30 pages • 1 hour read
Gabriel García MárquezThe Handsomest Drowned Man in the World
Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1968A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
The Sea
The sea is a driving force in “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World,” setting the stage for all the events in the story. It plays a crucial role in how the villagers perceive and understand the drowned man when he washes up on their shore. The sea serves as a symbol of life’s mysteries and potential. When the sea brings the drowned man to the shore of the village, with him comes an opportunity for the townspeople to experience something new and exciting. Through the sea, the author creates the mood of suspense and wonder that dominates the story. The sea’s vastness, beauty, and grace are reflected in the stranger’s appearance, which captivates the villagers.
Moreover, the sea in the story represents the unknown, the mysterious, and the infinite possibilities of life. The drowned man may have come from a distant land, and his unknown history and background leave room for imagining the infinite possibilities of his origins. The ocean makes the drowned man appear otherworldly, emphasizing the way that he appears more like a legend than an actual person. The sea thus becomes a symbol of life’s beauty and the endless number of opportunities that exist within it.
Flowers
Flowers play a significant role in illustrating the transformative power of beauty and imagination. When the village women discover the drowned man’s body washed up on their shore, they initially regard him as an unremarkable and lifeless object, but their fascination grows as they begin to adorn him with flowers. As they build up his appearance, he becomes more than just a human body; he represents an idealized version of masculine beauty and a symbol of hope for their community.
Flowers signify the creative power of imagination, the ability to see and create beauty in unexpected places, and the potential for transformation and healing. Ultimately, the flowers reflect the theme of universal human connection, as the villagers come together to care for and honor the drowned man. In the end, the story shows how even death can inspire new life and possibilities through the transformative power of imagination and the beauty of nature.
Mythology
The motif of mythology plays a central role in the framing of the story and develops the themes of The Way Imagination Shapes Reality and The Transformative Power of a Stranger in a Community. When the villagers encounter the drowned man, they quickly begin to consider him in terms of grandeur and the fantastic. Their mythologizing of the drowned man highlights their dissatisfaction with their own lives, and the arrival of an idealized stranger offers them hope for something greater.
Several myths are referenced throughout the story; they are all discussed in relation to the drowned man’s greatness and help to elevate him to a higher level of achievement. García Márquez alludes to two myths through the names that the village women propose for the drowned man: Esteban and Lautaro. The myth of Esteban “Estevanico” is one of greatness. He was the first African man to arrive in Latin America and is said to have accomplished many great feats. Lautaro’s myth is one based in the Spanish colonization of Latin America. Lautaro was a Mapuche military leader who fought bravely against the Spanish and was widely respected and loved. The villagers attempt to imbue the greatness of these two mythical men onto the drowned man, elevating him to their stature as a mythologized figure.
Related Titles
By Gabriel García Márquez
