Critical Comparison of the Content and Literary Devices Used in Bon Voyage, Mr. President by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and The Perplexing Simplicity of a

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Critical Comparison of the Content and Literary Devices Used in Bon Voyage, Mr. President by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and The Perplexing Simplicity of a Lack of Nothing

Bon Voyage, Mr President is a short story written by Gabriel Garcia

Marquez. This is a tale of a South American President in exile.

Nearing the end of his days, we are given an insight into the life of

a man with injured pride, reminiscing the days that went by and so

fast, where the President had lost everything he had worked for and

knew.

Quotes

Bon Voyage, Mr. President

‘Resting on the silver handle of his cane’

This quotation emphasises the Presidents elegance and importance. His

importance is enforced by the fact he carries a cane and not a common

walking stick. A cane being the common tool of intimidation used by

the military and by those who feel they are superior to the average

civilian. The silver handle on the cane illustrates his elegance. He

had style, elegance and capital, as well as authority, his overall

effect being a man of status.

‘He was one more incognito in the city of illustrious incognitos’

This quotation is a contradiction. Incognito means in disguise, while

illustrious means to stand out. This paradox sums up the President;

he wants to not be noticed, but still wants fame. So while wearing

clothes everyone else was wearing, something would make him stand

out. He wants fame and power, but not for being the President in

exile.

‘Only the weariness of his skin betrayed the state of his health’

Where the president dressed stylishly, with fine clothes, and his hair

did not give away hints of age, with strands of grey...

... middle of paper ...

...lk shirt with cotton shorts’. This Rhetoric gives

the opposite impression to which Bon Voyage, Mr. President was trying

to bestow. This is an easy mistake, but if read together would

confuse the reader.

The Perplexing Simplicity of a Lack of Nothing is a very difficult

piece to understand, with maybe hidden meaning. There was hardly any

significance that could be drawn from it. A huge failure, of the

author, was that, there did not seem to be any constant story line,

there was a base, but the majority jumped from idea to idea. Also,

the words used were difficult to comprehend in a short story and too

many used too close together. This material was more novel quality

rather than an extract or short story, the author should have kept in

mind what type of story they were asked to compose and not trail from

it.

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