Magical Realism in 'A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings' Fiction Essay

Gabriel Garcia Marquez's short story "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings" falls under the literary genre of magical realism. Magical realism is a type of literature that is set in a seemingly normal world where the supernatural occurs. "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings" embodies this idea. The world is realistic, but the events that occur are not.

In Marquez's story, the characters Pelayo and Elisenda are not astonished or amazed by the angel upon his arrival. They immediately begin to discuss what kind of creature he is. They argue between an angel and a beggar. At the beginning of the story, the element of magical realism is established. In the world of Pelayo and Elisenda, angels are not unearthly creatures. Their neighbor even states that she is "suspicious" of angels. Pelayo and Elisenda decide to lock up the angel. Prior to his arrival, Pelayo and Elisenda's child was ill. But after the angel lives in their backyard for a few days, their child is magically healed.

After the news of a healing angel travels around town, everyone wants to see him. Pelayo and Elisenda decide to sell tickets, and put the angel on show like a circus animal. They use his power for their own selfish motives. Marquez uses Pelayo and Elisenda to reveal to brokenness of human nature. Instead of sharing the magic with others, Pelayo and Elisenda decide to manipulate the angel for money and fame. The angel is abused throughout this process, and he begins to literally fall apart. He loses his feathers and turns his face from the crowds. Marquez uses the angel to represent the destruction human nature's selfish tendencies can cause.