‘One of These Days’ is a short story by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The piece depicts a situation wherein the powerful mayor of a town forced a poor local dentist named Aurelio Escovar to perform an extraction of a tooth. Given that the mayor has been suffering from severe toothache for numerous days already, he was desperate for the procedure. By using threats, the mayor is able to force Aurelio to perform the procedure but without anesthesia. Putting these elements together, Garcia Marquez masterfully tells the story to readers and by careful use of words is able to convey a deeper meaning to the interaction of both characters in the story.
Looking closely, one of the essential themes pointed by Garcia Marquez in the story corresponds to the concept of power and the negative impact it can create to people. At the beginning of the story, readers are able to understand the situation of Aurelio Escovar wherein he is poor and his office lacks the necessary sanitation and supplies. On the other hand, there is the mayor who currently holds political power and control over the town and its people (Marquez 1). Even if these individuals have contrasting status, power arguably forces each one to have and exercise control. As for Aurelio, it is in the brief moment that he is performing the procedure of tooth extraction that he recognizes power over the mayor. Despite having this control for over a brief period, readers are able to recognize its ability to corrupt people and use it to their advantage. For instance, the choice of Aurelio to not administer anesthesia is one way to demonstrate this approach. After the procedure, readers again recognize the shift back of power to the mayor as he regains control of the situation, including the dentist’s life.