In the 1968 short story, “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World”, Gabriel Garcia Márquez depicts a small beach village’s encounter with a man of grand stature who washes up on the shore. The community expresses great admiration for the man they choose to call “’Estaban” and during the process of properly disposing of his remains, the town endures an important transformation that may have not otherwise taken place. Like much of Marquez’s renowned work, the reader is lead to consider the realities of our surroundings by placing magical occurrences in more realistic contexts. In this story, themes such as imagination, admiration and transformation are examined as the village endures a major shift in mindset during their experience with the drowned man. …show more content…
Estaban is identified as “huge’ and “beautiful” by the fascinated women that set out to make clothing for the man’s wake (415). The women envision that Estaban would have the most impressive estate if were to live in the village, with the “highest ceilings and widest doors” (415). As the story progresses the village’s women begin to compare Estaban to the men of their town, invoking a solemn realization as they have not even the slightest experience living amongst men of great ability and touch like that of which they imagine Estaban possesses. Estaban’s seemingly flawless appearance is even described as, “too large for even their imagination” (415). Estaban’s physical stature plays an enormous role in the town’s transformation during his