El hombre muerto

(excerpt quoted from the Cuento hispánico. Eds. Edward J. Mullen and John F. Garganigo. Fourth edition. McGraw Hill. 55-56)

 

“El hombre muerto”, which first appeared in Los desterrados (1926), is among the most often anthologized of Quiroga’s tales. It is an extremely short, tightly constructed, and emotionally powerful story that describes the final moments of a man’s life. Many readers feel that “El hombre muerto”  comes as close to rendering the sensations of dying as any story ever written. As you read this story, ask yourself which of the four major elements of prose fiction—character, setting, plot, or theme—seems most important.

The Role of Leitmotif (leimotivo)

Leitmotif is generally understood to be a repetition, which can occur in various forms. In literature, it can be the recurrence of a phrase, an image, or even a situation. One might think of the shading between light and darkness, for example, for this contrast is often associated with good and bad, safety and danger. Similarly, in music a specific melody is often associated with a particular individual or mood. The recurring nature of the melody, then, would mark it as a leitmotif. Whether considered in their individual occurrences or in accumulation, these repetitions can be seen to signal and support the theme.

          “El hombre muerto” is an elaboration of the theme of death. While Quiroga’s approach might seem fairly direct and clear, his elaboration of the theme through the use of leitmotif warrants a closer reading.

          How does Quiroga create and elaborate the theme? As you read “El hombre muerto,” you will see that this is through the use of leitmotif. How should one approach the relationship between leitmotif and the theme? In this story, one might think about the rather considerable implications of a protagonist without an identifying name, especially when given the very human situation in which he finds himself. Not only does the specific and individual instance give way to a more universal understanding, but it also points to a fair degree of anonymity (being alone in the world). In other words, this momentous event is trivialized and becomes another in a series of insignificant details.

          Before reading this story, and in order to understand the importance of the use of leitmotif in Quiroga’s story, think of additional recurring themes that you can recall from other works, whether in English or Spanish fiction, or in music or film. After you have thought on some leitmotifs, consider the paragraph that begins, “La muerte. En el transcurso de la vida…” A lifetime is reduced to a few words, and then, to a final moment. As you read the story, notice how the narrative points to the rather insignificant nature of the death of this man, for he too is reduced to a detail of the greater situation.