder how I’ve taken action to improve myself and my life to be worthy of my own “Esteban’s.” It may not be a specific person, but the inner motivation to improve is strong and perhaps fueled by a desire to be better.
I will say that is because this story show us how to be determined, work hard and make improvements in our lives and be capable. Also Gabriel Garcia Marquez is a great author and is good to start using one of his famous books.
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I believe you assigned “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia as the first story of the course to give us an idea of change or modification. As I was reading the story I realized the characters went from being safe, afraid, and mean to caring and sorrowful. In the end, they became vibrant, modern, and even mindful of people that were different. As I connected this to my life I realized “Esteban” in my life are all the people that affected my life for the good and the bad because I learned. Throughout my life, I went from being a frightened little girl a high-spirited young adult.
Starting the semester with this story makes people think and really start to question change.
section number :0505 [11615]
Hi Patricia, I agree with your view on this that Esteban is the people that affect you in the world Although I took it slightly differently I was viewing that you are Esteban and that you are the person that is effecting the world with limitless results but in the end, I’m sure it is the same in retrospect. I do wholely admit that anyone in your life can be just like Esteban. So in connecting to what the topic is that the entire class can impact each other and raise us all to even greater heights.
I believe this story was selected as this course’s first piece of literature, because there are so many emotions that can be felt through words, that cannot be appreciated the same visually. The villager’s thought changed regarding Esteban as a stranger, with every layer they cleaned off of him. When villagers took the last layer off and Esteban was seen as a beautiful unusual tall man that suffered a tragic ending, it changed their views of life and made his tragic drowning an acceptable accident to mourn him as if he were once part of the community. The one piece I still feel puzzled is how the children found Esteban, being buried and dug up on the beach. I am still not fully sure if it can be considered as a metaphor, as the new beginning being found by the youth and led to the community for change. Throughout this passage I felt as if they were grieving a soul, which they all wanted to aid, but they did not realize it was their own.
ENG 201-0505
Wow I think your interpretation is pretty deep. “Throughout this passage I felt as they were grieving a soul, which they all wanted to aid, but they did not realize was their own.” really hit me. I really agree, and feel like how we treat and speak to others, or about others is a reflection of how we feel/treat ourselves. And that logic really applies to almost everything and anyone in life since we live our lives through stories/experiences we are the narrators of. The villagers were not the main narrators, but of course painted the story and Esteban’s story for us to help us understand his importance. And from your words Stephanie, I think a story they were trying to tell was the lack of joy their village had until Esteban showed up.
0503
I absolutely agree with your statement about the lack of joy until Estaban.
Section number : 0503
Your interpretation of the story is great. It made me look at things a bit deeper than I thought I had. I love how you said “The villager’s thought changed regarding Esteban as a stranger, with every layer they cleaned off of him.” I felt the same way as I read that. And I was wondering if this guy is so big how did the kids find him?
0503
There may be multiple reasons for assigning this specific short story early in the course. This story establishes the power of fiction and storytelling. The story of Esteban is not far off from that of many myths and religions. He becomes a “Christ” figure and a deity for a town of people with no real basis or information. This dead man becomes the embodiment of the villagers themselves. It shows human nature, the need to relate to others, and how community is created. Also a major part of human nature is our quest for purpose. This sense of purpose is heightened when we have a central figure to attach it to, often being a God but in this case “Esteban”. This story also makes use of common literary tactics such as symbolism throughout. This may be seen simply in that Esteban comes from the ocean, something still commonly regarded as vast and unknown. The ocean here represents exactly that; the vast, unknown and mystical.
Eng 201 – 0505
Hi Herman,
I think it was interesting how you attached a religious metaphor to the story. Throughout history, religious and not, there is a common theme of idolizing a human once they are dead, whether they were killed, died a natural death, or served as some sort of sacrificial purpose. Isn’t it fascinating how we tend to attach meaning and purpose to people once they are dead, and no longer have anything to give and teach? It is almost as if every flaw a person has alive, gets erased from the memories of whom they left behind.
sec 0505
Hello Herman,
Your brief analysis of the text helped me look at the piece from a different perspective, I did mention Esteban being a god-like creature; however, I didn’t really think of the possible religious aspect in this story. You also mentioned human nature and the need to relate to one another, as well as having a sense of purpose, and further strengthening that sense of purpose once people have their own central figure they attach it to. I’m guessing this “central figure” you’re talking about doesn’t really stop at just the religious figures itself, but possibly extends to anyone we look up to. Your comments definitely helped me get a deeper understanding of the story.
Eng 201-0505
I think it was a fantastic choice of an author, I grew up reading Gabriel Garcia Marquez and he’s always added fantasy and magic into realism and made the reader comprehend another side of the story and the characters. This particular story centers and focuses in a village that had people that had “very little to live”, with this I mean that they lived without excitement, happiness, or even purpose, the drowned man acts as a trigger for them to open their eyes and realize that indeed they are so much to live for and to look up to each day. Whether that is life itself, beauty, or love.
It makes an entire village to “come back to life”.
Section #11606
Juliana, your section is either 0503 or 0505.
Section 0505
The story “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” may have been selected as the first story of the course is because this story shows multiple changes in the small village after they found a drowned man. The story starts with a group of the child found a drowned body. The villager carries the dead body to the village. After villagers saw the drowned man’s face, they call Esteban to dead man because he is very handsome and robust. The story shows how Esteban affects the small village and how one character influences other characters to develop. After the dead body removed from the village, villager’s aspects are changed. The dead man gives positive effects to a small village that makes people who live in the village reconstruction their village environment such as build bigger houses, use a bright color to paint houses, and plant flowers. I think this means that small things can have positive effects on other societies and people. I think the professor choose this story as first is students can develop their skills and make changes when we throughout this course.
I believe this story was assigned to us at the beginning of the course for many reasons. The villagers lived a very dull and unimaginative life prior to Esteban. Esteban encouraged them to think outside the box, showing us how far our imagination can bring us. Our imagination can lead us to many changes including a better life. For the villagers, Esteban became a great importance to them. They began to “revolve” their ways around him and what they though he would want and how he would live. This shows us that anyone of us can have the ability to help others grow and learn. As college students, any thing we do can set a precedents for others. Esteban set a precedents for the villagers to lead a better life, while we too can lead a better life for ourselves and those around us. Reading this piece at the beginning of the semester allows us to use our imagination on how we can change our lives.
Section 0505
“The Most Handsome Drowned Man” is a great example of how one thing can change many lives. In the short story, a whole village changed how they lived and thought. At first, the body was just another washed-up victim. Throughout the story, he gains an identity that was created by the people who cleaned him up and in a sense gave him life again. In the end, the village is so moved by Esteban they changed their mindsets and even the architecture of their homes. I think this was the first read for this course because it shows how the villagers used their imagination to create a story for a man they did not know. Creativity is a strong component of storytelling.
Section Number : 11606
Section Number: 0503 ****
Section Number: 0505
I believe that “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” was assigned to us as the first story of the course because it showed how one small thing affects everyone in the village. When the man’s body was found the women were trying to identify him in doing so they realized that he is not like other men. “Not only was he the tallest, strongest, most virile, and best built man they had ever seen, but even though they were looking at him there was no room for him in their imagination” (Márquez 2). What the village did not know was that by finding Esteban was going to affect the whole village and change the way they may think or want from life. Some men may want to become as tall and strong like he was (in some way they were inspired by the way Esteban looked). Since Esteban did not look like everyone else it made him special, unique, and different; which is something that at one point in their lives everyone wants to be, or looks up to someone with these features. This story shows how a dead person was able to expand the village imagination and taught the reader than even in an unfortunate situation there can be a positive outcome that affects the whole community.
Hi Shirly,
I love how you described how the women in the village as the best man that ever lived. It actually did affect everyone in the village even the men due to the fact how women described to be the best. Esteban didn’t look like no one in the village so it made others think he was different and it really did make their imagination more active. Everyone at one point want to become different but they do not have the active imagination to do so.
The reason why you assigned as the first story to show the changes throughtout the remote village and among the villagers.
This story was probably chosen as the first story because it deals with identities and some of the changes that could happen to some identities. The topic of identities is quite a well-fitting topic for a first story because it’s almost like when the students introduce themselves in class so everyone has a good sense of who and how this person may be. In this particular story, the little village seemed to have no identity whatsoever; nothing that could distinguish them from others, and nothing that they’re known for. They were simply living their lives as is, they seem to be just living, not thriving, and not especially happy with their lives. That is until Esteban showed up. Then they started daydreaming about what sort of life this god-like creature led. At some point, I was wondering if they were trying to impose their dreams and fantasies on this man. The life they thought he led was initially a life they subconsciously dreamt of having.
-ENG 201-0505
I feel like this story has been assigned as the first because it shows how people can impact the lives of others for the better whether dead or alive. Sort of like Kobe Bryant. A drowned man who floated to shore. When the ladies cleaned him and removed the dirt, they noticed a man of excellence. Even though he wasn’t alive, it’s as if he had an aura around him, even in death. When they found out no villagers could claim it, it became a great sense of pride to accept someone like him in their village. A man they didn’t even know, but their minds because wonderous and imaginative. The ladies assumed that they wife of the drowned man was the “happiest woman in the world”. They might not know that facts, but since what they visualize is so appealing, they begin to imagine the best. I believe that why you gave us this story first. As we read more in the future, we will become imaginative and creative with our minds, which makes this class more interesting.
Section 0503
Section: 0503(English 201)
After reading the story, The reason why you may assigned as the first story as the first story of the course because the many changes throughout the remote village and among the villagers.
This is a story I remember reading around middle school. It always led me to wonder, why are we reading this sad story? It was almost scary, even. When reading it again, I looked deeper into the emotions. Each group of people experienced a different emotion while seeing this handsome drowned man, and these emotions spurred differing reactions. In the end, they all see him off alike. Perhaps this is our first assignment in order to show that everyone has different reactions to the stories they read but the purpose is all the same.
Section 0503
I think the story of “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” by Gabriel Marquez, is been assigned because it shows how the people from a village change just by finding a body in the ocean. I personally find this story fascinating because just by finding Esteban in the ocean the people from the village became more capable and determined. Is amazing how the villagers were motivated to improve their lives over a dead body found in the ocean and how the story became so inspiriting. Throughout this passage a very special moment in my life came to my mind, and it was when my mother was diagnosed with cancer and i thought it was the end, but thank god she is cure now, and i see the life with a different perspective.
section number 11606
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. I think that you had assigned this as the first assignment to show us that we will also go through a changed. The beautiful and estrange man, Esteban is symbolizing you as the professor. With you coming into our world, we are going to see new things and establish a newer view. This is going to help us improve just like the the people in the small village did in the end.
Section 0503