A Very Old Man with Enourmous Wings: Magical Realism

Magical realism can be defined as a genre in which magic elements are a natural part in a “realistic environment”. In A very old man with Enormous wings Author Gabriel Marquez tells a fairy tale in a realistic manner while incorporating the magic of the angel. In this story the angel is the reason for the family’s recovery from tragedy. Before the arrival of the angel from the skies above, the family is poor with a dying son. Once the family takes the angel in the young child begins to return back to normal health and the family uses its profit from the angel I will elaborate on later to buy themselves a new home. Also the Spiderwoman who appears in this story is also a great example of magical realism that illustrates the self-interestedness people have on their own faith.

To begin with, In “A very old man with Enormous wings” according to magical realism the angel represents power, speed, and limitless freedom. In the Christian religion an angel often represents a beautiful creature that often comes to bring great news and or make things better. In this story the angel comes to do both. Although the angel never speaks in a language they can understand he brings good news with his powers which allows them to become wealthy and also make things better by healing their child. For example the story states “A short time afterward they locked the angel in the chicken coop, the child woke up without a fever and an appetite to eat. “ This shows the supposed powers of the angel. The angel’s age also has no effect to the sightseers who come to see him. The story also compares the angel to something natural because of the way his wings fit into his body. In Fact the village doctor wonders why everyone else does not have wings. The angel has of a heavenly angel but all other traits of an earthly creature.

Secondly, In “A very old man with Enormous wings” According to Magical realism the Spiderwoman represents the instability in which many people approach their faith. After hearing of the supposed angels many people flocked to him because of their faith. The physical evidence of the angel would confirm most of their beliefs of god, angels and a heaven. On the other hand, the spectators flocked to the Spiderwoman because of her heart wrenching story about with a moral to obey your parents. As the story states that : The admission to see her was cheaper than that to see the old decrypted “Angel man” also sightseers where allowed to ask as many question as they desired to the Spiderwoman and most importantly she would be respond to them, Unlike the Angel.

The Spiderwoman was the prime example to kids of why to obey your parents. In conclusion, “A very old man with Enormous wings” The view on Magical realism was simply to make something so unreal in our world seem too real to believe. The angel and the Spiderwoman were great examples of magical realism and both illustrated a picture for people from two aspects of life. The Angel illustrated the picture of a Heavenly creature that might assure them if they keep living in a “Christian manner,” if you will, they may receive everlasting life in heaven. In another view of life the Spiderwoman illustrates the picture of what not to do to young kids because the consequence also, if you will, will be the one of turning into a ram sized Tarantula. Both tales tell of two great tales of Magical realism that we often seem to believe, which means its working.