Old Man With Enormous Wings Symbolism

“A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” is short story written by Gabriel Garcia Marquez to illustrate supernatural in an unexpected yet stimulating way. The story begins with odd, “On the third day of rain…, The world had been sad since Tuesday” (Gabriel Garcia Marquez 521), which gives hint of the weather, time and feeling, which seems mythical and magical. On top of this, world behaves strangely, supernaturally. The swarm of carbs that must be killed, the darkness at noon makes seems foreshadow the angel, who he gives confusion and surreal for being angel. Although, the old angel is central to the story, his appearance, behavior, identity, etc. is frequently interrupted by shift the focus to other characters, sick baby, town priest and spider

Often symbolized as holy figure which good example for “magical” being, but Marquez present the angel as fallen angel, in fact, Father Gonzaga announce that this winged man is imposter, “Then he notices that seen close up he was much too human” (Marquez 522). Also, Father Gonzaga shows characteristic of greediness by telling them to wait until the verdict, “Final verdict from the highest courts” (Marquez 522). While old man is staying in chicken coop and being obedient to Pelayo and Elisenda, it seems rather unrealistic to think if he was human being, will he stay quite or try to at least try to escape all these years? Marquez explains as this old man, angel, who is old and weak, fallen from the sky, who he can’t speak heaven language Latin shows he is not angel, but obedient human being that happens to be angel. As story goes on, woman who was transformed into a spider for disobeying her parents shows up in town which town people seems to believe her story. It’s interesting how author provides similar distraction, as story develop. When angel fly’s away from the house, Elisenda seems to relief that “He was no longer an annoyance in her life but an imaginary dot on the horizon of the sea” (Marquez 525), although they use the angel to make the profit at the

Although Marquez maintain the story places in one place, somewhere on the Colombian coast: since it’s near sea and character’s name. reader can tell it must be small town: people have nothing better to do than loom at the old angel all day. And of course, the carnivals come to town, but author didn’t distinguish the place other than it happen somewhere in town. Finally, the characters seem to be living in an environment that’s strongly ruled by both the Catholic Church and popular mythology. The wise neighbor woman has her own ideas about the angel, while Father Gonzaga, Catholic side, has different beliefs about the