People constantly worry about being labeled as an outsider. What exactly is an outsider? According to Merriam Webster Online Dictionary, an outsider is defined as “a person who does not belong to or is not accepted as part of a particular group or organization” (Merriam-Webster.com). Frequently, in literary works, authors will utilize this idea of not belonging in order to encourage empathy for a character, or to display their caricature in an indirect form. In both Chronicle of a Death Foretold and “A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, unfamiliarity and prejudiced perceptions label both Santiago Nassar and the old man with wings outsiders, leading to their ultimate exclusion from society.
Both Santiago Nassar and …show more content…
Santiago, based upon presumption, is now sought after to be murdered, however, no one feels the need to inform him of his upcoming fate. When Santiago is about to be killed, “they all saw him come out and understand now they were going to kill him”, however, instead of stopping it from happening, they shouted racist terms at him like, “‘Turk’”, affirming his true status of not belonging (Chronicle of a Death Foretold 115). Due to popular belief, Santiago is thought to have deflowered an innocent girl named Angela Vicario, and although this rumor is never verified, Santiago is an outsider, so he does not receive the same treatment. Instead, people assume the worst, excluding him from those around him, and ultimately resulting in his death. Again, the old man with wings undergoes similar treatment to that of Santiago because he does not belong; however, this time it is in the form of humiliation. Shortly after his arrival, he lives in a “chicken coop” where people “[have] fun with him without the slightest reverence” like a “circus animal” (“A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings 1). After the old man with wings is declared an outsider, like Santiago, people treat him with the utmost disrespect. They reject him based off of his “pathetic appearance”, which causes him to be “strongly at odds” with society (Akers 1). Both of the character’s dissimilar features set them apart from everyone else, upholding their inability to abide by the status quo.
Both Santiago and the old man with wings serve as the epitome of outsiders in their societies. They are judged based off of presumptuous ideals, resulting in either extremely negative or even fatal consequences. They forever fail to fit in with their societies, so they will truly never
Both Santiago Nassar and …show more content…
Santiago, based upon presumption, is now sought after to be murdered, however, no one feels the need to inform him of his upcoming fate. When Santiago is about to be killed, “they all saw him come out and understand now they were going to kill him”, however, instead of stopping it from happening, they shouted racist terms at him like, “‘Turk’”, affirming his true status of not belonging (Chronicle of a Death Foretold 115). Due to popular belief, Santiago is thought to have deflowered an innocent girl named Angela Vicario, and although this rumor is never verified, Santiago is an outsider, so he does not receive the same treatment. Instead, people assume the worst, excluding him from those around him, and ultimately resulting in his death. Again, the old man with wings undergoes similar treatment to that of Santiago because he does not belong; however, this time it is in the form of humiliation. Shortly after his arrival, he lives in a “chicken coop” where people “[have] fun with him without the slightest reverence” like a “circus animal” (“A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings 1). After the old man with wings is declared an outsider, like Santiago, people treat him with the utmost disrespect. They reject him based off of his “pathetic appearance”, which causes him to be “strongly at odds” with society (Akers 1). Both of the character’s dissimilar features set them apart from everyone else, upholding their inability to abide by the status quo.
Both Santiago and the old man with wings serve as the epitome of outsiders in their societies. They are judged based off of presumptuous ideals, resulting in either extremely negative or even fatal consequences. They forever fail to fit in with their societies, so they will truly never