The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World

The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World

The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World tells the story of a man whose beauty was obvious to the people of his village. His physical appearance was also noticeable, to the point that some members of society feel intimidated. The guy, however, could not avoid his fate because he drowned in the water. The presented task analyzes the characters of the short story. Esteban, the girls, mothers, and men are the key characters studied.

Esteban

Esteban is the guy with the biggest body in the novel. He was also tall, slender, and well-built. It was difficult to find resources for Esteban in the play as a result of his big size. He was also handsome since the villagers could notice his attractive face. After his death, Marquez puts it that “Fascinated by his huge size and his beauty, the women then decided to make him some pants from a large piece of sail and a shirt from some bridal brabant linen so that he could continue through his death with dignity” (n.p). Esteban is also reflected as a helpless man in the story. The fact that he was dead indicates that he could not do anything about his situation. Clearly, the villagers planned how they could tie the anchor from a cargo ship to his body in order to sink him.

The Children

The children were also the villagers in the story. They were always curious of what they saw. Marquez indicates that the first children who saw the slinky bulge were curious to known if it was owned by the enemy. They are also brought out as innocent since they were playing with dead bodies without having knowledge of the danger facing them. Marquez states that ”They had been playing with him all afternoon, burying him in the sand and digging him up again, when someone chanced to see them and spread the alarm in the village” (n.p).

The Men

The men in the village, sometimes referred to as the villagers, are brought out as pessimistic individuals. They always felt threatened by Esteban’s beauty and felt that they could not achieve what he did. Not only did they consider themselves as mean and weak but also useless people on the earth’s surface. Besides their high level of pessimism, they are also brought out as wise in the society. Evidently, despite being dead, they struggled to find Esteban’s identity. Marquez provides that ”While the men went to find out if anyone was missing in neighboring villages, the women stayed behind to care for the drowned man” (n.p). The village men are also brought out as dreamers. The presented fact is evident as they greatly invested in their thoughts when they carried Esteban’s dead body. They thought of the main explanations behind the corpse’s weight. Also, they imagined that Esteban must have had a great authority when he was still alive since he could not call out the name of the fish and draw them out the water. The men are also brought out as wise in the story since they brainstormed to find the most effective way of disposing Esteban’s body after death. As Marquez puts it, ”they let him go without an anchor so that he could come back if he wished and whenever he wished, and they all held their breath for the fraction of centuries the body took to fall into the abyss” (n.p).

The Women

The women also formed a part of the villagers. They are brought out as caring individuals. Apparently, they were willing to take care of Esteban with all the sincerity they could. They played a significant role in caring for the drowned man (Esteban) during the absence of the men. Evidently, after the women stayed behind to take care of him after the men went to find out if anyone was missing. While they were taking care of him, Marquez stated that ”One of the women, mortified by so much lack of care, then removed the handkerchief from the dead man’s face and the men were left breathless too” (n.p). The caring nature of the women is also evident at that point when some women decided to get more flowers after being told about the incident of the drowned man. They continued bringing even more until when it was difficult for the people to walk around.

Conclusion

The presented character analysis reveals Esteban as a big, handsome and helpless man. He is the main character in the story. The children are brought out as curious individuals who sought to understand the reasoning behind everything they saw. The women are communicated as a part of the villagers who were caring. Finally, the men are brought out as pessimists, caring, clever and wise. The presented features of the villagers are evident in their manner of interaction with Esteban.

Works Cited

Marquez. Gabriel Garcia. The Handsomest Drowned Man In The World.Print