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The Very Old Man with Enormous Wings.
In the story of the old man with enormous wings, it talks of a couple that is, Pelayo and his lovely wife, Elisenda. They had a beautiful child who was sick, and they presumed that it was due to killing crabs in their house that resulted in bad smell. The crabs resulted in heavy rainfall for close to three days. Forcing Paleyo to go and throw away the crabs, and as he came back to their house, he met an old man, a very old man with enormous wings. Pelayo tells his wife and also his neighbor, who says the couple that the old man was an angel. The woman further added that it was there for their child. The old man gets taken to the chicken coop where in the middle of the night, the child gets better. Before the sun could even rise, a large crowd of people has already gathered to see the old man.No sooner had Father Gonzaga had of the news than he arrived. When he saw the old man, he concluded that the angel was fake, and he tells the crowd the church’s higher court will reveal the truth.
Elisenda decides to charge 5 cents per visitor due to the increasing number of persons who visit the old man. Meanwhile, before the courts make a verdict, Father Gonzaga is busy restraining the crowd. Later on, a creature more appealing than the old man appears in town. (Gale, 2016.)
The creature seems more attractive because it is able to communicate, unlike the old man. The Spider-Girl tells the crowd of how she became a spider because of disobeying her parents. The crowd turns their attention to the spider girl. Pelayo’s courtyard soon gets deserted, however, leaving them filthy rich. The couple builds a better house. The old man becomes part of their lives after the chicken coop breaks down. The old man, however, does not get better; he is still weak and fragile. The couple’s child visits the old man often Elisenda; however, it is uncomfortable. The old man soon recovers, and Elisenda watches him as he flies away. Elisenda is finally relieved when the old man flies away, never to return.
The desire for money is prominent in the story highlighting the extent to which people can go to ensure they earn more. First, Elisenda sees the untapped opportunity and grabs it. With the increasing number of persons who want to get a glimpse of the old man with unique features, she uses it as an opportunity to earn more money. She decided to charge them 5 cents to view the old man with unlimited time. (Goodwin, p.129) As more and more people increase in their courtyard, she is still able to manage them and earn more cash. The visitors are also not resistant at all to give out the 5 cents so that they see the old man. Finally, after the spider girl attracts the crowds, the couple gets to build another beautiful house using the coins they earned from the visitors. Pelayo even quits his job because they became quite wealthy. These show that the couple is responsible enough to utilize the money they have collected instead of wasting it.
Human curiosity gets spotted when the angel’s presence made Pelayo courtyard quickly become a bazaar. Also, people feel pity for the Spider-woman, and many find time to see the spider woman. It all begins when Pelayo notices and an old man with enormous wings, he is not able to keep the information of what he saw for himself. He tells his wife of what she saw, and later on, after discussing to themselves, they find it wise to tell their neighbor. Their neighbor on seeing the old man says he is an angel who has come for their sick child. Before even the sun gets to rise, a large crowd had already gathered to witness or themselves of the unique human being with wings. Even after Elisenda charges an entrance fee of 5 cents, curiosity of people grows even more significant. When the spider-girl arrives in town, the crown leaves the old man for the angel. The crowd, amused by the fact that the spider girl is able to communicate with them. Farther, Gonzaga’s curiosity gets to the extent of informing the courts of the church because, according to him, this is a lie.
In the story, there is the interpretation of authority when Father Gonzaga and the neighbor pay less attention to the old man due to fear of the unknown. The woman when she first sees the old man. anShe gets the idea that he is an angel who is there to get the couple’s sick child. These show that the woman has some certain fear for the old man with enormous wings since she does not know the next action he will take. In the case of Father Gonzaga, upon seeing the old man with enormous wings, he says that this is all a lie. He tries his best to restrain the crowd from the old man. Still uncertain of the old man, he seeks further guidance from the higher courts of the church. He submits a clear description of the higher courts of the old man with enormous wings. He then waits for the feedback as he keeps away the crowd from seeing the old man. Some small bits of compassion is also witnessed in the story. Before the angel flies away, he becomes part of the couple’s life that is after building a larger house. The angel also shows an act of compassion. He bears the suffering of being trapped and allows visitors to come to see him, and the couple gets paid. The angel helped to improve the couple’s standards of living.
In addition to human curiosity and desire for money, faith is another theme portrayed in this story. The community shows inconsistency in their faith. The author shows that the angel is a symbol of faith in God; however, the villagers still have questions on the angel. Father Gonzaga is also not left behind; he tells the villagers that it is a lie, and he goes further and seeks more advice from the church courts. When the spider girl arrives, the story is not different; they also view the girl as another mythical creature. Supernatural is another evident theme in the story. The old man is seen as a creepy, paranormal, or as a spiritual being. According to the villagers, he is an angel, but according to Father Gonzaga, he is needs time to consult what kind of creature he is. (Marquez, 2016) Another theme portrayed is suffering; the old man is seen in a bad state since the man arrived. Instead of being taken care of, he is taken to the chicken coop. The couple uses the advantage of his unique features to earn money still in the chicken coop trapped. He is neglected by many, including Elisenda, who warns her child of getting closer to the old man.
In conclusion, Marquez uses the story to try and interpret the themes in a much clear way. He shows how humans interact when they see supernatural beings. Some people show acts of compassion, while others make the individuals suffer. How people judge and act based on different situations will have different results. It may result in a positive or negative effect. Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” presents major themes of desire for money, human curiosity, and how authority is essential in the community.
References
Gale, Cengage Learning. A Study Guide for Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s” Very Old Man with Enormous Wings.” Gale, Cengage Learning, 2016.
Marquez, Gabriel Garcia. ” A very old man with enormous wings: A tale for children.” (2016).
Goodwin, John. “Márquez’s A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings and Bambara’s The Lesson.” The Explicator 64.2 (2006): 128-130.