The Handsomest Drowned Man In The World, By Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Another characteristic of magical realism is to give power to the powerless, which is most definitely done in this novel. From the start, Owen is described to be a very tiny boy without a lot of physical strength who was never really taken seriously because of his voice. As the story developed Owen did grow more powerful, even if it was not physically. Ironically, it was in fact the very same voice that had caused Owen problems in his youth that helped him become a hero in adulthood. When Owen yelled at Vietnamese children that they should not be afraid “It was his voice that compelled the children to listen to him- it was a voice like their voices” (Irving 622). Although this scene ultimately causes Owen’s death is important to view the view the changes Owen has undergone from the start of the novel to the end. While
By the end, Owen is able to take charge of a life or death situation and manages to save the lives of many Vietnamese children through his valorous actions. The short story, the Handsomest Drowned Man In the World, by Gabriel García Máquez is another example of a book that would be considered magical realism. In his novel Máquez tells the tale of a small coastal village in which the body of a dead man winds up on drifting ashore. This drowned man’s arrival signifies the start of change throughout the village which is largely changed due to arrival. This becomes a key part of Máquez’s main message which states that people undergo transformations depending on what scenarios they are faced with. The very first time that the villagers were confronted with the drowned man, it