A Child's Interpretation of "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings"

Like most Latin American countries and former Spanish colonies, Colombia has long been largely Catholic. Gabriel Garcia Marquez, a native Colombian author, often follows the theme of magical realism in his writing (like many other Latin American writers). His "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings," having been published in 1968, surely would have given the Colombian children for whom it was written a different view of clergy people, and even Catholicism, than they were taught in school.

Before 1973, Catholicism was not only stated as Colombia's official religion (over 95 percent of the population was Catholic), but the Catholic Church had a significant place in Colombian society. It, rather than the Colombian government, controlled all schools and many other social services such as health care (Library of Congress Country Studies). Being in Catholic School at a young age, especially in a society of some of the most devout Catholics in the world, children would come to trust clergy figures, especially their local priests, as infallible with regards to the Catholic faith. In "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings," Father Gonzaga's refusal to recognize the old man as an angel would perplex the children, as they would have the preconception that he is indeed an angel. This is because the children would believe the first definite interpretation of the old man that is presented in the story, the neighbor woman's proclamation that he is an angel. As a child is read a story, certain sentences, phrases, or words would stand out to that child. "He's an angel (452)" would certainly be something that a child hears above almost everything else when being read the story. As a result, the child would accept it as a truth throughout the rest of the story. When the child would hear of Father Gonzaga's denying the "angel's" identity and that he does not stand up for the "angel's" rights (the angel is kept in a chicken coop, food is thrown at him, and he is branded) simply as another living being, the child would most likely see that not all priests are "good," or respectful to their religion. In a Catholic child's mind, angels are a significant part of the Catholic Faith. This is because of the imagery they evoke in a child's imaginative mind. When the child would hear of Pelayo's mistreating of the old man, "...he (Pelayo) dragged him out of the mud and locked him up with the hens in the chicken coop (452)," the child would wonder why people would mistreat a being that, according to their faith, is to be respected. Father Gonzaga's and Pelayo's negative treatments of the "angel" would allow them to see that not everyone who claims to be Catholic behaves like a Catholic.


http://www.photius.com/countries/colombia/society/colombia_society religion.html.
Revised 10-Nov-04. Copyright © 2004 Photius Coutsoukis (all rights reserved). October 27, 2008