Un hombre muerto a puntapiés: análisis comparativo de la deshumanización en la juventud actual.

Abstract

This research examines the dehumanization reflected in Pablo Palacio's work "Un hombre muerto a puntapiés" and its correspondence with similar attitudes among high school students at the Unidad Educativa Particular "Nazaret" in Manta. This institution was founded by the principal, Padre Andrés Drouet Salcedo, in 2019 and is currently attended by 117 students of all ages. The purpose is to compare the elements that reflect the loss of humanity among the students of this institution and those presented in the narrative work. To this end, student surveys and interviews were conducted with the participants, who were two professors from the Language and Literature department and an external psychologist, thus presenting a mixed research approach. The interpretative intent of the results shows that students recognize concepts of social values such as equality and respect; however, behaviors linked to inhumane acts such as discrimination persist. As a result, it is demonstrated that these patterns of behavior arise from the family or social environment. In response, it is revealed that literature is a medium capable of fostering integral human development, which, when critically focused, serves as an appropriate resource to raise awareness of social reality. This study contributes to the field of education by proposing the use of literature not only as academic content, but also as an ethical and formative tool capable of awakening humanistic awareness in young people.