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One afternoon he was shocked to find that a very old man with wings was lying face down in the mud in his courtyard. At first he was frightened and ran to retrieve his wife to see what she would make of it. Upon her arrival they had both stared at the man together in a mute stupor for quite some time. This is a typical reaction from most people in such a situation. At first they were in a state of fear, fear of the unfamiliar. When people are exposed to a scenario that is out of the ordinary for them and conflicts with their everyday lives they grow afraid and even hostile.
Then a stage of curiosity follows, Pelayo and his wife quietly observe the man from a distance as to gather any information they can about him. JavaScript seem to be disabled in your browser. One story deals with the arrival of a rather handsome, impressive dead man, while the other story deals with the arrival of a sickly, rather raggedy looking old man with wings, respectively. The subsequent, yet differing reactions of the people in both stories demonstrates a similar view of the human condition, although depicted differently by Marquez in these short stories. In "The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World" and "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings", Marquez uses characterization and setting to convey his theme that one's reactions towards strangers can have a profound effect on, and can shape one's life. Both stories satirically examine the human response to those who are weak, withering, and different (or, in the case of Esteban, dead).

Marquez effectively uses characterization to portray the people in both stories who take in strangers, and the differing way they treat their respective stranger. From the beginning, the people in the "Handsomest Man" realize that the man who has washed up on their shore is a stranger to them. Even so, while the men make an effort to see if neighboring villages know of the dead man's identity, the women stay behind to care for him. He is "covered with a crust of mud and scales", yet the people of the village are compassionate enough to take care of and clean off this lone stranger, despite his filthy state. Not only this, but the women decide to make him pants that he could wear, because "the tallest men's holiday pants would not fit him", and they wanted him to "continue through his death with dignity". The women even go as far as to compare the dead man to "their own men", by radically giving the drowned man a back story, making him seem wonderful and magnificent, as opposed to their own men.
A woman even sighs, "He has the face of someone called Esteban". Marquez uses what the characters do and say to accurately demonstrate the reaction Esteban has upon them. You can read the full teachers notes when you download the essay. This essay has been reviewed by one of our specialist student essay reviewing squad. Read the full review on the essay page. Read the full review under the essay preview on this page.

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