One of These Days by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Have a seat Señor and let me get my pliers.

Unlike the novel, which has the luxury of expansiveness, a great short story must rely on precise language to achieve its impact within a limited space. Gabriel García Márquez’s One of These Days exemplifies this economy of expression, using brevity and conciseness to construct an emotionally charged story. The structure of a short story can take many forms—a fleeting sketch, a fragment of a larger whole or a single charged moment being quite prevalent. One of These Days embodies all of these elements while remaining a self-contained episode within a broader socio-political landscape. Though incredibly brief, the story resonates beyond its immediate events, hinting at deeper tensions and systemic forces that shape the two main characters. The gaps and ambiguities in the narrative invite the reader to actively engage with the text, piecing together the underlying tensions and themes.

In this way, the short story can be understood as occupying a liminal space—a threshold between worlds, where meaning is suspended and shaped by what is left unsaid. The author masterfully conveys intense emotional tension and rich story elements through a careful balance of precise details and deliberate omissions. Every small action, piece of dialogue, and unstated implication adds weight to the narrative, allowing meaning to emerge as the story progresses. This restraint heightens the story’s impact, compelling the reader to engage actively and interpret the underlying power struggles, unspoken emotions, and broader socio-political realities evoked by the scene.

This  liminality is especially evident in the reversed power dynamic between the dentist and the corrupt mayor. What appears to be a routine dental procedure is charged with unspoken conflict, as the powerless—represented by the dentist—briefly gains control over the powerful. The scene is deceptively simple yet full of tension and packed with meaning with the underlying currents of systemic oppression looming in the background. In this moment, the dentist’s reluctant defiance and the mayor’s vulnerability expose the fragile and often brutal nature of authority, turning an everyday encounter into a quiet act of resistance.

Nearly every story in this collection has been exceptional, further cementing Gabriel García Márquez’s mastery of the short-story form. His ability to craft vivid, emotionally resonant narratives with such precision and economy of language is nothing short of remarkable. With each story, he continues to captivate, revealing new depths to his storytelling prowess, imagination and versatility. Although best known for his magical realism, García Márquez demonstrates in this story that he is equally adept at crafting a compelling narrative within a more conventional framework. Eschewing with surreal elements, this piece is indicative of his ability to create tension and meaning through precise storytelling and sharp realism.