The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World Versions of Reality Quotes

How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Paragraph)

Quote #4

They were wandering through that maze of fantasy when the oldest woman, who as the oldest had looked upon the drowned man with more compassion than passion, sighed:

"He has the face of someone called Esteban." (4-5)

Notice that it is the oldest woman who gives the drowned man his name. It's as though the drowned man is some ancient mythological figure from another time, a figure that a wise individual can readily recognize. Remember that mythology is propagated by the passing of stories from older generations to younger.

Quote #5

After midnight the whistling of the wind died down and the sea fell into its Wednesday drowsiness. (7)

Real details such as the day of the week contrast with the highly unrealistic nature given by the story's mythological influences.

Quote #6

There could be only one Esteban in the world and there he was, stretched out like a sperm whale. (11)

This is a great example of the mythology-reality dichotomy in this story. In the realm of the myth, Esteban is a great, one-of-a-kind figure. But in reality, he's too cumbersome and large to fit in to village society.