“A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” is a short story by the Colombian writer Gabriel Garcia Márquez. It is a story that teaches about social values ​​and human reaction to the unknown. The story takes place in a humble fishing village, where in the courtyard of Pelayo's house, (one of the main figures of the story), an old man with very large wings appears. Pelayo doesn't know what to do with it and calls his wife Elisenda. The first thing he does is look for answers to thoughts that are beyond his understanding, and with Elisenda he goes to visit a neighbor who they believe knows all the good and bad things in life. Seeing the old man, he said that he was an angel because he has wings. The first thing the characters do is judge by appearances, and when they see a man dressed in rags, they give him a sort of phenomenon label, because an angel wouldn't dress like that. They are also entrusted to the care of a sick convalescent newborn, and connect the old man with an angel of death who came in search of the child, who was trapped in the mud and rain that day, an environment described by the author in every part. the story. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayUncertainty and ignorance are not long in appearing, and in Pelayo's house a series of helpless people have arrived in search of miracles. When Pelayo and his wife saw this, they decided to take advantage of it and began commissioning people to see the angel. This only shows human opportunism and lack of compassion for that man on the part of the protagonists, his wife and others. Faith is used by pilgrims seeking answers beyond themselves as an answer to their misfortune. As the days pass, the angel maintains a passive attitude and the expected miracles are not obtained. People stopped believing in him and interest in that creature disappeared. Meanwhile Pelayo and Elisenda improve their life and the well-being of the child, who is somehow linked to the angel and the climate of the country. They adjust to the angel's presence and show some compassion. When the angel regains the well-being of his wings and some strength he leaves and Elisenda shows relief at being out of their life. It is something hypocritical how human beings expect things to fall due to their weight and do not accept a fact with its positive and negative sides. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a custom essay the old man, was he really a demon of death seeking the child or a cherub of life? I think he was just a passive being, unaware of the world around him, a world full of greed and ignorance. He was a being who just wanted to live. “The very old man with huge wings” is a metaphorical example, used by the author to describe how we react to the unknown. He uses old age as a synonym for end of life. Furthermore, he used a new born child as a synonym for beginning, and the reactions of the world surround him as human fears. It's a fable about how men reject appearances without bothering to see beyond the obvious. It is an example of some of the worst human values ​​imposed by society and how we should be aware of them.