"A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings" [Analysis on the Angel]

Gabriel Marquez's describes the Old Man/Angel in vivid detail, from his wings to his overall elderly appearance. But what does it truly stand for?? Why does Gabriel spend time giving such specific details? the narrator seems to take the old man’s angelhood for granted, speaking of the “lunar dust” and “stellar parasites” on his wings, and the old man’s “consolation miracles,” such as causing sunflowers to sprout from a leper’s sores, seem genuinely supernatural. In the end, the old man’s true nature remains a mystery. (SparkNotes Editors) When the family first met the old man, they saw him as just a regular person, saying the tattered wings suited his appearance. It was meant for him. This allegory makes you question your own perception of what angels look like.  We as humans do not know exactly what a angel may look like, but have own perceptions based on biblical and mythology/stories   We do not have any tried and true methods of determining the validity of an angel. (123helpme Editors) Based on what is shown in "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings" Gabriel leaves the reader to decide for themselves the true meaning behind the Angel/OldMan.

LINKS


http://www.sparknotes.com/short-stories/a-very-old-man-with-enormous-wings/canalysis.html

http://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id=2740


"Reality and A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings." 123HelpMe.com. 22 Nov 2011 
    <http://www.123HelpMe.com/view.asp?id=2740>.


http://florida.broadwayworld.com/article/PlayGround_Theatres_20078_Season_20071009

http://www.miamiartzine.com/issue_main.cfm?btitle=february+17+-+march+3&id=1028&keyx=685241464

"A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings" [Magical Realism]

García Márquez’s has a reputation of having a sense of magical realism, a phrase that critics coined to describe the distinctive blend of fantasy and realism in his works. Particularly "A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings". For example, the description and so called story behind the Angel and of the Spider Lady.  

According to Sparknotes, magical realism has become such an established form in Latin America partly because the style is strongly connected to the folkloric storytelling that’s still popular in rural communities. The genre, therefore, attempts to connect two traditions—the “low” folkloric and the “high” literary—into a seamless whole that embraces the extremes of Latin American culture. As the worldwide popularity of García Márquez’s writing testifies, it is a formula that resonates well with readers around the world. (http://www.sparknotes.com/short-stories/a-very-old-man-with-enormous-wings/section1.rhtml)

Magical realism allows the reader to experience and imagine another side to a piece of literature. For example, Gabriel Marquez's "A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings".The representation, it not limited to the Latin Culture or traditions. Many cultures use magical realism to emphasize a story being told or to go into more detail.

“A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” is one of the most well-known examples of the magical realist style, combining the homely details of Pelayo and Elisenda’s life with fantastic elements such as a flying man and a spider woman to create a tone of equal parts local-color story and fairy tale. (http://www.sparknotes.com/short-stories/a-very-old-man-with-enormous-wings/section1.rhtml)

Links

http://www.sparknotes.com/short-stories/a-very-old-man-with-enormous-wings/section1.rhtml

http://www.enotes.com/very-old-man-with-enormous-wings/discuss/how-story-very-old-man-with-enormous-wings-an-14695

http://www.gradesaver.com/a-very-old-man-with-enormous-wings/study-guide/section3/

http://hcikclibrary.wordpress.com/2010/07/14/review-a-very-old-man-with-enormous-wings-by-gabriel-garcia-marquez/

"A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings" [Coexistence of Cruelty and Compassion]

In Gabriel Marquez's "A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings", shows the human response through the coexistence of cruelty and compassion shown towards the "Angel". There are moments of striking cruelty and callousness throughout the story. After Elisenda and Pelayo’s child recovers from his illness, as an example, instead of killing the Old man/Angel, they end up deciding on sending the "Angel" out to sea on a raft with food and previsions to last him 3 days. This shows a sign of cruelty. The "Angel's" appearance is already shown as, raggedy, dirty and deteriorating. His overall heath is not as it should be. As the story progresses, the family notices that the attention that the "Angel" is getting, may prove to be profitable. After that, they decided to charge a fee to see the "Angel." Branding him and poking him with hot irons, to make him jump her react. As cruel as it may seem, they family still benefits from the "Angel's" pain and agony. 


According to (Sparknotes) Even though he is taken in only grudgingly, the old man eventually becomes part of Pelayo and Elisenda’s household. By the time the old man finally flies into the sunset, Elisenda, for all her fussing, sees him go with a twinge of regret. And it is the old man’s extreme patience with the villagers that ultimately transforms Pelayo’s and Elisenda’s lives. Seen in this light, the old man’s refusal to leave might be interpreted as an act of compassion to help the impoverished couple. García Márquez may have even intended to remind readers of the advice found in Hebrews 13:2 in the Bible: “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”

[LINKS]


http://www.sparknotes.com/short-stories/a-very-old-man-with-enormous-wings/themes.html

http://www.reference.com/motif/society/a-very-old-man-with-enormous-wings-symbolism

http://eileen-vetri.blogspot.com/2011/09/very-old-man-with-enormous-wings-by.html

http://jixamanu.tripod.com/very-old-man-with-enormous-wings-symbolism.htm

"A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings" [Symbolism and Meaning]

There is a lot of controversy as to what the meaning of the "Angel" in Gabriel García Márquez's "A Very Old Man with Enormous wings." There are ideas the the "Angel" was sent to the family when the son was very ill. Just the way the "Angel" was described, from his wings to his full appearance, gives off a sort of "Religious Symbol" or an act of faith. The "Angel" had torn up wings, but was seen to have suited him. In the Christian tradition, angels are often represented as beautiful winged figures, and García Márquez plays off of this cultural symbolism because, ironically, the wings of the “angel” in the story convey only a sense of age and disease. (Sparknotes-Themes etc.)The way the family and the society treated him, made it seem like he was an animal rather than a miracle. Still a mystery as to why, he so happened to show up, in the time when the family was in need, showing maybe a sign of representing "Prosperity". While the family accumulates large amounts money from the entertainment of the "Angel", they can't see or realize that the Angel helped in a way. Shows the level of stubbornness and blindness the average human being has. Maybe that is what Gabriel is trying to show the reader. That even when the evidence is right in front of them, humans will never comprehend it or see it.




Links
http://www.sparknotes.com/short-stories/a-very-old-man-with-enormous-wings/themes.html
http://www.enotes.com/very-old-man-with-enormous-wings
http://mockingbird.creighton.edu/ncw/marquez.htm

The Author Himself behind "A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings"

Gabriel Garcia Maraquez, was a very famous writer for his time. In 1982, he received a Nobel Prize in Literature. He was given this prize for his, Novels and short stories that were created with such realism and fantasy combined. (nobelprize.org). Here is going to be some information on his back ground, and what he had accomplished over the years. (Links with be provided below.)

• QUICK FACTS

  • NAME: Gabriel García Márquez
  • OCCUPATION: Author
  • BIRTH DATE: March 06, 1928 (Age: 83)
  • PLACE OF BIRTH: Aracataca, Colombia
  • ZODIAC SIGN: Pisces

BEST KNOWN FOR  Writer Gabriel García Márquez, author ofLove in the Time of Cholera, has gained worldwide readership with his brand of magical realism. Frequently Asked Questions Q: Who is acknowledged for having an influence on Gabriel García Márquez? A: Fyodor Dostoevsky, Pablo Neruda, G. K. Chesterton, Franz Kafka and William Faulkner inspired Gabriel García Márquez. Q: What popular books have been published by author, Gabriel García Márquez? A: Popular books include: - Love in the Time of Cholera - The Autumn of the Patriarch - No One Writes to the Colonel - The General in His Labyrinth - One Hundred Years of Solitude - Chronicle of a Death Foretold - Leaf Storm Q: Where was Gabriel García Márquez born? A: Gabriel García Márquez was born in Aracataca. Q: What is Gabriel García Márquez quoted as saying? A: A famous quote is, "Injections are the best thing ever invented for feeding doctors."

[LINKS]

http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1982/marquez-bio.html

http://www.biography.com/people/gabriel-garc%C3%ADa-m%C3%A1rquez-189132

http://www.openminds.tv/interview-with-nobel-prize-author-gabriel-garcia-marquez-about-ufos/

http://nobelprizes.com/nobel/literature/1982a.html

http://www.juggle.com/gabriel-garcia-marquez#faqs