The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World Versions of Reality Quotes Page 2
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: |
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.
