The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World Group

Question:

rojones
rojones
Teacher
High School - 12th Grade

In "The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World,"  explain the references to "Wednesday." 

"a piece of Wednesday cold meat," and "this Wednesday dead body"

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Posted by rojones on Tuesday October 21, 2008 at 7:42 AM and tagged with allusions, the handsomest drowned man in the world, themes, wednesday.

Answers:


  1. jamie-wheeler Teacher
    College - Sophomore

    eNotes Editor

    "Wednesday drowsiness," "Wednesday meat," and "Wednesday bodies" all have a common meaning:  tiresome.  In many communities where the majority of the residents were (and are)  fishermen, the men return from their voyages on Thursdays, so by Wednesday, supplies are getting low in the town (and stinky!).  Wives and children are getting anxious and bored. 

    It's like our own notion of "hump day," but hopefully we aren't eating six day old fish, right?

    Here are a couple of the passages in which "Wednesday" and its tiresome nature are discussed:


    After midnight the whistling of the wind died down and the sea fell into its Wednesday drowsiness.

    ...the men finally expoled with since when has there ever been such a fuss over a drifting corpse, a drowned nobody, a piece of cold Wednesday meat.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/handsomest-drowned
    http://www.enotes.com/handsomest-drowned/historical-context
    http://www.enotes.com/handsomest-drowned/themes

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    Posted by jamie-wheeler on Tuesday October 21, 2008 at 9:57 AM