Category: A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings

The two of the most prominent magical elements in Gabriel Garcia Marquezs story A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings are unimaginable creatures of the old man with angel wings and a woman with a spider body. Even though both magical creatures are so alienated from reality, the author blends fantasy and reality by locating them in settings that seem authentic to reality. The old man rests in the chicken coop with other feathered creatures, and the woman travels with the circus, the only place where extraordinary things become a daily source of income.

Although magical and fantastical creatures are often used in fiction or films, this story is different as the author utilizes an approach that does not embellish the creatures magical origins. Moreover, the author adds an unusual sense of realism to the fantasy aspect with a detailed description of the visual flaws and the pitiful condition of the old man (Marquez, 1999, p. 218). Additionally, the author provides an element of frustration and uncertainty by describing the villagers confusion in their efforts to understand the old mans origin as an angel.

The uncertainty element is very different from the standard approach to fantasy and results in the feeling of melancholy in the story. The melancholy emphasizes the slow progression of the old mans life, as the whole village becomes disappointed in his magical powers that the old man cannot showcase due to his age and poor condition. The melancholy also emphasizes Pelayo and Elisendas frustration in not knowing what to do with the non-functional angel for years after he landed in their courtyard. Thus, magical elements in Marquezs work are significantly different from ones frequently used in films and fiction as the author approaches them with an intent to emphasize their flaws rather than embellish their features.

References

Marquez, G. G. (1999). Collected stories. HarperCollins.

“A very Old Man with Enormous Wings” is a story that was written by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. This tale is about an elderly man with very huge and unusual wings who appears into the village courtyard and was found by a man named Pelayo. This man was taken to Pelayo’s family home, thinking he was a form of angel being that he had wings and no one knew where he came from or where he was going. It’s however amazing how even though Pelayo and his wife were convinced that this was an angel they still use this old man as an opportunity for making money. The world is obviously changing and person’s view of prophecy varies. This confirms that one should not judge a book by the cover. There was such strong angelic belief due to the fact that this man had wings, people went to get healing. Though humble and quiet this man was he knew nothing about miracles and it’s still yet to be discovered who he really was. One thing for sure is that he was not a harmful being. He was quiet and humble.

It was about the third day of heavy rain and so many crabs had been washed into Pelayo’s home. Their newborn was having a temperature and as such he thought it was due to the odor of the crabs. Pelayo collected the crabs and went across the soaking wet courtyard and out to the sea to throw away the crabs. The sand had become like a stew of mud filled with rotten shellfish. The place was so dark and gloomy he could hardly see. While he was on his way back home he heard the groans and saw something moving in the dark courtyard. He crawled closely to see what it was only to discover an old man lying face down into the mud struggling to rise but was unsuccessful due to its enormous wings. This was so frightening to Pelayo but being the religious man that he was , he introduced it to his wife who agreed “He’s an Angel “she told him. She thought he was coming for the sickly child but was too old that the rain knocked him down. Persons assumed that because of his wings and calm demeanor he was more of a religious symbolism that could be associated with an angel. To add further confirmation the number three was repeated several times during the story “this happens on the third day” which also gives further confirmation as the number three was very symbolic in the bible representing the Holy Trinity.

Even though they were so surprised they gazed at him so long that he started to look familiar in their eyes. Pelayo and his wife tried talking to him but could not comprehend what he was saying. It was then that they started pondering that he seems to have been a lonely cast away from a foreign ship that has gone a soar by a storm. They were so confused they called the neighbor to get a second opinion. She however confirmed what they’d initially thought saying (He is an angel). Word then rapidly spread throughout the vicinity that there was a flesh and blood angel in Pelayo’s house. They watched over him for the entire afternoon from his kitchen. When it was bed time Pelayo brought the winged man into the chicken coop to stay with the hens. It was only a short time after that the child woke up and the fever was gone. This was somewhat the confirmation that Pelayo and his wife was looking for. After seeing this Pelayo and his wife felt so kind –hearted towards this winged man thinking it was his presence that brought healing to the child. They decided to put the angel on a raft into the sea with food for three days. Here the number three is mentioned significantly as with biblical relations. They associated everything that was said with spirituality as they were convinced this was a spiritual angel. By the time they got to the courtyard however, it was filled with the entire neighborhood having fun with the angel in front of the chicken coop. There was however no reverence in the way they were treating the angel as they tossed him things to eat through the openings in the wire of the coop. This was however expected, how could one place a supposedly angel in a chicken coop? An angel should be treated with more esteem.

It wasn’t long after that father Gonzago came and was quite shocked with the news. There were also other onlookers who came; each had their own opinion of whom and what should be done about the angel. Some suggested that he be called the major others the rank of five-star general and many other. Priest Gonzago however tested him by speaking to him in the Latin language. It was then that his suspicion grew when it became evident that he did not understand the language of God. He also did not eat the mothballs they gave him as prescribed for angels. This Winged man was much too human, the unbearable smell, his wings were filled with parasites, there was nothing about him that depicts the proud dignity of angels. This would draw one conclusion, not everything with wings should be mistaken as angels. Priest Gonzaga argued this point too “He argued that if wings were not the essential element in determining the difference between a hawk and an airplane they were even less so in the recognition of angels”. Page 2. The priest then decided that he was going to notify the supreme in order to determine the final verdict. Despite his argument the news about the captive angel kept spreading rapidly, it was not long after the courtyard was looking like a marketplace. There were people coming from everywhere to get healing and break through from poverty. The Pelayo’s family saw this as a great opportunity to make some money. They decided to fence the yard and collect five-cent admission fee to see the “angel”. This was so profitable in less than a week their rooms were completely filled with money they collected. Regardless of all that was happening around the angel he took no part. He just lay there trying to make himself comfortable in his borrowed nest. There were persons throwing things on him but his only supernatural virtue seemed to be patience. Soon it was around the time of carnival and amongst the attractions there arrived a woman who had been changed into a spider for disobeying her parents. Persons had the chance to ask her as many questions as they wanted and there was no doubt the truth of her horror. This made her won the attention over the angel who scarcely even looked at mortals. The spider woman cured father Gonzago permanently of his insomnia and after everyone witnessed what had happened she got all the attention and that’s when Pelayo’s courtyard went back to being empty again. This however didn’t bother Pelayo and his wife, by now they’ve made enough money and was ready to build a two story mansion. This shows the conflict between traditions like Christianity and modern values such as greed. Even though they were of the belief that this was an angel depicting Christ they were rather quick to see the opportunity of making money to fulfill their materialistic crave.

When it was all calm and the attention was no longer on the winged man, he cringed into one corner of the courtyard where he stayed motionless so no one could see him. Early one December morning he started to grow large stiff feathers on his wings. These wings look like that of a scarecrow and this was more misfortune. One morning when Elisenda was in the kitchen she felt a strong wind that blew into the kitchen. By her surprised it was the winged man flying away, she watched him until he was an imaginary dot. This Winged Man appeared as an angel because of his wings but doesn’t act Christ like. He was however able to bring an opportunity to these married couple in the village by allowing them to collect money from them. After thinking that his mission was accomplished he left. The Winged man rising at the end is also a religious symbolism depicting Christ resurrection from the grave. Marquez’s story however illustrates the hypocrisy of human behavior. We often judge something for how it appears instead of its underlying meaning. No one took note of the priest reminder “that the devil had the bad habit of making use of carnival tricks in order to confuse the unwary”. Gabriel Garcia Marquez page 2. This was obviously the case as this wasn’t an angel of God.

Reference

1. Marquez, Gabriel Garcia. “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings: A Tale for Children”

In ‘A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings’ the writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez weaves the characteristic with the heavenly aspects in a surprising way. It leaves the reader in question, ‘What would I do if this happened to me right before I entered heaven?” By mixing the most ordinary and terrible pieces of life, Marquez utilizes an inventive tone and a style to make the story that convey components of regular day to day existence. The author, Marquez, also uses theme to portray the day to day aspects.

The tone of the story is set with a negative tone: a young child living in a poor climate. In the beginning, Marquez’ writing style quickly gets the creative mind thinking as he says, ‘The world had been pitiful since Tuesday,’ giving us the details of the nasty climate. In the first paragraph, he brings in the supernatural components by presenting the dreamlike character of an elderly person with gigantic wings. Marquez quickly breaks any thoughts the reader has of being an angel by setting him face down in the mud and not able to get himself out because of his giant wings.

The irony in the story is, the thing that should’ve helped him stay above earth’s components ruined him and caused him to crash. Irony is a piece of the tone weaved all through the story to help the theme show the day to day existence. It is found in the ‘wise elderly woman’ who established that the elderly person with wings was an angel, and later recommended clubbing him to death.

Marquez additionally takes those common habits of humankind and combines it with extraordinary components, making scenes that let the reader wonder if maybe the magic can spread into the real world beyond the book. For example, the angel is genuine to such an extent that the nearby Priest, Father Gonzaga, sees he’s ‘too human’ He smells. And every thing about him is the opposite of what someone may consider an angel from God to be. But, when looking at it closer, parts of the angel’s character can be seen in the book. His patience is made obvious when he suffers abuse by being stuck with chickens, and pushed around. He doesn’t retaliate. He takes it like he knows it’s just for a period of time before it is over. This is an indication of the angel’s powerful ability of accepting the pain and suffering. I think Marquez’s thought behind this was maybe the reader, as well, can show those same traits as the angel and be patient. The tone of the story welcomes one to think that this is possible.

Towards the finish of the story, the angel’s patience was rewarded. During the beginning of spring, he starts to grow new feathers in his wings. The long and grim winter is finished and new life is being born. He looks to the sky, feels the breeze, and starts to fly, gradually from the outset yet ascending higher and in the long run vanishing over the sea, past the blue. Elisenda watches from the kitchen until she can longer see him over the horizon. Her feelings against the conditions makes a one of a kind impact. Elisenda is viewing a holy angel take off and she feels the weight off her shoulders as he leaves. Elisenda goes back to work, never appreciating the angel that entered her life out of the blue and left just as unexpectedly.

With the tone that the writer sets in the ending, the reader is left wondering how often they stop and thank God for the angels and blessings in our life. How often am I blessed with something amazing and I don’t see it or thank God for it? With his utilization of magic realism, Gabriel Garcia Marquez opens the entryway to fascinating exchange and welcomes the reader to not just enter a position of a creative mind, but to see the angel in our day to day.

Throughout the literary world, there have been many stories created, specifically stories that use magical realism. Four stories specifically heavily use the literary element magical realism. These four stories area Very Old Man With Enormous Wings, The Insufferable Gaucho, The South, and Young Goodman Brown. But before we progress, what is magical realism? How does one define it? Magical realism is a type of fiction usually associated with Latin America. It’s essentially when realistic and fantastic details interweave which makes the setting normal taking place in the modern world, unlike fantasy or sci-fi, magical realism brings in a realistic tone. As such the four mentioned stories above are great examples of integrating magical realism.

The first story is Very Old Man With Enormous Wings by García Márquez’s. Márquez’s story starts normal, describes the setting ordinary and the character Pelayo talks about his wife along with worries on his newborn child. When readers first read, it’s simply a normal and realistic situation. When the crabs enter, it’s not seen as abnormal or odd but rather a normal occurrence. Additionally, when the couple discovers the old man, he’s described relatively normal apart from his wings, and with this description, it all ties to the mundane life we all know of it. As such, the story plays around with what’s real and what’s not. Even when finding him, they were surprised but quickly grew to familiarize him. As mentioned, before magical realism has characters who never question the fantasy-like elements, so when Pelayo encountered him, they never questioned his origin or were in total disbelief. Lastly, there’s a mention of a spider woman, and while spiders and women exist in the real world, in Márquez’s case, they are combined. As such, this story provides a fantasy element with an angel and a giant spider woman but not in surprise just part of the norm.

The Insufferable Gaucho written by Roberto Bolaño is another great example of magical realism. The story’s main character was a renowned lawyer and judge. Throughout the story, we’re presented with his struggles and his country collapsing. As a result, he decided to move into an old ranch, which he owned. This is where magical realism comes in. At one point in the story, Bolaño describes how Pedrera sees a flock of rabbits. Which is odd as a flock of rabbits seem very unlikely usually chasing after a train as they’re delicate peaceful creatures. However, one point, Pedrera to his horror sees the rabbits attack another tearing the body with teeth and claws. Additionally, where Pedrera’s is staying, rabbits are abundant everywhere with no sign of any other cattle or even horses. But he never really pursues why there isn’t any cattle and just normalizes as its part of everyday life. Other than that, that seems to be the only magical thing there is, as the likelihood of rabbits killing another seems very low.

Now The South by Jorge Luis Borges takes on an interesting twist. Within Borges story, the main character Juan Dahlman goes through a head injury. He almost dies but miraculously lives. After the head injury, it’s hard to tell whether what’s going on is a dream or real life. Throughout the remainder of the story, there are a few hints dropped such as the storekeeper. When Dahlman encounters the men the storekeeper rushes in and knows his name. Even in the story, Dahlman didn’t find it odd that the storekeeper knew his name. As soon as he entered the store, he was served food immediately. At first glance the story seems normal. However, upon reading it the second time it shows elements of magical realism. Even at the end when he sets off to fight, he has neither hope or fear, which may show this is a dream and once he dies he may wake up.

Lastly comes Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne. This story is a little bit similar to Luis Borges story The South. The reason behind the similarity is in Hawthorne’s story Goodman goes through a journey and seeks answers that lie within the forest. But there’s whimsical elements in the story and seems dreamlike. Additionally, he encounters the old man who offers a staff that will instantly help travel to the location he seeks. Even after being presented with that knowledge he doesn’t seem surprised nor questions it. Furthermore, once he reaches to the ceremony the trees are on fire. He sees respected members of the village participating in the ceremony. Goodman also notices that his wife Faith was participating as well. After that chaos he’s alone in the forest and returns to the village. As soon as he returns, he refuses anyone who was part of the ceremony. It’s hard to tell whether this may have been a dream or reality as Goodman suddenly sees himself alone as if the event never occurred. Additionally, when he returns no one in the village has any recollection or brings up the ceremony. Now there were some whimsical elements as Goody Cloyse clams to be a witch and the minster of church going to where the devil’s ceremony is being held. Another whimsical element is the serpent-like staff. As mentioned before, it helps with teleportation and as described by Goodman seems lifelike as if it’s moving. As such with these elements its best to fall under magical realism.

Thus, with all four stories each presents examples and use of magical realism, while two may have been dreamlike it is hard to tell if it is a dream or a reality. Furthermore, most of the stories were written by Latin American writers thus further proving the use of magical realism. One thing in common among the four stories is there is a bit of tragedy as the characters don’t really meet a happy ending. Even so all four stories effectively used magical realism through descriptions and introducing a normal setting along with integrating mundane life with a touch of fantasy.

During the 20th century, Latin American authors blended the folkloric storytelling of rural communities with academic elements of high literature to create the genre of magical realism. Characterized by its mix of fantasy and realism, the genre mixes gritty, authentic narration with symbolic elements of the fantastical. Though most of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s works embody some element of magical realism, his short story, “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings,” is perhaps his finest work in the genre. Throughout the piece, Marquez exemplifies magical realism by contrasting the sacred with the mundane in his depiction of the angel.

The townspeople accept the angel very matter-of-factly. They don’t consider his arrival to be anything miraculous and immediately focus on how the angel can benefit them. However, when the angel fails to perform the miracles they seek, the people deem him unimpressive and move on. Marquez pays particular attention to describing the wings of the angel, fleshing them out in such detail that they become symbolic of the greater theme. Though the old man’s wings designate him as a supernatural angel, their grimy and unhygienic description belie this notion, making him appear to simply be a decrepit sailor.

These wings symbolize the inextricable connection between the sacred and the mundane. This concept is further explored in Pelayo and Elisenda’s reactions to the miracles they receive. Though it becomes quite clear that the angel is the reason for the family’s change in fortune, having acquired vast amounts of wealth and their son cured of his illness, Pelayo and Elisanda never give credit to or thank the angel for this blessing. This particular example, coupled with the reactions of the other townspeople for receiving miracles they weren’t expecting, demonstrates their inability to understand or appreciate miraculousness.

This all stems from the earthly appearance of the angel and, more specifically, his wings. They don’t seem to be wings that befit the traditional notion of an angel in heaven but rather wings that belong on Earth, for “they seemed so natural on that completely human organism that [the doctor] couldn’t understand why other men didn’t have them too.” These wings appear so unimpressive, “strewn with parasites” and “dirty and half-plucked,” that the townsfolk are unable to associate him with miraculousness or appreciate the sacredness of his arrival. The description of and reaction to the angel’s wings serve as a critique of people who lack the perception or imagination to find the sublime in the seemingly mundane. Miracles are not always obvious or supernatural, but people’s heightened expectations blind them to everyday miracles.

In Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s short story, ‘A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” sudden guest descends from the sky, and appears to test the confidence of a town. The townspeople have a troublesome time making sense of exactly how the elderly person with wings fits into their lives. Since this character doesn’t fit with their idea of what an angel is supposed to resemble, they attempt to decide whether the old man could really be an angel. In attempting to demonstrate the source of their guest, the locals lose confidence in the plausibility of him being an angel since he doesn’t fit into their image of an angel.

Marquez keeps the identity of the angel hidden, to show the lack of faith of the townspeople in believing in miracles that do not fit into their standard glorified religion.to keep the identity of the old man secret, Marquez utilizes a strategy known as magic realism. This mix of the real world and fantasy removes some of the greatness that is normally expected from angels. when the man is first presented he doesn’t slide from paradise in a burst of light and wonder, yet rather arrives in “stew of mud and rotten shellfish’ (Marquez 405). during a storm that had gone on for three days. To research the ‘moving and groaning in the rear of the courtyard’ Pelayo ‘had to go very close to see that it was an old man, a very old man, lying face down in the mud, who, in spite of his tremendous efforts, couldn’t get up, impended by his enormous wings’ (405). This depiction is not really the picture that one would evoke when envisioning an angel descending from the sky.

Marquez gives that idea an unexpected bend, offering rather an angel stuck in the mud. By proposing this elective symbolism of the angels plunge from paradise, Marquez starts to challenge both the characters in the story and the reader to accept that this figure could really be an angel. Be that as it may, he makes accepting significantly this progressively troublesome with his depictions of the man’s physical condition. Marquez describes the man by saying “He was dressed like a ragpicker. There were only a few faded hairs left on his bald skull and very few teeth in his mouth, and his pitiful condition of a drenched great-grandfather had taken away any sense of grandeur he might have had. His huge buzzard wings, dirty and half-plucked, were forever entangled in the mud”(405). This old man is a long ways from the normal idea of an angel. By portraying him as ‘a pitiful old man who looked more like a huge decrepit hen'(Marquez 406)

Gabriel Garcia Marquez is one of the greatest writers from the 20th century. He was born in Aracataca, Columbia on March 6, 1927. For the first eight years of his life, Marquez and his parents lived at his grandparent’s house. When his grandfather passed, they moved to Barranquilla. Marquez went on to receive a wonderful education and would study law. However, he inevitably became a journalist. Early in his career he worked as a correspondent for Paris, but he later moved to Mexico City. In Mexico City, he wrote the novel that brought him fame and wealth, One Hundred Years of Solitude (Britannica). In 1982, Marquez became the fourth Latin American to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. Sadly, he was diagnosed with cancer in 1999. He later passed away on April 17, 2014 in Mexico.

A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings was published in 1955. It is a story about an angel who shows up to a rather small town with no explanation of being there. Pelayo and Elisenda, the main characters of the story, find the angel by their house battered and in less than ideal condition. The angel is an old man. He is dirty, his wings are torn, and he is lying face down in the mud. The angel is imprisoned in an old chicken coop in Pelayo and Elisenda’s yard because they are afraid. They are afraid because they do not understand him. Although the angel mumbled and was literally not understandable, he has misunderstood in the sense that no one knew where he came from, why this man had wings and why he was in their town. In the beginning of the story, the audience is told of the sick child that belongs to Pelayo and Elisenda. The child begins to recover when the angel arrives, yet no one in the town attributes it to the angel’s presence. The angel is not understood as the miracle that he is. Even though the angel had ‘enormous wings’, Pelayo, Elisenda and the others seem to focus more on the angel’s human characteristics rather than the ones that make him an angel. They believe he seems too human to fit their idea of what an angel should be. When the angel is found, “lying face down in the mud” he is quickly imprisoned (Marquez). Instead of thinking of and trying to understand why the angel was there (to help the child) he was locked away. Marquez and the angel can be compared as both being misunderstood. The comparison comes from all writers having their own style that can be misunderstood if readers do not take the time to read into their works.

While Marquez was writing A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings, there was a civil war going on between Columbia’s conservative and Liberal parties. In this story, as well as many others, Marquez uses magic realism to bring his stories to life. Marquez’s technique of ‘magic realism’ is defined as an author placing a fantastical element within a realistic setting. The angel, a magical being, is placed amid an old, non-exciting town. The angel in the story can symbolize Christianity. He is something unknown to the community. He soon became the talk of the town. The angel becomes quite the spectacle as, “the curious came from far away” (Marquez). Throughout the entire story, even though he is treated like a circus freak show, the angel remains incredibly patient. Patience is a major characteristic of Christianity. The towns people are not used to this idea and therefore view the angel as a threat. They are skeptical instead of attempting to get to know the angel and why he is there. It is evident that the town is not accepting of change. Instead, the angel is used as entertainment. Elisenda takes it even further and begins to make a profit by charging others to come and view the angel. This is an interesting turn to the story. It exemplifies Marquez’s belief that religious ideas are frequently corrupted by the opportunity to gain selfishly. The angel is not viewed as the gift he is, rather he is just seen as a foreign object.

The idea of magic realism can also be seen in the angel’s appearance. Angels are thought to be pure and clean. However, this angel was, “… dressed like a ragpicker. There were only a few faded hairs left on his bald skull and very few teeth in his mouth…His huge buzzard wings, dirty and half-plucked, were forever entangled in the mud.” (Marquez). This represents the idea that, although the angel is magical, he is still human. Meaning not all miracles have to be other worldly. They can be simple and can happen anywhere and at any time

In “A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings”, Gabriel Garcia Marquez mirrors the way humans tend to act in real life situations with how the townspeople, Pelayo, and his wife acted towards the angel. It also shows that Marquez has a negative view on human nature because he shows the lack of logic and ignorance of the people in the town. They mistreat the old man because he is different and can not appreciate the simple fact that he is a miracle.

This short story is startlingly accurate in the way Marquez portrays the human behaviour compared to real life scenarios. One way he demonstrates human nature is by showing the lack of intelligence in the townspeople. First off, when the angel first washed upon the shore, Pelayo and his wife Elisenda believe he was a castaway from a foreign ship that wrecked from the storm because he did not speak their language. They overlooked an obvious factor that is if he were to be a sailor, then he would not have wings thus indicating their serious lack of common sense. Secondly, since the woman thinks the angel came for the child, she is essentially declaring that he is bringing death. There are numerous reasons why he could be coming to the town, so the fact that she believes this is not logical because she has no proof he is bringing harm. She is not thinking realistically based on the reality of the situation at hand. Lastly, the priest is portrayed as the least educated of them all because he declares the man is not an angel since he does not speak Latin. The Bible was originally written in languages far older than Latin and no smart human would state that angels only spoke Latin.

Another way Marquez shows the true behaviours of humans is by portraying the lack of compassion in these people. When the angel first appears, Pelayo and Elisenda’s neighbor suggests clubbing him to death, but the startled couple decided to keep him in a chicken coop instead. The townspeople began to come visit the angel and they had no compassion for the poor guy. He was getting beat and kicked around like a piece of dirt, and worst of all is that Pelayo and his wife were charging people as if he was a zoo attraction. They keep the angel locked up in this chicken coop for years with no feeling of kindness towards him. Since he looks different and does not speak the same language, they automatically believe he is worthless. This is comparable to the way people act today; they discriminate and treat others differently simply because of the color of their skin. Discrimmination towards blacks began in 1619 when they were made slaves by the wealthy white class and it is unfortunate that this prejudice against them still happens in today’s society. Additionally, since Pelayo and his wife were making money, they did not stop the charge of the townspeople, so this increased their lack of compassion for him. They believed that as long as he was making them money, it did not matter how they treated him. This shows that when society gets a taste of something they have never had, typically money, they lose their humbleness and make everything about themselves. These kinds of people also have tendencies to not know how to handle all of the success. In the story, Pelayo and Elisenda bought a bigger house where crabs and angels could not get in, meaning they intentionally got this mansion in order to keep the angel out. Elisenda bought silk clothing and satin shoes. They paid no attention to the condition of the chicken coop that the poor angel was living in.

At the end of the story, the readers get to witness the angel getting up and flying on his own. This is significant because it demonstrates the strength of the angel after everything he has gone through to be able to get up and fly. It mirrors the human life as in when people go through hard times in their lives, they come out stronger on the other side of it all. Additionally, it shows that when you persevere, you can make it through the difficulties of life no matter what your circumstances are, as long as you keep going.

A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings is a short story by Gabriel Garcia Marquez which tends to both mankind and parts of the ground-breaking. This story reviews the human response to the people who are weak, subordinate, and exceptional. There are depictions of striking cruelty and hardness all through the story. After Elisenda and Pelayo’s youth recovers from his malady, for example, the watchmen decide to put the older individual to sea on a barge with game plans for three days rather than basically killing him, admission to the old individual’s inconvenient situation anyway scarcely a minding exhibit. At the point when they find that they can profit by showing him, regardless, Pelayo and Elisenda keep him in a chicken coop outside, where pariahs pelt him with stones, expand at him, and even devour him with a stamping iron.

As opposed to treating the favored errand person with love or empathy, the townspeople are savage to him; they keep him in wretched conditions, hurt him in order to mix him into all the all the more captivating behavior, and attempt his suffering by changing him into a ticketed display. While the townspeople’s lead towards the heavenly errand person is unambiguously uncouth, Marquez doesn’t suggest this is because they are autonomously terrible people. The townspeople’s othering of the blessed emissary drives them to severity, yet notwithstanding abuse when Elisenda begins charging admission to see the eminent specialist’s forsaken reality in the chicken coop.

Regardless of the way that the townspeople jokingly acknowledge that the sacred dispatcher’s ‘simply supernatural restraint had all the earmarks of being resilience,’ the eminent specialist’s seeing truly makes him the most equitable character in the story. The favored ambassador never lashes out at Pelayo, Elisanda, or general society, in spite of the way that they treat him so appallingly—he bears their maltreatment with standoffish magnificence, while they can’t be attempted to continue abusing him once a furthermore invigorating presentation comes to town. Márquez, by then, seems to connect tirelessness with the grand, suggesting that it is the touchiness of present-day life that disabled people’s ability to see the extraordinary in the customary.

This story uses empathy and sympathy and religion to express how we as human act towards something that us unknown. Marquez breaks down the human response to the people who are slight, subordinate, and unique. This story reviews the human response to the people who are weak, subordinate, and exceptional.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s short story “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings: A Tale for Children,” critiques the relationship between the working and upper classes and its connection with exploitation. Marquez conjures an image of a fallen angel establishing his social class; as a poverty and homeless stricken man, “ a very old man, lying face down in the mud” (Marquez 1). The duality of his holy presence of “his enormous wings” (Marquez 1) with his helplessness and unclean image of his “face [lying] down in the mud” (Marquez 1) foreshadows the labour and turmoil he will endure at the hand of the couple. Marquez connects the man’s position to a job of a “ragpicker” due to his clothing; alienating him from the established society and setting. Showing an initial lack of compassion for the angel, Elisenda and Pelayo begin to assert their dominance towards him by identifying aspects they find familiar. The couple assigns job titles to comprehend who and what the angel’s status is towards them: “a strong sailor’s voice” (Marquez 1) or “ a lonely castaway from some foreign ship wrecked by the storm” (Marquez 1). Ultimately, they conclude titles that benefit their own interests and desires for the angel.

Proprietors often assert their dominance and authority to their employees to communicate their place within a company. Predominantly with background characters, Marquez identifies the similar entities that are dim minded as the couple and showcases their inferior status. They resort to their fellow ignorant neighbour because she “[knows] everything about life and death,”(Marquez 1) though the topics have no correlation to the angel. Further, this proves their oblivious behaviour of abandoning the angel, reverting to an inaccurate and incredible depiction of who he is; referencing representatives in privatized companies who know surface-level information.

With Pelayo and Elisenda displaying behaviours of private owners, they promote the inhumane conditions employees and lower classmen are subjected to, “he dragged him out of the mud and locked him up with the hens in the wire chicken coop” (Marquez 1). The angel’s treatment in the short duration of the time has lowered his status not only to lower classmen but someone who is in equal prestige of an animal. Comparable to following business protocols with employees, Father Gonzaga mirrors this and follows “ his catechism in an instant” (Marquez 1) when assessing the angel. Father Gonzaga critiques aspects that are out of the angel’s control, “an unbearable smell of the outdoors, the back side of his wings was strewn with parasites and his main feathers had been mistreated by terrestrial winds” (Marquez 1) to promote that he does not belong in their class structure. Rejecting the reality of problems set forth in front of him, he displays the same demeanor of a private owner as he comes up with excuses to cover the reality, “the devil had the bad habit of making use of carnival tricks” (Marquez 2). Reflecting her toxic behaviour to her exterior, Elisenda “spine twisted” (Marques 2) implying her corrupt state of power. Continuing this tangent the couple exploits the angel, “fencing in the yard and charging five cents admission to see the angel” (Marquez 2). Supporting characters are no different to the couple as Marquez discusses the “unfortunate invalids on earth” (Marquez 2), categorizing them as disposable and dismissible entities, to represent a collective whole of the upper class.

Much like employees disapproving of occurrences during a job and the exploitation of their work, “The angel was the only one who took no part in his own act” (Marquez 2). After receiving the letter from Rome and it“show[ing] no urgency” (Marquez 2) it ultimately did not accomplish the initial intent; resembling the lack of guidance with higher figures when asked about employees. Competing with other supernatural entities forced to a similar job, Marquez proposes a juxtaposition between the angel and the spider; a silent employee and a compliant employee. However, both face the corruption and greed of the ‘bosses’ as they do not receive any reciprocation for their work. The angel’s work fails due to the lack of connection he provides with his customers, making the spider successful and beneficial for her ‘boss,’as she provides a cheap moral story that people could grasp. The angel continues in his decrepit state, while his bosses indulge in typical luxury purchases such as: “a two-story mansion with balconies and gardens and high netting so that crabs wouldn’t get in during the winter, and with iron bars on the windows so that angels wouldn’t get in” (Marquez 3). With the barrier and its height, it epitomizes the class struggle between the couple and the angel, and their lack of desire to be in the same presence with their employee.

The repeated stereotypical cycle of indulgence by the owners continues with“satin pumps with high heels and many dresses of iridescent silk,” (Marquez 3) changing their appearances whilst ignoring their moral responsibilities and mundane tasks, “the chicken coop was the only thing that didn’t receive any attention” (Marquez 3). The couple becomes rich in possessions and poor in morals. Finding qualities to differentiate the angel more, the doctor identified “ [his wings] seemed so natural on that completely human organism that he couldn’t understand why other men didn’t have them too” (Marquez 3). The wings carry the weight of work and expectations set by the higher class and owners, though other characters in the story do not possess the same quality due to their status. A shift occurs straying away from their personal lives, and focuses on the angel’s personal effect on their new lifestyle,“living in that hell full of angels” (Marquez 3). The constant presence of the angel demonstrates the existence of mistreated employees and poverty stricken classmen being employed by a private company. Rather the angel being seen as a blessing to aide and guide, they confine him and switch his title to slave. Elisenda, by letting him go in the end, makes her free of the burdens of her business venture and experiences a feeling of relief. The angel himself experiences the courage to finally thrive and leave his abusive work environment and in turn seeks something better. Marquez critiques that people should not play passive roles when encountering the unknown: they should be active and question decisions and motives that will ultimately affect them and their company.