A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings

These prompts can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before or after reading the short story.

Pre-Reading “Icebreaker”

How would you feel if your community turned against you? What would you do? Would you want to be accepted again, or would you free yourself of that community?

Teaching Suggestion: This question places readers into the shoes of the old man with enormous wings. It is debatable whether the old man is truly a part of this community, so teachers can revisit student responses to this question post-reading to determine if their answers captured the nuances of the old man’s situation.

• "The Cruelty of Children" – An episode of the podcast This American Life that explores the psychology of rejection and community unkindness

Post-Reading Analysis

What, if anything, could have changed the townspeople’s minds about the old man with enormous wings? Explain your reasoning.

Teaching Suggestion: There are a few ways to explore this question. You can have students examine the parallels between the old man and Jesus Christ, or question the compassion of the townspeople. You can also have students consider the relative poverty of the townspeople, the psychological desire for a scapegoat, and the misunderstandings of language and culture.