❖ HDMW ❖ Blog #2

~ Gabriel García Márquez's short story "The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World" is filled with imagery and sea symbolism. Esteban at first is seen off in the distance floating towards a "desertlike cape" somewhere in South America. The people living in the small village thought at first that it could possibly be a whale or a ship, but once Esteban's lifeless corpse washed up on shore, they knew exactly what it was. At first it says that he looked gross covered in all the seaweed, but as soon as the villagers unveiled him from all the grime and seaweed, they soon discovered how amazingly handsome he truly was. Prior to the dead body's arrival, the village was dram and gloomy, and a couple flowerless grey houses scattered across the coast. Immediately after Esteban's landing the small town transformed into something colorful, the soil became rich for planting flowers and all the houses were painted extravagantly. The townsfolk took care of him, dressed him, and even grew connections to the corpse. Perhaps he was just a figment of their imagination of what they all wanted in their dreams, and their desires. I look forward to reading and discussing more stories throughout the semester.