Fantasy and Reality Theme Analysis

Throughout “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World,” the people of the village have evolving and vastly different perceptions of the huge and handsome drowned man. At first, many of the women of the village are convinced that he was a man of enormous authority and poise. But later they believe that he was actually a kind, humble, and awkward man. The women who hold onto their first perception of the man insist that his name is Lautaro, but even they eventually assent to the later assessment of his life and character and agree with the widely held belief that his name is Esteban.

Similarly, the men of the village are unconvinced at first that the dead man is anything other than a piece of “cold Wednesday meat.” In fact, they think he may not have even been huge when alive—that he grew in size only by absorbing water when dead. However, after the women reveal Esteban’s face, the men arrive at exactly the same view of his character as the women.

In both of these instances, perceptions which started as a fantasy are transmitted to the group and profoundly shape their view of what is real. Garcia Marquez cleverly suggests in his story that reality is mutable and that it could consist, surprisingly, in whatever perception it is that people jointly assent to. But the story further suggests that such a mutually agreed upon reality within a community is then stable and strong—it truly becomes reality—and can change and inspire people.