On the other hand the narrator feelings contrast with the crowd; he is fascinated with the giant’s “Grecian features”, “the enormous breadth of the shoulders”, and his “magnificent Homeric stature”. When Ballard reveals why the narrator has such a “particular interest in the case” is because of “ the mere categorical fact of his existence”. It is here that the reader understands that the narrator is more broadminded, Ballard makes him aware of the giant absolute exists. It becomes apparent that the narrator is more fascinated with the answers that the giant may be able to tell him, unlike the crowd how are uninspired and merely revel in his difference, newness and then dismiss him and get on with their one lives. Furthermore, the narrator recognizes the similarities and humanity apparent in the giant’s features, whereas the crowds treat him like a freak. The author intentionally contrasts the narrator’s views of the giant to that of the crowd’s, because his role in the story is to bring out the rude and often narrow-minded behavior of the crowds. In the midst of the story, the narrator describes the dead giant decaying and comments that he spent a few days in the library:
“reluctant to visit the shore, aware that I had probably witnessed the approaching end of a magnificent illusion”
The phrase suggests the narrator is becoming unwilling and fearful to accept the giant’s declining state so he stays in the library to avoid this reality. We still understand that the narrator considers the giant a beautiful, impressive, and splendid object, however the giant has the ability to deceive his mind by appearing to be one thing when it is in fact another.
Marquez’s use of characterization is quite unusual compared to Ballard’s. In The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World, Marquez’s unconventional writing techniques become apparent as he places a twist on the main character, Esteban who is lifeless. Yet Marquez describes Esteban with the qualities of a typical hero. The townspeople believe that “he bore his death with pride” and they receive the dead man with such awe just, like the narrator from The Drowned Giant. While the women are cleaning the dead man they realize the kind of “man he was and it left them breathless”. This evokes strong emotions, especially excitement, awe and shock at the giant’s appearance. Ballard goes even further to depict the profound effects that the dead man had on the villagers by telling us that as the villagers, “were looking at him there was no room for him in their imaginations”. This emphasizes the great perception that the giant has on the people; it is so huge that their minds become stilted at the image of his presence. While the women worship his size and fanaticize about his authoritative personality. The men "shuddered in the marrow of their bones at Esteban’s sincerity." Although he is just a corpse, to them he is strong, trustworthy, kindhearted and hard working. Marquez chooses to mention that the villagers decide to give Esteban a mother and father because this creates shock in the reader as it becomes clear just how in love they are with this man. In fact they even give him “uncles and aunts and cousins”, and therefore, through him, everyone is related, which actually provides total integration within the people and their lives.
In The Drowned Giant, setting is a crucial element in portraying how the crowd’s reaction to the giant’s presence changes as the story progresses. Ballard deliberately sets the story by a city, so the readers can understand that the crowds, who are from the city, are educated but lack faith and imagination. Since their lives are rushed, they only worry about their own lives and rely on social institutions to tell them what to think. This is made evident when a, “party of scientific experts –authorities on gross anatomy and marine biology-from the university”, come to visit the giant. Ballard deliberately describes the experts striding round the giant, “nodding in vigorous consultation” and then concludes their visit by mentioning that an officer offered to help them climb the giant but they “hastily demurred, because Ballard id being critical of scientists power in society. They should be investigating the giant’s whereabouts, but because they didn’t they produce the message that the crowd shouldn’t either. When the narrator visits the giant; he mentions how the crowd has become “considerably smaller” compared to previous days. Ballard highlights this feature to convey that the crowds, who are from civilized societies, tend to easily lose interest and reject the unfamiliar and unique events in life. The author is being critical of how the crowd follows what everyone else does rather than thinking as individuals and trying to investigate this unbelievable opportunity. Over time the corpse of the giant is brought closer to the shore and the city. Near the end of the story the people of the city begin to sever off parts of the giant’s body to use the flesh and bones for various products as well as for decoration around the city. The author chose to mention what happened to the remains of the giant because he wanted to depict that the crowd were only willing to let the giant into their lives when they have transformed him into the way they to see him. It gives the reader the impression that they purposely mutilated his body to help them forget about the giant’s existence. Subtly yet cleverly, Ballard uses setting to indicate the story’s main message about modern societies.
However, the setting of The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World has a clear contrast to that of The Drowned Giant. Marquez has the story take place in a village by the sea, where the drowned man casts ashore. The reader understands the people of the village are uneducated, unsophisticated, with simple lives, but kind, imaginative and willing to let someone or something new into their lives. In the beginning of the story Marquez describes that the village was:
“made up of only twenty-odd wooden houses that had stone courtyards with no flowers”, and “were spread about on the end of a desertlike cape”.
This illustrates an underdeveloped poor, dry, barren and lifeless village. As the story progresses Marquez describes the drowned man with unique characteristics, which evoked a reason for change and acceptance among the village people. His body is noticeably large and as the women dream about him they know that if he had a house in the village it would have the “widest doors, the highest ceilings and the strongest floor”. Also the women dream of him being so hard working that he would be able to “plant flowers on cliffs”. As they buried him they:
"became aware for the first time of the desolation in their streets, the dryness in their courtyards, the narrowness of their dreams”.
The villagers realize how isolated and despondent their villages. Also the see how grey, foreboding and gloomy the courtyards are. They recognize their hidden passion for change and gain personal ambition because of Esteban. So from then on they vow to work hard so that “Esteban’s memory could go everywhere”. Even though he is a dead man, to them he becomes a mythical figure that inspires them to embrace change in their village.
Although both stories share the same theme, the plots take opposite directions in portraying them. The crowds from The Drowned Giant are blind of the giant’s extraordinary presences and, after a few days, they tire of this incident and decide to amputate his hand and foot for a fertilizer company and a cattle food manufacturer. Later on they cut, “jocular slogans, swastikas and other signs”, into the giant’s skin. The mutilation of the giant is caused by, “a sudden flood of repressed spite”. Here Ballard is trying to say that human nature and the way that they treat things that are different can be malicious and revolting. In the end of The Drowned Giant, Ballard says that the bones of the giant have become various decorations around the city. The author reveals that the giant’s bones are often confused with that of a whale’s, “even those who first saw him cast up on the shore after the storm, now remember him if at all, as a large sea beast”. This is the most poignant message in the story because it reveals how this society is forcing themselves not to seek answers. Perhaps Ballard is implying that those who saw him lie to themselves to escape the reality of the giant’s existence so that they won’t cause trouble. In The Drowned Giant the arrival of the stranger pushes the people of the city further into denial, whereas in The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World the appearance of the drowned man quickly brings change to the people lives because they accept him into their lives. This outcome proves Marquez’s message for the need of a hero to believe in, which will allow change.
I found it interesting how Ballard cleverly uses the narrator to display his criticism of modern societies inability to acknowledge the truth. This is made evident every time he contrasts the narrator’s views with the crowds and when Ballard concludes that they acknowledge the bone decorations around the city as a “large sea beast”, instead of the giant’s.
This story is surprising powerful because it was effectively written in first person narrative and present tense. It gives the effect of immediacy, as if it is happening as we read it. I could place myself in the narrator’s point of view, which made me understand how cruel the crowd was acting and sympathize with the plight of the giant. However, Marquez writes the story in third person narrative, which actually makes the story biased since we only see the thoughts of the villagers who help to convey the theme. I noticed how Marquez utilizes long sentences when the women are visualizing the problems Esteban must have had because of his huge figure. Marquez does this to convey the angry emotions that go through their minds. Some readers would conclude that it is poor grammar, however it does help to emphasis the women’s quick tempered and commiserative personalities.
To conclude, I felt that both stories were cleverly written. Ballard and Marquez carefully used characterization, style, plot, and setting to support their respective themes. I enjoyed how Ballard contrasted the views of the narrator to the crowd’s to bring out how society can be prejudice, destructive and unwilling to face reality. In The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World I felt that Marquez’s skillful brought out technique of creating a tale which brought out his main message for someone or something to believe in society was.
