Greed In A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings

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Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s story “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” exposes the greed and selfishness of humans. Marquez expresses Elisenda and Pelayo’s hatred for people on their land who want to catch a glimpse of the angel when he says “Her spine twisted from sweeping up so much market trash, then got the idea of fencing in the yard and charging five cents admission to see the angel.” The inconveniences that the angel has caused drove them to use him and make money off of him by turning him into a giant spectacle. Despite the fact that the angel is not unusual the townspeople treat him as if he was a zoo animal as they “Burned his side with a hot iron.” This sends a message that people often ignore the fact that their actions have the power to create miserable situations for others. …show more content…

She was a frightful tarantula with the head of a sad maiden.” Instead of being treated with respect, this woman is labeled as just one among “so many carnival attractions.” Based on the fact that these creatures that are not fully human they become are neglected. Pelayo and Elisenda built a two-story mansion with balconies and gardens while the angel is left inside the chicken coop and it took a toll on his appearance such as “His ancient eyes became so foggy… remained motionless for several days.” While the couple resides in luxury they refuse to make any sort of change in the angel’s living conditions even though they have the money for an improvement. Creatures, such as the spider and the angel, are often exploited for their physical appearances by the townspeople who do not even stop and think whether or not these things have

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