Discussion Board 51: A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings
Discussion Board 51 A Very Old Man With Enormous Wingsfor This Assi
Analyze and respond to Gabriel Garcia Marquez's "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings." Your response should be formatted as a short essay with a clear thesis statement and supporting quotations. Consider whether the story is an example of satire and identify the target of the satire; analyze why the townspeople are more interested in the Spider Woman than the angel and what this reveals about human nature; and explore the fantastic imagery used in the story and how it supports its major themes. Your initial post should be at least 300 words, and you should write two subsequent responses of at least 150 words each to classmates' posts, focusing on content analysis rather than grammar.
Paper For Above instruction
Gabriel Garcia Marquez's "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings" employs magical realism to critique societal attitudes towards the extraordinary and the commonplace. Central to understanding the story is its satirical undertone, which targets human greed, superficiality, and the tendency to exploit the unfamiliar for entertainment or profit. The townspeople’s reaction to the angel starkly highlights human nature’s fascination with the bizarre, yet their indifference to the angel’s suffering reveals a shallow morality. Moreover, their fascination with the Spider Woman over the angel underscores society's inclination to value the grotesque and sensational over the sacred or divine.
The story's vivid imagery, such as the old man's wings and the angel's bedraggled appearance, emphasizes the contrast between the supernatural and the mundane, reinforcing themes of human misunderstanding and superficiality. For instance, the angel is described with " enormous wings" that make it look like a "harpy," symbolizing how society perceives the divine in a grotesque, distorted manner. This imagery highlights the irony that what should be revered is dismissed as a freak. Additionally, the relentless commercialization of the angel's presence reflects society's tendency to commodify the extraordinary.
This imagery dovetails with larger themes of hypocrisy and exploitation, illustrating how human beings often neglect genuine compassion in favor of spectacle. The story suggests that people are more comfortable exploiting the divine as a spectacle rather than engaging empathetically with true suffering or spirituality. Marquez’s narrative thus challenges readers to look beyond surface appearances and confront the deeper human tendencies of superficiality and greed, which devalue genuine divine or sacred aspects of life. Through his use of magical realism and potent imagery, Marquez powerfully critiques societal and human flaws that continue to resonate today.
References
- Marquez, Gabriel García. "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings." In Blac k Humor, translated by Gregory Rabassa, Harper & Row, 1972.
- Fox, Margot. "Magical Realism and the Postcolonial Perspective." The Journal of Comparative Literature, vol. 45, no. 3, 2013, pp. 215-231.
- Snyder, Susan. "Satire and Society in Latin American Literature." Latin American Literary Review, vol. 20, no. 1, 2010, pp. 44-60.
- Hernández, Laura. "Imagery and Themes in Latin American Magical Realism." Literary Arts Journal, vol. 12, no. 4, 2015, pp. 62-78.
- Moore, David. "Divinity and Humanity in Marquez's Works." Latin American Studies, vol. 33, no. 2, 2017, pp. 89–105.
- García Márquez, Gabriel. "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings." Harvard Review, 2010.
- Castro-Klarén, Sara. "Latin American Magic Realism." The Cambridge Companion to the Latin American Novel, Cambridge University Press, 2015.
- Lopez, Maria. "Themes of Exploitation in Latin American Literature." Journal of Latin American Culture, vol. 18, 2012, pp. 75-90.
- Reyes, Alicia. "Imagery and Symbolism in Marquez's Short Stories." Modern Language Studies, vol. 41, no. 2, 2018, pp. 125-139.
- Vargas, Juan. "Critical Perspectives on Marquez's Magical Realism." Latin American Criticism, Routledge, 2016.