Gabriel Garcia’s The handsomest drowned man in the world describes a society in a coastal village that lives in harmony until discovering the drowned body (Kohlbeck 4). Children find the lifeless body at the beach who play with the corpse before the villagers arrive at the scene. Garcia employs imagery to explain the unique features of Esteban; identity dwellers give the drowned man (Kohlbeck 7). Initially, men travel to neighboring societies where they attempt to find the family of the dead. The women washing the body discover weeds from distant shores, thus cementing that the deceased belonged elsewhere. The final resolution is to accord dignity to Esteban, and fetching flowers from other villagers proves it.
John Cheever’s The Swimmer focuses on the exploration of the county as the main protagonist. The use of image description on Neddy reveals superiority over men. The character dives into the pool, unlike other swimmers who enter the water gently. Neddy is well known by other people and visits them in their homes to escape reality. Cheever uses gossip from the background discussion to reveal the financial struggles of the family. Meeting at Halloran’s home reveals Neddy sold his house, and the family is suffering (Cheever 784). The comparison of the two stories is significant because they depict issues affecting modern societies. Despite authors choosing different settings and situations, the characters reveal crucial lessons of life. Gabriel specifies a culture of a village that relies on fishing for livelihood. However, Cheever dwells on a populated suburban as the location of the story. The two authors portray a different level of civilization in the societies. Whereas the villagers are backward and live in fantasy, Cheever talks about elites who suffer from illusion.
The Similarity between the Two Stories
Display of affection is a theme found in both The Swimmer and The most handsome drowned man. Cheever writes that families invite each other for drinks and share the love. The women in the village show compassion for Esteban when they wash the body (Marquez 231). They prepare clothes from the bridal linen to manifests their hospitality. They fetch flowers to signify their admiration and wish he didn’t die. Both texts assign superior qualities to the main characters; the villagers worship the body. The writer of The Swimmer ridicules Neddy at the Biswanger’s house to create social status. The Biswangers were unhappy because their invitations were rejected several times (Cheever 786). In addition, women were not happy with the initial treatment of the body because those in control made undemocratic decisions. Mystery and suffering are similar in both cases: going by expressions used, the late was in pain following drowning. Similarly, Erick’s surgery brings misery to the family, and they change their living standards. Operations are costly, and most often, the affected are left with little resources.
Unity is achieved when members come together in a given society. The Swimmer attends several gatherings where they drink and celebrate together. While at the Bunkers, Neddy is treated with joy and is served by a bartender who has been on more than one hundred occasions. The main social gathering in Garcia’s text is during the burial. People travel from distant villages to come and witness the final ceremony of Esteban. They are motivated by unique features of the body and vow to embrace change. Family units are essential in both The Swimmer and the story on the beautiful body. It is not clear if the late was married but is assigned parents to fit in the contemporary society. Neddy is married to Lucina despite the infidelity and financial challenges that set them apart. Both stories present characters who suppress problems; Neddy loses memory, which makes him forget his troubles. While observing the body, for women, Esteban appears proud, despite being in tatters.
Differences in Theme and Techniques
The authors use different styles of language as depicted in the short stories. Gabriel uses hyperbole when referring to the corpse’s attractive characteristics. The body is larger than the one ever seen before and can’t even fit in their houses. The features can only be compared to a god, given the way it is adored. Cheever applies satire when Neddy refers neighbors to natives, yet he uses their swimming pools. There is a theme of civilization in The Swimmer through the characters who do things in a current way. In contrast, the coastal villagers are not enlightened and thus amused when they see a strange body. The harsh reality about Gabriel’s character is that human bodies are not accorded proper dignity. They dumb them into the water to be eaten by sharks, which they attribute to lack of land.
Neddy is an epitome of depression, the writer how misfortunes push him to delusion where he pretends to be okay. The village is engrossed in weeping a stranger; they do it to the extent of scaring nearby sailors. Wailing is an attribute that is evident and allows the grieved to express their sadness. Cheever also appeals to the emotions of readers when Neddy cry while he has visited his mistress. The coastal dwellers uphold morality as the members ensure they do the right thing. They are seen as helping people because they take care of the stranger. There are cases of immorality in Cheever’s story; Neddy is involved in infidelity with the mistress. Further, people drink too much, as displayed in the first paragraph.
References
Cheever, John. The swimmer. Harper Collins, 2009.
Kohlbeck, Marcy. “Dr. Pennington English 305, Version 1 2 November 2018 GarcĂa Márquez’s The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World: A Representation of Jung’s. (2018). Web.
Marquez, Gabriel Garcia. The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World. Collected Stories, 1984, pp. 253-254.