Esteban In The Most Handsome Drowned Man

The Most Handsome Drowned Man in the World is the story of a drowned man who washes up on the shore of a tiny coastland village. The people of the village care him over night, and soon become enamored with his great beauty. They proceed to more for the drowned man, who they name Esteban, and decide to make their island home better in memory of their handsome man. Using the conventions of character, setting, and tone and mood a possible theme for the short story could be “inspiration can come from the most unlikely of sources”. Looking first at the character of Esteban, what is known is that he is a dirty, ragged, dead man who is large, and happens to be very attractive. He was described as “…the tallest, strongest, most virile and best-equipped man they had ever seen…” (Marquez 1). While he has other intriguing character traits his beauty catches the eyes of the people, and cause them to be fascinated with who he might have been. Thus, leading to the creation of the personality of Esteban as a way of justifying their admiration. Due to his large size, the villagers thought he was a social outcast, and assumed that Esteban had to learn how …show more content…
The wind on the island blows so hard that mothers are fearful that their children will be blown away. Yet, by the end of the story the island is transformed into paradise where there are flowers and springs, sunshine, and “joyful colors” (4). The catalyst for these changes was the presence of Esteban; without him and his awe-inspiring size and beauty the people would have been content with their dull island. Esteban became a hero who pushed them to be better, and caused them to desire change; it did not matter that he was not alive, the people were still inspired by him. This hero, through his kind ways, convinces the people to change causing the island to go from an empty wasteland to a tropical