Themes and message

Strength versus weakness

In “a strong dead man” by Daniel Alarcón, the theme of strength versus weakness is explored in connection with most of the characters, and with the dead bodies.

Firstly, the theme is connected with Rafael’s father, both from a physical and emotional point of view. The story suggests that the strokes he suffered made him increasingly weaker: “a ghost, a negative image, weak and formless, a fourth cup from a single bag of tea.” (ll. 2-3). However, the father seems to have kept up his emotional strength for the sake of his worried son: “ ‘I'm getting better. This is just a small thing,’ ” (l. 123). In a similar manner, the baseball players’ physical strength is not indicative of their playing ability. In this way, the story could suggest that the appearance of physical strength is misleading, and that true strength comes from the ability to control one’s emotions.

The idea of physical strength is also explored in connection with the “strong dead man” (l. 55) in the river. ...