When The Most Handsomest Drowned Man

Lao Tzu once said, “Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” Through the stories “The Most Handsomest Drowned Man in the World’ and “In the family” one can see the connection between love and the influence it has over one’s character. María Elena Llano and Gabriel García Marquez both portray the metaphor that love has an everlasting impact on the people it encounters through changed mentality and lifestyle of characters, as well as through the memories of loved ones. Foremost, Marquez communicates the metaphor of everlasting love in the story, “The Most Handsomest Drowned Man in the World” by the changes the villagers made to their environment. This is shown by, “But they knew everything would be different from then, that their houses would have wider doors, taller roofs, firmer floors, so that the memory of Esteban could walk everywhere without running into crossbeams” (Marquez, 4). They changed their
This is evidenced by, “the fact that the old, spotted mirror reflected the dear departed in the family was not enough to upset our life style” (Llano, 138). This shows that even after death, their loved ones still remained with them, and they still were able to look after them. Not only were they a part of daily life, they also spent time together, this is shown by, “Naturally, the idea of moving the mirror to the dining room was hers. And so was its sequel: to bring the mirror near the big table, so we could all sit together for meals” (Llano, 140). They included the departed in their everyday lives, and they enjoyed meals together, this shows that even though the narrator stated it was “not enough to upset our life style” they played a big role in what they did. Despite them being dead, they were still part of the family. Their love and relationship with the rest of their family is