In the Schoolteacher’s Guest, I saw fate/destiny when the woman killed her son’s murderer. This was the man’s fate because of what he did to her son. “I had to do it. It was fate. The old man had very bad luck” (Allende 128). In Two Words, I saw fate/destiny when Belisa had given the colonel words for his speech, yet she made him crazy with the two words she had told him. This was the man’s fate because of his cruel actions. I could see fate/destiny in The Handsomest Drowned Man when Esteban was found on the island. His fate/destiny was his death, and him being found by those islanders. Fate and Destiny are slightly different, although they both are roughly about a person’s outcome, they have different meanings. Fate can be altered by a person’s actions, which you could see in the Schoolteacher’s Guest, and destiny cannot be altered, everybody has an ultimate destiny, which is death. I think that the Schoolteacher’s Guest contains the most important message about fate/destiny because it represents a mother avenging her son’s murderer, ultimately showing the man’s fate.

 

I think that the female characters in both of these stories were very powerful and strong. The country/culture that these women were a part of were not very used to having strong, influential women. These women were both so strong because of their actions, and the effect they had on their people. In the Schoolteacher’s Guest, the woman was a staple in the community, and everybody went to her for advice, she also had the strength to avenge her son’s death. In Two Words, the woman was also a staple around her community because she sold words to the people. These women were both so influential in their communities, and this is why I think that they were strong.

 

Two words is a different case as I feel as though Belisa gets thrown around a bit before she truly meets the colonel and even then she feels frightened by him. The power she has is when she says the two words to the colonel, changing the man so greatly he changes from this scary “manliman” to someone who is loved. 

 

It is important for them to believe that he is Esteban because Esteban was a very famous man that was famous amongst the slaves because of his heroic acts. It was also important for them because if it was Esteban, the villagers could now declare that their village took care of, and had a “Funeral” for Esteban, making their village important. There is belief in The Schoolteacher’s Guest, the people in Agua Santa believed in Ines and they went to her for advice because of her wisdom, and care for the community. They all believed she was a wise, good woman. It is important for people to believe in general because it gives people a sense of reassuring hope. It can help people look forward to something after a bad event, or anything really. A common belief for people is God, and this is common because people like to believe that there is somewhere to go after death, and this reassures everybody that believes in God because they know that they will go somewhere happy after death.

 

 

 I think that they believe it is Esteban since he is abnormally large and muscular and it is important for them to believe because he is so special to them and it gives them a sense of excitement. I think people believe in Belissa's words because people like to have something to believe in something that will help them it gives people a sense of comfort. I think that the message of belief in the Schoolteacher's guest is that it is important to have friends who believe you. Her friends and neighbors continue to support her and believe her even after she brutally murdered her son's killer. I think that it is important to believe people in general because it builds confidence when people believe you and it gives you someone in your corner. If you didn't believe people life wouldn't be very exciting. You never know if someone is lying or being honest so believing is really a game of trust. 

The spirit of the villagers change as a result of their experience with Esteban because they felt honored to have had him there. They claim that the village felt bigger after Esteban’s body’s departure, and emptier. Their new plans reflect this change because they show that they were greatly affected by Esteban’s “visit”. They stated that they would now act differently from there on out. The Colonel becomes more laid back after Belisa’s first visit, because he felt some kind of connection with her. He eventually becomes crazy because all he would think about was the two words he was told. Rihad changes after he arrives in Agua Santa because he formed a friendship with Ines, and eventually helps Ines cover up her murder. Change is important in both Latin American Literature and life in general, everything needs change after a while, or else it could drive someone crazy. We always need some kind of entertainment, and change is something that we look forward to sometimes, and it also may be needed after a while.