English Essay: Examining 'A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings'

This essay provides an analysis of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's short story, 'A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings.' It begins by discussing the genre of magic realism and how Marquez uses it to blend fantasy with everyday life, particularly in a way that appeals to children while also offering deeper meanings for adult readers. The essay focuses on the themes of poverty, highlighting how it restricts education and culture, as illustrated by the characters Pelayo and Elisenda. It examines how their pursuit of economic gain, through exploiting the old man, reveals a mental poverty characterized by a lack of compassion. The essay also discusses the blurring of reality and fantasy within the story, the author's perspective on Latin American life and religion, and ultimately concludes that the story presents a tragic view of humanity. The essay uses specific references from the story to support its arguments.

RUNNING HEAD: ENGLISH ASSIGNMENT
A very old man with enormous wings
Name of Student:
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Authors Note:

1ENGLISH ASSIGNMENT
1. In his story, Garcia Marquez vibrantly created he genre of magic realism. Such type of
story vividly portrays elements of ordinary life as well as the essence of fantasy and
magic (Goodwin 2006). Marquez deliberately made it children literatures since such type
of stories generally attributes to a moral teaching without having the tone of moral
judgments tat folk genres do. This ambiguity is a good way for the children in developing
their critical thinking process.
2. An adult reader would have looked for a more critical and judgmental moral outlook in
the story that actually preaches morality. They may not be able to connect with the
ambiguity. However, the children can relate themselves with the immaculate simplicities
and the ambiguities. The story can be read in various levels. The children will definitely
get amused at the ambiguities that they can see from the first level. However, a deeper
approach by an adult will reveal the metaphors
3. The motif of poverty plays an important role in the story. Poverty is described as a social
problem that restricts an individual to have education and cultures. The characters in the
play, Pelayo and Elisenda were poverty stricken to a great extent that they always lacked
food and their child was deathly ill (Marquez, G.G. 1988. ). It was the old man with
enormous wings that helped them in gaining their prosperity. However, though they
gained economical sufficiency, their mental poverty was highlighted by the author in a
metaphorical level. Their plan of charging people money to see the old man with wings
though earned them money; this was an instance of their lack of conscience and
compassion that equals to mental poverty. In the end when the old man was gone, it will
again leave them in poverty.

2ENGLISH ASSIGNMENT
4. It is difficult to say if there would have any change if the old man was a little baby.
Perhaps, the natural human instinct of helping a baby to recover from illness would have
occurred among the couple, but it is likely that they would still use the baby in economic
purpose.
5. In order to create a fantastic setting in keeping with a realistic background, the author
used realistic details alongside the magical details in such a fabric that at a point of time it
becomes tough to distinguish the magic from the reality. It takes into account the setting
of a real life society, religious beliefs and real life problems of poverty, but mixes it up
with myths and extraordinary phenomenon (.Marquez, G.G. 1988. ).
6. The author’s amusing and claim about the Latin American life is to some extent correct
according to me. The amalgamation of various cultures makes the place a truly eventful
one.
7. The author views religion as a hollow ser of regular beliefs and habits rather than a
framework of morality. The angle, what they think the old man with wings to be, is a
religious creature, the wretchedness and destitution of the angel was not paid any heed by
those who wanted to ace out money from him.
8. The story according me is a tragic one. The lack of empathy, the predominance of
hamartia among the couple that they totally owe the old man and their prosperity will
never end brought in the doom of the couple. It is also tragic in the essence that the basics
traits of humanity has been blurred.

3ENGLISH ASSIGNMENT
Reference List:
Goodwin, J., 2006. Márquez's A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings and Bambara's The
Lesson. The Explicator, 64(2), pp.128-130.
Marquez, G.G. and Birri, F., 1988. A very old man with enormous wings. Fox Lorber Home
Video.