The Bridegroom And The Handsomest Drowned Man
“The Bridegroom” by Ha Jin, and “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez explore different man versus society conflicts. There are many differences and few similarities as to how each society deals with unconventional members. Some characters are criminalized, ostracized, and viewed as outcasts, unable to conform to “normal” societal activities as demonstrated in “The Bridegroom”. The more progressive society exists in “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World”, where the villagers change their way of life to accommodate a revered dead body, and in turn, they appear to collectively become more fulfilled and ambitious. Should society change to accommodate unconventional people, or should people conform to societal
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Being that the text is told from the guardian’s perspective, everything the reader knows about Baowen is filtered through the narrator, a reflection of the society at large. It is clear that the narration is representative of the larger society from the very beginning of the text as he describes the woman in a very detached, negative, loveless and impersonal sense describing her as being, “…a short, homely girl…” (Jin, p. 416). The homosexual men in the text experience unbounded freedom when in isolation amongst their own, seemingly away from the judgmental eyes of society they remark that, “…At last we men have a place for ourselves.” (Jin, p. 419). A middle-aged painter …show more content…
293).
Both stories share a similarity in which people who did not exhibit normal behaviors or appearances were judged. However, what varied greatly between the society in “The Bridegroom” and “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World”, was societies’ ability to acclimate and accept varying mental and physical forms of people. The criminalization of homosexuals in “The Bridegroom” is in stark contrast to the pride and acceptance displayed by the villagers. While Baowen was alienated and isolated like an infectious plague from the greater society, Esteban was revered and welcomed even in death.
Ultimately, the differing responses from society towards both individuals directly reflects the dichotomy of reactions that can be observed throughout present day society. Both texts shared an initial wariness towards unconventional members, however the villagers’ willingness to accept Esteban for whom he was allowed them to transform into a richer and more forward-thinking society unlike the stagnation witnessed in “The
Being that the text is told from the guardian’s perspective, everything the reader knows about Baowen is filtered through the narrator, a reflection of the society at large. It is clear that the narration is representative of the larger society from the very beginning of the text as he describes the woman in a very detached, negative, loveless and impersonal sense describing her as being, “…a short, homely girl…” (Jin, p. 416). The homosexual men in the text experience unbounded freedom when in isolation amongst their own, seemingly away from the judgmental eyes of society they remark that, “…At last we men have a place for ourselves.” (Jin, p. 419). A middle-aged painter …show more content…
293).
Both stories share a similarity in which people who did not exhibit normal behaviors or appearances were judged. However, what varied greatly between the society in “The Bridegroom” and “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World”, was societies’ ability to acclimate and accept varying mental and physical forms of people. The criminalization of homosexuals in “The Bridegroom” is in stark contrast to the pride and acceptance displayed by the villagers. While Baowen was alienated and isolated like an infectious plague from the greater society, Esteban was revered and welcomed even in death.
Ultimately, the differing responses from society towards both individuals directly reflects the dichotomy of reactions that can be observed throughout present day society. Both texts shared an initial wariness towards unconventional members, however the villagers’ willingness to accept Esteban for whom he was allowed them to transform into a richer and more forward-thinking society unlike the stagnation witnessed in “The