Study note for Gabriel García Márquez's "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings."
This story is a fantastic example of magical realism.
"A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings" by Gabriel García Márquez
I. Background and Context:
- Author: Gabriel García Márquez (1927–2014), a Nobel Prize-winning Colombian author, master of magical realism.
- Genre: Magical Realism – Blends realistic narrative with fantastical elements that are accepted as normal by the characters. This story exemplifies this genre perfectly.
- Setting: A poor, unnamed coastal village, likely in Latin America, creating a sense of timelessness and universality.
- Publication: 1955 (part of the collection Leaf Storm and Other Stories).
II. Plot Summary (Brief):
- Pelayo and Elisenda discover an old man with enormous wings lying face down in their courtyard after a storm.
- They initially believe him to be a shipwrecked sailor but soon realize he has wings.
- The villagers are bewildered and speculate about his nature (angel, monster, etc.).
- Pelayo and Elisenda charge admission to see the "angel," making a considerable amount of money.
- The old man is kept in a chicken coop and treated with a mixture of curiosity and neglect.
- A travelling freak show arrives, featuring a spider-woman, who attracts more attention than the winged man.
- Over time, the old man's health deteriorates, but eventually, his feathers begin to grow back.
- He eventually flies away, much to Elisenda’s relief.
III. Key Characters:
- The Old Man with Enormous Wings:
An enigmatic figure. His appearance is otherworldly, but his behavior is often frail and human-like. He doesn’t speak intelligibly and endures his captivity with passive resignation. He represents the intrusion of the extraordinary into the ordinary. - Pelayo:
A practical and somewhat avaricious villager. He is the one who initially finds the old man and, along with Elisenda, profits from him. His actions reflect the human tendency to exploit the unusual. - Elisenda:
Pelayo’s wife, equally practical. She is more burdened by the old man’s presence and is ultimately relieved when he leaves. Her perspective highlights the disruption the extraordinary causes to everyday life. - The Spider-Woman:
A contrasting “freak” who offers a more sensational and easily understandable explanation for her condition (disobedience). She highlights the villagers’ preference for the comprehensible over the mysterious.
IV. Major Themes:
- The Mundane Treatment of the Marvellous:
The central theme. The villagers, instead of being awestruck by the seemingly miraculous, treat the old man with indifference, suspicion, and eventually, boredom. They focus on the practical and the profitable rather than the wonder. - The Nature of Otherness:
The old man is an outsider, incomprehensible to the community. The story explores how society reacts to and marginalizes what it doesn’t understand or fit into its established categories. - Exploitation and Greed:
Pelayo and Elisenda’s decision to charge admission reveals the human tendency to capitalize on the unusual, even if it means treating a potentially sacred being with disrespect. - The Burden of the Extraordinary:
The old man’s presence becomes a nuisance and a burden for Pelayo and Elisenda, disrupting their daily lives. This suggests that the marvellous can be inconvenient and even unwanted in the ordinary world. - The Passage of Time and Change:
The story spans a significant period, showing the gradual shift in the villagers’ interest and the eventual departure of the old man. This highlights the fleeting nature of novelty and the cyclical nature of life.
V. Literary Devices:
- Magical Realism:
The seamless integration of fantastical elements (wings on an old man) into a realistic setting and narrative. The characters accept these elements without excessive surprise or questioning. - Symbolism:
- Wings: Could symbolize the potential for transcendence, otherworldliness, or simply the inexplicable.
- The Chicken Coop: Represents the confinement and degradation of the extraordinary by the ordinary.
- The Storm: Often a catalyst for the arrival of the unusual or a disruption of the normal.
- Irony:
The contrast between the villagers’ expectations of an angel (majestic, powerful) and the old man’s reality (feeble, pathetic). - Exaggeration/Hyperbole:
Used to emphasize the absurdity of the situation and the villagers’ reactions. - Understatement:
The matter-of-fact way in which extraordinary events are described contributes to the magical realism.
VI. Points for Discussion and Analysis:
- What is the significance of the old man not speaking intelligibly?
- Why does the arrival of the spider-woman diminish the old man’s appeal?
- How does the story challenge traditional notions of angels and miracles?
- What does the story suggest about human nature and our response to the unknown?
- How does the setting contribute to the themes of the story?
- What is the significance of Elisenda’s final feeling of relief when the old man flies away?
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