Transformation, Myth, and Connection
In “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World,” a tiny remote seaside village experiences a profound transformation as a result of its encounter with a huge and handsome drowned man, whom they name Esteban. The villagers are so moved by the splendor of the man’s appearance and humility of his expression that they decide to radically remake their village. They aim to honor his memory with wider doors, taller ceilings, colorful walls, and extensive…
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Fantasy and Reality
Throughout “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World,” the people of the village have evolving and vastly different perceptions of the huge and handsome drowned man. At first, many of the women of the village are convinced that he was a man of enormous authority and poise. But later they believe that he was actually a kind, humble, and awkward man. The women who hold onto their first perception of the man insist that…
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Kinship
When the mysterious, huge, and handsome drowned man washes up on the shores of the village in “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World,” the question of which group the drowned man belongs to motivates much of the action in the story. When the body is first found, it is evident that he is not from the village—the tiny size of the village makes it easy for the villagers to recognize that no one who…
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