A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings

Revered Colombian writer Gabriel García Márquez first published “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”—a work of magical realism—in 1968. Gregory Rabassa translated the short story into English in 1971, and all quotes in this guide refer to this edition.

The story begins as a man named Pelayo kills crabs that heavy rains have washed into his house. In the muddy yard, Pelayo finds that something else has also washed up: an old man who cannot stand because he has giant, broken wings.

Pelayo runs to get his wife Elisenda, who is inside caring for their sickly newborn boy. Pelayo and Elisenda note the old man’s distressed appearance; he is “dressed like a ragpicker” with “only a few faded hairs left on his bald skull and very few teeth in his mouth” (Paragraph 2). His wings are falling apart and dirty, and when they speak to him, he responds in a language they cannot understand. Although they decide that he is a shipwrecked foreign sailor, they also consult with their neighbor—an old sage woman who tells them that the old man is an angel sent to take their sick child. She claims the angel has fallen victim to the storm because he is so old and recommends they beat him to death, but they refuse.

Instead, Pelayo and Elisenda drag the man into the chicken coop and lock him in. The next morning, their child’s health suddenly improves, and they decide to send the angel away on a raft with food and supplies. However, word about the angel has now spread, and soon the whole neighborhood arrives to see him. While the rest of the community fantasizes about the angel’s purpose on Earth, a priest named Father Gonzaga tests the angel’s authenticity by speaking Latin and examining him. Although Gonzaga writes to religious officials for advice, he himself concludes the old man is an imposter and warns the neighbors not to believe the fantasy.

Pelayo and Elisenda decide to start charging admission to see the caged angel, and sick people from all over the world come to see him in hopes of being cured. The angel does not interact with the spectators, who throw food and stones at him to get a reaction. Eventually, the crowd even brands him like an animal, becoming frightened when the man tearfully flaps his wings at them.

As Gonzaga waits to hear back from religious leaders in Rome, other carnival acts arrive in town. Among them is a giant spider with the head of a woman who claims her current form is punishment for disobeying her parents. The spectators find her more interesting than the angel because she speaks and interacts with them; soon, no one comes to see the old man anymore.

Pelayo and Elisenda use the money they’ve made to renovate their home and live extravagantly. As their child grows, he plays near the angel, who simply tolerates the boy. When the boy begins school, the angel seems to grow older and weaker, and Elisenda finds him more annoying as he wanders the house. The couple expects him to die soon, but after that winter he improves. His wings grow more feathers, and he sings as he gets stronger. One morning, Elisenda watches from the kitchen window as the man struggles to take off flying. Eventually, he succeeds and flies away. Elisenda continues to watch the empty sky, relieved that he is gone.