Human Nature in "A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings"

What is the true message behind Gabriel Garcia Marquez's "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings?"

https://www.debate.org/opinions/is-human-nature-good-yes-or-evil-no

We discussed in class what the possible lessons of the short story could be. While there were some ideas about the story’s religious connotations, whether or not the old man truly was an angel, and why it would even be a tale for children, I personally found it to subtly relay an underlying message about human nature. This was evident in the characters surrounding the old man, such as Pelayo, Elisenda, and the townspeople.

The events conveyed throughout the story made clear the hyper-criticalness of humans (particularly to things they deem “different” than them), their tendency to use things to their own benefit, and their inclination towards self-interest.

As shocking as the old man’s sudden appearance was in the start of the story, it was very obvious that he posed no threat and was very weak and ill. Rather than trying to help him, though, Pelayo “dragged him out of the mud and locked him up with the hens in the wire chicken coop” (Marquez 367). Furthermore, they considered themselves doing a favor to the old man by choosing not to club him to death.

Although Father Gonzaga himself confirmed that the old man was, in fact, a human and not some otherworldly creature, they continue to treat him like an animal, subjecting him to all sorts of cruelty and degradation. He becomes something of a sideshow attraction, with people marveling at him like he is some sort of inhuman beast. At one point, “even the most merciful threw stones at him, trying to get him to rise so they could see him standing. The only time they succeeded in arousing him was when they burned his side with an iron.” (Marquez 369)

Further dehumanizing him, Pelayo and Elisenda use him for their own benefit, fencing up the courtyard and charging people five-cents admission to come in and see him. By the end of the story, they crammed their rooms with their “earnings” and were able to build a two-story mansion “with balconies and gardens (…) and iron bars on the windows so that angels wouldn’t get in” (Marquez 370). Despite their exploitation of the old man and using him to make money, they continue to neglect him, leaving him out alone with the animals. He eventually flies away, leaving their home just as unexpectedly as he came. One thing that I think is important to note is that despite everything he endured at the hands of the people, he displayed tremendous patience and clemency. Perhaps he really was an angel.