Analysis of a Very Old Man with Enormous Wings

Main themes: Religion and supernatural.

Religion is a main theme in the story of ‘A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings. In the story the local people have various interpretation of the appearance of the man based on their religion beliefs. Pelayo concludes that the man speaks with a strong sailor’s voice. Their consultation of the neighbor woman who knows everything about life and death leads to the interpretation of the man as an angel .The local priest, Father Gonzaga, arrives early to examine the angel and decides to write to higher authority to determine what should be done. However, from his perspective, Father Gonzaga concludes that he is not an angel because he lacks dignity and splendor. The various interpretation displays the doubt and ambiguity in human reception of the supernatural. “They found the whole neighborhood in front of the chicken coop having fun with the angel, without the slightest reverence, tossing him things to eat through the openings in the wire as if he weren’t a supernatural creature but a circus animal” (Marquez, 1999).

Prosperity

Prosperity is an essential theme in the story as due to its influence of the state of live of the main characters. Elisenda and Pelayo as the main characters in the story are engulf in poverty as the story begins, they live in a house invaded by clubs and they have a sick child. The appearance of the angel changes their state as they use the resources they gather from the viewing of the old man to improve their living standards. “The owners of the house had no reason to lament. With the money they saved they built a two-story mansion with balconies and gardens and high netting so that crabs wouldn’t get in during the winter.” (Marquez, 1999). They manage to get a new home, expand their business and live a luxurious life.

Patience and empathy

The old man with enormous wings is a character who illustrates the value of patient and empathy in the story. He is significant in the story as a symbol of how human perceive the supernatural aspect. The angel is kept in the backyard chicken coop and continue to live there despite the mistreatment and disregard shown by the hosts. “The angel went dragging himself about here and there like a stray dying man. The angel was no less standoffish with him than with the other mortals, but he tolerated the most ingenious infamies with the patience of a dog who had no illusions.” (Marquez, 1999). The appearance of the old man depicts the world as an ambiguous and unfair. The villages are willing to spend their money to see the winged man who Elisenda and Pelayo treated with distaste. However, the man is patient with the villagers and the hosts helping them improve their living standards without them ever thinking of showing any gratitude for his accomplishment. 

The themes provide a point of interaction of natural and supernatural worlds to display their inability to coexist with one another equitable. The natural world of human is unkind, unfair, and disrespectful guided by principles of benefiting and increasing of wealth. Pelayo and Elisenda are pushed by the desire for wealth to keep the old man as pilgrim come from far and pay to see him. On the other hand, the supernatural is depicted as kind, patient, beneficial and ignorant. The old man in his status as an angel stays allowing his host to benefit and accumulate resources. They mistreat him keeping him in a sorry state which he accepts without complaints.

How concepts of good and evil coexist and wins

The story displays the good and evil are shown through an examination of how cruelty and compassion coexists among humanity. Human responses to the weak dependent and those who are different bring out cruelty and callousness in the story. In the story after the recovery of their son, Elisenda and Pelayo plans to send the old man away on a raft with provisions s. The move is unkind and cruel based on the old man difficulty and circumstances. At night Pelayo ties him inside the chicken coop where they imprison him. They decide to make us of the opportunity to collect money. The strangers who come to see him are cruel throwing things, ogling and burning him “He could scarcely eat and his antiquarian eyes had also become so foggy that he went about bumping into posts. All he had left were the bare cannulae of his last feathers.” (Marquez, 1999).

Goodness is barely witnessed in the story and only the kindness of the angel can be drawn positively. The angel tolerance for people and decision to stay changes impoverished lives of Elisenda and Pelayo. In the end the good wins over the evil as old man with enormous angel heals and develops new wings which he uses to fly away “Elisenda let out a sigh of relief, for herself and for him”. The ridicule mistreatment and disregard comes to an end as Elisenda confesses regret as the old man flies off which indicates a change of heart for the evil committed.

The South American origin of Garcia Marquez influences developments in the story and its impact on readers understanding. The fantasy, imagination, and creativity is derived from his early experiences as a child living with his grandparents in the village. He retrieves most of his ideas form other writers of the time such as Frank Kafka and which he combines with his grandfather and grandmother story telling which combine traditions, superstitions, and folk beliefs.

References

Marquez, G. G. (1999). A very old man with enormous wings.  Collected Stories , 203-210.