A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings, By Gabriel Garcia Marquez

“Magic realism” is a term first coined in 1925 by the German art critic Franz Roh, but he applies it only to painting. It now has become a standard name to describe the distinctive blend of fantasy and realism in Latin American works, which invite the readers to try to make sense of the mixture of magical and mundane elements in an overall context of realistic narration. All of the main features of Latin American magic realism can be found in García Márquez's short story, "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings," an exemplary exploration between the reality and the absurd that uses mythological criticism to examine the author’s common humanity in religion, suffering and the search for healing through an ambiguous identity of a very old man with
Throughout the story, the author is able to craft an image of an unexpected old man that is detailed and yet confusing, leading him to fail several tests to prove or disprove his angelic being. Priest Gonzaga, a symbol of the Roman Catholic Church, serves as a highly authorized superior to discover the truth about the bedraggled aged man. Together with the villagers, they all have a difficult time figuring out how this man with enormous wings fits into their lives as they have fun with him, without the slightest reverence. Clearly enough, the villagers represent Colombians and the old man represents their faith in religion. Consequently, according to John Goodwin, “The opinions of the villagers reveal an idealized view of religion as government; their treatment of the angel, however, betrays their reaction to rule by religious authorities.” That is to say, through the old man, the author aims to convey the reigning chaos among the paramilitary forces of the Colombian Liberal Party and the Colombian Conservative Party during the years of La Violencia, which leads to a civil war for the control of the country’s agricultural
By blending the mundane and repugnant parts of life with the miraculous, the author effectively conveys the narrowness in vision of those who seem to be unaware of their significance in life. In the beginning of the story, the world behaves strangely and supernaturally as it “[has been] sad since Tuesday “the rain [has caused] the collapse of the chicken coop and “the child [has] a temperature all night due to the stench” (177). These incidences of extreme weather together with an unwanted occurrence of a sick child foreshadow a greater surreal element to emerge: the angel – an old man lying with his face down in the mud with enormous wings. From this point, Márquez portrays a miserable picture of civilized society and its cruel nature towards all things different and foreign while ridiculing itself of the moments of compassion: it is originally planned to release the old man “on a raft with fresh water and provisions for three days” and “[leave] him to his fate on the high seas” (177), but once it is profitable from showcasing him, the Old Man is imprisoned in a chicken coop where strangers pelt him with stones and burn him with a branding