A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings Literary Analysis

In A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings: A Tale for Children, Gabriel Garcia Marquez illustrates the tale of a winged old man who is found by a family living along the ocean. Whether he is the angel that many say or simply a devil’s trick, the whole town is soon swarming around him in curiosity. Through distinct human interactions hidden in the magical realism of his story, Marquez develops the themes of human ignorance and selfishness and the blurred line between the supernatural and the natural.
Ignorance and selfishness are innate human qualities which Marquez displays through the interactions of characters after the old man is discovered. The adage “out of sight, out of mind” is comes to mind when reading the beginning of the story. The

main characters, Pelayo and Elisenda, “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” (para. 4). Ignorance is a prominent behavior seen throughout society today. People tend to think that once the problem is out of their sight, they no longer have to deal with it, much like the way Pelayo and Elisenda act. Along with ignorance, many are quick to get selfish when something favors them. When news of the “angel” spread and the crowds began to grow, “Elisenda…got the idea of fencing in the yard and charging five cents admission to see the angel” (para. 7). Amidst the fantastical nature of the story, Marquez emphasizes major societal issues such as this. Many, like Elisenda, feel the need to do anything for money, seeing it as their only shot at happiness. Using the behavior of the characters throughout the story, Marquez highlights the themes of ignorance and selfishness.
Marquez uses the magical realism of his story to his advantage as he blurs the line between the supernatural and the natural. Nothing seems to phase the people of the town, as if they have seen angels and miracles before. Palayo and Elisena’s neighbor, who seemed to be very wise stated, “He is an angel…he must have been coming for the child, but the poor fellow is so old that the rain knocked him down” (para. 3). No one disagrees with the neighbor, going along with the idea the whole story. Even at the end, when the old man flies away Elisenda does not react and even lets “out a sigh of relief, for herself and for him…” (para. 13). Marquez has ingrained the supernatural within the story, so there is no longer a distinct line between the real and unreal. This is a crucial theme seen throughout the story. Different aspects of the supernatural come into play as well. When the angel does not answer Father Gonzaga in Latin, he reminds the people “that the devil had the bad habit of making use of carnival tricks in order to confuse the unwary” (para. 5). These contrasting views of the angel are much like the contrasting views of a new object in society. Many may see it as good and others may not. Marquez uses his way of writing about the supernatural throughout the story to enhance these issues.
Using magical realism and the interactions between characters, Marquez creates a variety of themes that explain many human behaviors. Ignorance and selfishness are easily seen in the family and even in the people who surround the old man. Marquez blurs the line of supernatural and natural to connect to human behavior as well. In creating these themes, he is able to emphasize societal issues relating to these behaviors.