Magical Realism In A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings

Magical realism is a literary style that incorporates fantastic or mythical elements into other realistic fiction. Yet, this story is different from normalized magic since magical things arise in a normal, realistic world rather than a magic world. “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” is an example of a magical realist story, that contains several characteristics of magical realism. The basis of the story is that an elderly man with enormous, non-angelic wings randomly emerges in the lives of a community, that contained illnesses and hardships.
One of the traits revealed in this short story is the transformation of the common and every day conditions to the amazing and unreal. In the beginning, Pelayo stated, “the world had been sad since …show more content…
Many people around the village gathered in front of the chicken coop to view the old man “as if he weren’t a supernatural creature but a circus animal.” From this statement, the reader notices that no one is concerned how the magical man came about or why he was present. Another incident that seemed natural was the departure of the angel at the end of the novel. Elisenda noticed his attempts of flight, yet she viewed this situation as ordinary. Based on the story, I believe the reason why the logic of magic was not questioned by the characters in the story was because they did not perceive the old man with enormous wings as an angel or any other magical figure. Conclusively, it was simple for them to accept his existence. In addition to this trait, the short story consisted of fantastic elements that were possible, yet never explained. When some of the observers burned the old man’s body with iron, “he flapped his wings a couple of times, which brought on a whirlwind of chicken dung and lunar dust and a gale of panic that did not seem to be of this world.” This proves to everyone in the village that the old man’s wings were actually real, but it did not justify or explain the power of the wind. Other fantastic elements include the flight of the old man, the woman that was turned into a spider, and the leper whose sores sprouted …show more content…
When Pelayo and Elisenda discovered the old man in the courtyard of their home, they called their female neighbor, who was knowledgeable about life and death, to examine the man. From the first glance, she told them that he was an angel, who was “coming for the child.” I believe since the old man with enormous wings arrived into the lives of a family and community in distress, he was a symbol for hope. While he remained captive in the village, many positive things occurred for the family, such as the recovery of their newborn son and the diminish of the crab infestation. From my point of view, the couple appeared very hopeful for their future because this angel was sent to take their troubles away. On the other hand, it was highly apparent that the couple symbolized the mysterious angel as a sign of suffering. While the angel resided on their property, the couple kept him in the chicken coop for several days after deciding not to kill him. Also, he was subjected by Elisenda as “an annoyance in her life.” Once the angel gained the strength to fly away and depart, Elisenda watched him leave, but exhaled a sigh of relief from the release of a burden. From her attitude, I believe she was unappreciative of the many great things that happened to her family while the angel was bestowed upon them. This led me to conclude that Pelayo and Elisenda did not symbolize the old man with enormous wing as anything, nor did they