The Unlucky Angel
The story “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” is a magical realism story with many lessons attached to it. The old man with wings looks like a supernatural creature, but he does not have powers to equal his superhuman stature. When the old angel falls in the courtyard of Pelayo and Elisenda, he brings good fortune to the couple. Not only does their sick child get miraculously cured, but also the couple gets enough money to build a mansion and transform their lifestyles. However, Pelayo and Elisenda neglect the old angel and keep him in inhumane conditions despite his old age and frail health. My essay will analyze the theme of suffering and cruelty conveyed throughout the story. “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez portrays the suffering of the old people in the society, evident from the cruelty of the townspeople to the old man.
Pelayo and Elisenda exploit the vulnerability of the old man with enormous wings. When Pelayo first discovers the old man, he shelters him in the chicken coop and consults his neighbour, who is an expert on angels. After their sick child is miraculously cured, Pelayo and Elisenda decide to set the old angel free, believing that his presence cured their child. “Then they felt magnanimous and decided to put the angel on a raft with fresh water and provisions for three days and leave him to his fate on the high seas” (Marquez 389). However, when the townspeople hear the news about the angel, they crowd in Pelayo’s compound to witness, instead of setting the old man free as they had previously agreed, Pelayo and Elisenda decide to exploit the old angel by charging the townspeople to see the angel. “Elisenda, her spine all twisted from sweeping up so much market-place trash, then got the idea of fencing the yard and charging five cents admission to see the angel” (Marquez 389). Although Elisenda and Pelayo are nice people, they are overcome by greed and decide to exploit the old angel for monetary gains.
The townspeople are cruel to the old man with enormous wings. The townspeople perceive the old man as different because he has wings and from their knowledge, the old man is an angel and angels possess superpowers. However, the old angel simply sits motionless hurled up in the chicken coop; to the disappointment of the townspeople. The townspeople provoke the angel cruelly by plucking his wings, hurl stones at him and even burn him with an iron for branding steers “The only time they succeeded in arousing him was when they burned his side with an iron for branding steers, for he had been motionless for so many hours that they thought he was dead” (Marquez 390). Despite the angel looking old, weary and sickly, the townspeople are determined to provoke the angel and make him entertaining by hurting him physically. Furthermore, the townspeople mock the old angel because the few miracles attributed to his powers were attributed to mental disability. The townspeople treated the old man with cruelty, despite his old age and depreciated health status.
Pelayo and Elisenda neglect the old angel. Before Pelayo found the old angel in their backyard, his family lived in a poor conditioned house that allowed crabs to enter during winter and, the couple thought their child was sick because of the stench from the dead crabs; thus, Pelayo was forced to walk in the rain and throw the dead crabs in the sea. When the townspeople hear about the angel, they flock Pelayo’s courtyard to witness the superficial being, and Elisenda comes up with a plan to charge the people to view the angel. As a result, Pelayo and Elisenda get enough money to construct a two-storey mansion with balconies, gardens, high nettings which prevented crabs from getting during winter, as well as iron, barred windows for keeping away eagles (Marquez 391). Despite the angle giving Pelayo and Elisenda a new and luxurious lifestyle, the couple neglects the welfare of the angel “The chicken coop was the only thing that didn’t receive any attention” (Marquez, 391). The chicken coop that houses the old angel remains in a poor state until it collapses due to bad weather and when the angel relocates to the mansion, Pelayo and Elisenda treat him like an unwanted and irritating pet. One would expect that Pelayo and Elisenda would treat the old angel with compassion because he brought good fortunes upon their household. However, the couple is ungrateful to the angel, evident from how they mistreat the old angel.
In conclusion, just like the old angel, old people suffer during their old age in the hands of society. The old angel can be likened to parents who raise their children only to get neglected in their old age. Despite Pelayo and Elisenda getting a good fortune from the old angel, they neglect the old and sickly man. Also, the townspeople mistreat the old angel to their amusement. Just like the old angel grew feathers and flew away, the elderly in the society will one day pass on. Therefore, due to their old age and sickly status, the elderly deserve quality care, to ensure their final days are peaceful, unlike the very old man with enormous wings.
Work Cited
Marquez, Gabriel Garcia. “A very old man with enormous wings.” Leaf Storm and Other Stories (1999): 109.