Summary of A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings by Gabriel García Márquez | Class 12 Compulsory English

Summary of A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings by Gabriel García Márquez

Gabriel García Márquez’s short story “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” is a fine example of magical realism. On the surface, it tells a strange story about an old man with wings. Beneath this simple event, the story explores human nature. It shows ideas about faith and compassion. It also reveals how people react to mysterious and miraculous events.

A heavy rain falls for days. Crabs invade the house of Pelayo and Elisenda. Their newborn child has a fever. They blame the fever on the bad smell from the crabs. Pelayo kills many crabs and throws them into the sea.

On his way back, he finds a very old man lying in the mud in the courtyard. The old man has enormous wings and cannot get up. Pelayo calls his wife, Elisenda, to see him. They feel shocked but soon get used to the sight. The old man speaks in a strange language they do not understand. They think he is a shipwrecked sailor from a foreign ship.

A wise neighbor woman looks at him and says he is an angel. She says the angel came for the sick child but fell because of the rain.

The next day, the whole town hears about the angel. People come to see him. Pelayo and Elisenda lock him in the chicken coop instead of killing him. The child gets better and eats again.

Pelayo and Elisenda plan to put the old man on a raft and send him out to sea. But crowds grow large in the courtyard. Father Gonzaga, the priest, comes to check. He speaks to the old man in Latin, but the old man does not understand. He sees that the old man looks too human and smells bad. He suspects the old man is not a real angel. He writes to higher church authorities for a decision.

People suggest wild ideas about the old man, like making him mayor or general. Elisenda gets tired of the mess. She fences the yard and charges five cents to see the angel. Many people come from far away. Sick people seek cures from him.

A carnival arrives with a flying acrobat, but no one cares. The angel stays patient and eats little. People poke him, pull his feathers, and even burn him with an iron. He flaps his wings once and scares everyone. After that, they leave him alone more. The priest waits for news from Rome, but it takes a long time.

A new carnival comes with a woman turned into a spider for disobeying her parents. She tells her sad story and lets people ask questions. People prefer her because she is more interesting and cheaper. Crowds leave the angel and go to see the spider woman. The angel’s fame ends.

Pelayo and Elisenda become rich from the money. They build a big new house and quit their old jobs. The chicken coop stays dirty. They ignore it. The child grows up and plays near the old man. He gets weaker and moves slowly around the house.

The old man annoys Elisenda. He gets sick in winter but survives. In spring, new stiff feathers grow on his wings. One day, he tries to fly. His attempts are clumsy at first. He finally flies away over the houses and sea. Elisenda watches him go until he disappears like a dot on the horizon. She feels relieved that he is gone.

Answer the following questions.

a. How does the narrator describe the weather and its effects in the exposition of the story?

The narrator describes continuous heavy rain for several days. The rain makes the sea and sky look grey and sad. Crabs enter the house and create a bad smell. The weather causes sickness and discomfort in the family.

b. Describe the strange old man as Pelayo and his wife first encounter him in their courtyard.

The old man is very old and weak. He lies face down in the mud. He has enormous, dirty, and damaged wings. He looks more like a poor old beggar than an angel.

c. Why did Pelayo and Elisenda imprison the old man in the chicken coop?

Pelayo and Elisenda imprisoned the old man in the chicken coop. They were confused and afraid of him. They did not know what to do with him. They wanted to keep him under control. They also wanted to protect their child and themselves.

d. Why was Father Gonzaga not sure about the old man being a celestial messenger?

The old man did not understand Latin. He looked too human and smelled bad. His wings were damaged and dirty. He lacked the dignity and holiness expected of angels.

e. Many people gathered at Pelayo’s house to see the strange old man. Why do you think the crowd assembled to see him?

People were curious about the strange man. They wanted to see a miracle. Some hoped to be healed from illnesses. Others came for entertainment.

f. Some miracles happened while the crowd gathered to see the strange man. What are these miracles?

A blind man grew three new teeth. A paralytic almost won the lottery. A leper’s sores grew sunflowers. These miracles were strange and incomplete.

g. State the irritating things that the people did with the strange old man.

People poked him with sticks. They pulled out his feathers. They threw stones at him. They burned him with a hot iron to test if he was alive.

h. How and why was the woman changed into a spider?

The woman disobeyed her parents. She went out to dance without permission. On her way back, lightning struck her. She was turned into a spider as punishment.

i. Describe how Elisenda saw the strange man flying over the houses.

Elisenda saw him trying to fly clumsily. He struggled to lift himself into the air. Finally, he rose above the houses. She watched until he disappeared like a small dot on the horizon.