Literary Analysis Essay on A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings

Introduction

In "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings" Gabriel Garcia Marquez make use of various literary devices that make his story very interesting besides it very elusive nature. In the narration, several techniques and diversion of themes is very clear as portrayed by the writer. The story begins in an ordinary town, where an 'old man' as referred by the writer appears in Paleyo courtyard. However, it is not clear whether this old man is an angel or not, he seems more human and ordinary, in spite of his extraordinary appearance. This because the 'angel' contradicts how people expect him to be like, especially in his feeble appearance. This makes the villagers to come up with absurd explanation and conclusion about the old creature.

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The period in this setting can be divided into two phases: firstly, a period of astonishment and uncertainty caused by the appearance of the angel and secondly, a prolonged period of shrinking interest in which the angel is all forgotten. The story reveals a clear trait of a supernatural being that have grown wings and can fly. Also, the story brings out a woman who has changed to being a 'spider woman' because of doing contrary to her parent wishes. Therefore, the narrative can be classified both as a myth and as a fairy tale. As a myth the author describes the appearance of the angel as "His huge buzzard wings, dirty and half-plucked, were forever entangled in the mud.", "Then she went to the window and caught the angel in his first attempts at flight" (Garcia & Rabassa, 2014). Consequently, Garcia Marquez unveil fairy-tale as he describes the spider woman, "there arrived in the town the traveling show of the woman who had been changed into a spider for having disobeyed her parents."

The author has used different characters to bring out the ideology and beliefs of this town. These characters include Elisenda, who is a wife to Pelayo, is seen as an important decision maker in the marriage. The husbands run to get her in order to reason together, she also decide and implement the act of charging the viewers. Next is Father Gonzaga who is a priest in the town. Father Gonzaga is consumed with doubt of this angel being a divine being, since the angel appearance fails to convince him about its supernatural capabilities. Thirdly, is Pelayo the town bailiff who finds the old man. The presence of the angel seems to bring his family a great fortune, as they earned a lot of money from the paid admissions. The spider woman is another character who the writer has brought up as a woman who had turned into a spider for defying her parents. In her case, she charges lower for admission and willing to talk about her sorrowful experience and inspiring sympathy about her fate. Lastly, is the old man with enormous wings that astonish and amuse people due to his unique appearance ("Very Old Man with Enormous Wings Analysis - eNotes.com," 2018).

The writer has also used different themes in his works that render several interpretations for his work. The theme of ambiguity and doubt is much revealed by important facts that are left unresolved. For instance, the reader is not allowed to be suspicious about the old man and his strange wings are real or not, yet the reader is not sure what this old man is; a sad human with wings, an angel or some other thing. This intentional uncertainty leaves the reader with unexplained possibility. Further, is the theme of problem interpretation that makes the reader confused, due to the ambiguity of occurrence in the story. This is clear from the speculation of villagers who gives different interpretation about the old man.

The writer Garcia Marquez, has also manifested different Styles in his works. An angel according to the western culture is apparent as a supernatural being that convey a kind of perfection, grace and wisdom. It is seen as super-human when compared to a human being. But in his works, the writer discloses an imagery of an old man, of low dignity and who is more human without much fulfilment of an angel. This creates confusion to both the villagers and the reader. Also, narration is another style that the writer has manifested in his work. However, this style is much hidden as the author exposes inconsistence in his narrative voice. This is seen incases that the author portrays his attitude to events and appear more skeptical than even the villagers.

In addition, the author has brought up the concept of magical realism in much greater vigor. Firstly, is "a very old man with enormous wings", this is a concrete example of magical realism. Furthermore, the writer enhances this style by use of fanatical description of the spider woman and the flying angel. On his elucidation about the rain, he describes a relentless rain in more fairy-tale description as "The world had been sad since Tuesday" (Garcia & Rabassa, 2014). Also, the blending of the ordinary and fantasy is clear in most of his descriptions, including the muddy sand of the beach that appears as powdered light in the rain and the swarms of crabs that permeate Pelayo homestead. It is also in this setting, that a strange occurrence of a dreamlike and a highly textured old winged man appears, a living myth, yet covered with lice and rags ("SparkNotes: A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings: Magical Realism," 2018).

Conclusion

In conclusion, Garcia Marquez in his work has evidently depicted a variety of literary elements and techniques ranging from use of narration, themes and application of various styles. It is of no doubt that the use of literary devices makes his work delightful and interesting.

References

(2014). Retrieved from https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/very-old-man-enormous-wings#C

enotes. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.enotes.com/topics/very-old-man-with-enormous-wings/in-depth

Garcia, M. G., & Rabassa, G. (2014). A very old man with enormous wings: And the sea of lost time.

A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings Analysis - eNotes.com. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.enotes.com/topics/very-old-man-with-enormous-wings/in-depth

SparkNotes: A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings: Magical Realism. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.sparknotes.com/short-stories/a-very-old-man-with-enormous-wings/section1/

Literary Analysis of "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. (2018). Retrieved from http://www.academia.edu/12215638/Literary_Analysis_of_A_Very_Old_Man_with_Enormous_Wings_by_Gabriel_Garcia_Marquez