Magical Realism in The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World

In “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World,” Gabriel Márquez utilizes magic realism in the most efficient way. Magic realism is the literary strategy that applies fantasy to ordinary events. Márquez incorporates magical realism into “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World” to show themes such as isolation, culture, and transformation. This story utilized magical realism in the most powerful way simply because of the way it incorporated it into the plot.

In the story, children have been playing on the beach and a dead man washed up on the shore. The youngsters are obtaining exciting burying him, digging him up, and reburying him. The day is ordinary, but the man is not. He is large, giant, and handsome, unlike the guys who live in the area. When the men and women of the town find out of the drowned man, they take in to a property. The village folks name him Esteban. The girls commence sewing garments for the him being aware of that nothing that the males own will fit in. “The tallest men’s holiday pants would not fit him, no the fattest ones’ Sunday shirts, nor the shoes of the one with the largest feet. Fascinated by his large size and his beauty, the girls them decided to make him some pants…” (Márquez 91) This is magical realism simply because Esteban’s appearance and physical characteristics are unrealistic and impossible.

Later on in the story, the girls start preparing a funeral for the drowned man. One particular of the locals adopts the man as a relative. They mourn for him as if he was part of the family. The village folks begin to wonder what the town would have been like if Esteban lived there. Homes would have to be made larger and doorways taller in honor of Esteban. The villager’s reaction to Esteban emphasize the magical elements. That a dead man can have so a lot influence on a town of village folks. The regional community adopts the stranger as if he have been their own.

“The Handsomest Drowned Man” incorporates magical realism into the story better than “The Youngest Doll.” In “The Handsomest Drowned Man,” it uses for lifelike issues with little twists on them to make them fantasy. Such as using a man just creating him giant. “When they had laid him on the floor they said he’d been taller than all other guys due to the fact there was barely adequate space of him in the house.” (Márquez 90) In “The Youngest Doll,” they use lifelike dolls that come to life to incorporate magical realism into the story. “The aunt had continued to enhance the size of the doll so that their height and other measurements conformed to these of every single of the girls.” (Ferré 82) This makes the story appears much more unrealistic and that it is not incorporating magical realism into it as significantly.

Gabriel Márquez utilised magical realism in the most efficient way by way of his story “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the Globe.” He incorporates magical realism into the story to show different themes such as isolation, culture, and transformation.