Since Gabriel Garcia Marquez is a Colombian author, his original works are in Spanish. When this is the case, I like to read the story in both languages to compare them. Usually, the original piece is much more powerful, but in this case, the English version is an excellent translation. Its language is comparable to the caliber of the original and it captures a significant amount of the meaning hidden throughout the Spanish version. The translator managed to successfully convey the angst of the “angel” and the initially fascinated and later disgruntled perceptions of the natives.
However, there were several differences between the two versions. In the Spanish version, the words are more lyrical, more romantic even, especially in the beginning. For example, the English version cites that the family believed the newborn baby was sick because of the “stench” while the Spanish version uses the word “pestilencia” (pestilence), which encompasses far more sensory information than just the smell. We receive hints about this later in the story, like when the angel flaps his wings and chicken dung scatters. Additionally, some of the fluidity between sentences is lost in the English version. The English version is a bit abrupt when compared to the Spanish version.
I found the angel, especially when compared with the spider woman, an especially compelling character in this magical realist story. In stories, angels are usually conveyed as beautiful winged people who wield power and enjoy seemingly endless freedom, but in Garcia Marquez’s story, the angel is dirty, suffers from old age. Thus the old man seems simultaneously natural and supernatural, possessing wings of a heavenly creature but also the weaknesses of an earthly figure. Ironically, his most differentiating characteristic is not his wings or his ability to fly but his extraordinary patience and acceptance of others’ suffering. For example, Garcia Marquez writes that the angel’s “only supernatural virtue seemed to be patience.”
The spider woman contrasts starkly with the angel. After hearing about the angel, we see the villagers flock to Pelayo’s house not because of their faith (in my interpretation) but their curiosity to see him perform miracles. Interestingly enough, the villagers’ interest in the angel wanes when he can perform only “consolation” miracles, bringing into question what qualifies as a miracle. The villagers are attracted to the spider woman’s easy-to-understand story about morality. The old man, on the other hand, has no clear purpose in his existence. As another point of contrast, Pelayo and his wife act rather cruelly towards the old man while I believe that the old man stays with them for so long as an act of compassion to help the impoverished couple.
There are so many wonderful things about this story that it’s difficult to discuss one aspect. However, this is my second time encountering the story, and since I already knew of the plot, I was able to absorb myself fully in the stunning beauty of Garcia Marquez’s language. Garcia Marquez creates amazing descriptions of scenes and people. From the first line, we are transported to the beach near Pelayo’s house, which has “become a stew of mud and rotten shellfish” and where the sea and sky run together into “a single ash-gray thing” (538). The audacity and precision of Garcia Marquez’s language becomes even more important in the genre of magical realism—he is able to portray the old man remarkably, bringing a magical creature to life. I can vividly see the “huge buzzard wings, dirty and half-plucked” and imagine the parasites running through the feathers.
While the language is just one aspect of the story, it provides much of the beauty and vivid description to the reader, allowing us to enjoy the work so much more.
With a very matter-of-fact title, the readers are immediately thrust into a world where Marquez’s fantasies are accepted as true reality. From the very first encounter with the man with enormous wings, the author describes the reactions of the characters swiftly and dispels what a common reaction efficiently by saying, “they looked at him so long and so closely that Pelayo and Elisenda very soon overcame their surprise and in the end found him familiar.” This encourages the reader to similarly do the same.
Marquez is thus able to continue with the meat of his story, showing us aspects of the world that is relatable and in many ways unsettling. One example is how the people of the town and the pilgrims treat the angel. He is kept like a “circus animal,” where people throw stones to try to get him to stand up, only later succeeding by burning him with an iron. While the angel is covered with parasites, only has a few teeth, and is far from the conventional conception of angel, the very fact that he is labelled an ‘angel’ by Marquez bestows us with more disgust at the way in which he is dehumanized. It conveys the idea that we as a society can disregard things that are (or can be) sacred and beautiful because they are unworthy in appearance or unfamiliar.
I would have to agree with Roger in saying that Marquez uses remarkable language throughout his story. He describes his characters and scenes so beautifully. I especially enjoyed his descriptions of the angel's wings; "huge buzzard wings, dirty and half-plucked". His words allowed me to really get a sense for what specific things looked like. At some points in the story I felt like I could even smell or see the exact things he was describing. Furthermore I enjoyed the whole idea of the angel character. To have an old man with wings and to make him an angel was something that I did not expect. The mystery in his character, yet the importance of him to the story's plot, made him an interesting character.
I had only read one other piece by Marquez before - "Al Ahogado Más Hermoso Del Mundo" (The Most Beautiful Drowned Man in the World). The two stories have a very similar set up (a strange man appears in a lifeless and impoverished town and they impose on him superhuman qualities that make them rethink their own lifestyle) though with two very different outcomes.
El Ahogado is, ultimately, a happy story I think - the village ends up revamping their colorless town to make it worthy of the beautiful corpse. The Man with Enormous Wings isn't quite as optimistic. While the family ends up a bit wealthier, they aren't ultimately that much better off, and the story ultimately paints a depressing picture of human nature as perhaps incurably cruel and selfish.
In both stories, Marquez uses beautiful poetic language to link the real and fantastic elements of his story together, so that while the story itself is undeniably fiction, the characters and their interactions feel undeniably real.
I agree with Roger and Caroline that the language in "The Man with Enormous Wings" was beautiful and riveting, but the primary reaction I had to the story was horror. The way they treated the old man seemed like a very real reflection of how some people treat the elderly, and, of course, others who are not like themselves. The story really came to life for me, in a less-than-positive way.
I think the line that stood out most for me was on page 541: "The angel...tolerated the most ingenious infamies with the patience of a dog who had no illusions." What was really interesting was how Marquez wrote the cruelty and abuse that the villagers dished out to the angel--exactly the same way as he wrote in the elements of fantasy. That matter-of-fact tone and the seamless ease with which he made those scenes acceptable, as Rosie mentioned, make the story both believable and chilling.
I think that one unique characteristic go Marquez's work is being able set a scenery where the magical realism is accepted by the reader. Marquez does this by letting the characters be shocked by the old man with wings, like the reader would be, but then having the characters accept the magical man and cueing the reader to do so too. He does this awfully quickly with the line, "they looked at him so long that they overcame their surprise..and found him familiar" (538). I think that in other context, this technique may seem forced or unskilled; however, Marquez uses the reactions of the realistic characters to allow the reader to gage emotions based on the characters most like them. As the analysis on Marquez's life points out, this allows the reader to see normal people acting in a magical world, so that we can easily envision ourselves doing the same.
I agree with Onisha and Michelle's point that one of Garcia Marquez's talents is that the magical realism feels very natural to the world he creates. At the same time, the magical elements still feel very much not of this world, in the way that they interact (or don't interact) with the story. For example, on p. 540, Garcia Marquez writes, "The angel was the only one who took no part in his own act." The angel feels very apart from the main action in some ways -- while the story centers around him, he does not interact with the characters directly much, except a bit towards the end. He is physically separated from the characters in the story, staying in the chicken coop and then the shed. While Garcia Marquez does describe the magical realism as natural to the world the characters inhabit, he also subtly makes these phenomena distinct from their surroundings. The magical creatures are still stigmatized and treated differently from others in their world. I think this is a very interesting approach to magical realism.
One of the most captivating elements of this story was the simultaneous beauty and simplicity of Marquez’s language. Starting from the title, we are given very simple words, but combining them produces something with weightier simplicity (if that makes sense). I found that idea in many of his other descriptions, such as “glimmered like powdered light” and “celestial conspiracy”. As with previous posters, I also thought that the magical realism woven throughout was presented naturally and fluidly, and loved the process of immersion we experienced as we entered this piece of Marquez’s imagination.
I am confused as to whether this was magical realism or fantastical. In one respect, it seems fantastical because people are amazed with the fact an angel has fallen to the earth, to the point of forming lines to see it. Yet, at the same time, this seems to be a world where "fantastical" occur occasionally, like the case of the spider women many in the story are apparently familiar with and accept very, as Michelle said, matter-of-fact. I am still unclear as to what defines "magical realism" and I have asked this question to my friends ad nauseum. Is magical realism magic occurring in a world very much like our own, but magic is treated as just another thing that happens, like gravity or the fact people go to school, or is magical still seen as unrealistic and unbelievable, but the fantastical element of magic takes place in a world very much like our own, like urban fantasy?
I'm starting to realize that what makes brutality horrifying to me isn't the fact of it, but people's reactions to it. And this story was unbelievably horrifying because of its characters' total lack of empathy. There are other reactions that are equally painful to read, but this one stands out here in particular because Elisenda almost feels bad for him. The line, "Elisenda let out a sigh of relief, for herself and for him[...]" is almost absurd given the way she and Palayo have treated him. It indicates that she is in fact capable of empathizing with the old man--she just chose not to because it was easier not to feel.
I loved the title of this story. It could easily have been called "The Angel," and lost half its ambiguity in a heartbeat.
Since Gabriel Garcia Marquez is a Colombian author, his original works are in Spanish. When this is the case, I like to read the story in both languages to compare them. Usually, the original piece is much more powerful, but in this case, the English version is an excellent translation. Its language is comparable to the caliber of the original and it captures a significant amount of the meaning hidden throughout the Spanish version. The translator managed to successfully convey the angst of the “angel” and the initially fascinated and later disgruntled perceptions of the natives.
ReplyDeleteHowever, there were several differences between the two versions. In the Spanish version, the words are more lyrical, more romantic even, especially in the beginning. For example, the English version cites that the family believed the newborn baby was sick because of the “stench” while the Spanish version uses the word “pestilencia” (pestilence), which encompasses far more sensory information than just the smell. We receive hints about this later in the story, like when the angel flaps his wings and chicken dung scatters. Additionally, some of the fluidity between sentences is lost in the English version. The English version is a bit abrupt when compared to the Spanish version.
I found the angel, especially when compared with the spider woman, an especially compelling character in this magical realist story. In stories, angels are usually conveyed as beautiful winged people who wield power and enjoy seemingly endless freedom, but in Garcia Marquez’s story, the angel is dirty, suffers from old age. Thus the old man seems simultaneously natural and supernatural, possessing wings of a heavenly creature but also the weaknesses of an earthly figure. Ironically, his most differentiating characteristic is not his wings or his ability to fly but his extraordinary patience and acceptance of others’ suffering. For example, Garcia Marquez writes that the angel’s “only supernatural virtue seemed to be patience.”
ReplyDeleteThe spider woman contrasts starkly with the angel. After hearing about the angel, we see the villagers flock to Pelayo’s house not because of their faith (in my interpretation) but their curiosity to see him perform miracles. Interestingly enough, the villagers’ interest in the angel wanes when he can perform only “consolation” miracles, bringing into question what qualifies as a miracle. The villagers are attracted to the spider woman’s easy-to-understand story about morality. The old man, on the other hand, has no clear purpose in his existence. As another point of contrast, Pelayo and his wife act rather cruelly towards the old man while I believe that the old man stays with them for so long as an act of compassion to help the impoverished couple.
There are so many wonderful things about this story that it’s difficult to discuss one aspect. However, this is my second time encountering the story, and since I already knew of the plot, I was able to absorb myself fully in the stunning beauty of Garcia Marquez’s language. Garcia Marquez creates amazing descriptions of scenes and people. From the first line, we are transported to the beach near Pelayo’s house, which has “become a stew of mud and rotten shellfish” and where the sea and sky run together into “a single ash-gray thing” (538). The audacity and precision of Garcia Marquez’s language becomes even more important in the genre of magical realism—he is able to portray the old man remarkably, bringing a magical creature to life. I can vividly see the “huge buzzard wings, dirty and half-plucked” and imagine the parasites running through the feathers.
ReplyDeleteWhile the language is just one aspect of the story, it provides much of the beauty and vivid description to the reader, allowing us to enjoy the work so much more.
With a very matter-of-fact title, the readers are immediately thrust into a world where Marquez’s fantasies are accepted as true reality. From the very first encounter with the man with enormous wings, the author describes the reactions of the characters swiftly and dispels what a common reaction efficiently by saying, “they looked at him so long and so closely that Pelayo and Elisenda very soon overcame their surprise and in the end found him familiar.” This encourages the reader to similarly do the same.
ReplyDeleteMarquez is thus able to continue with the meat of his story, showing us aspects of the world that is relatable and in many ways unsettling. One example is how the people of the town and the pilgrims treat the angel. He is kept like a “circus animal,” where people throw stones to try to get him to stand up, only later succeeding by burning him with an iron. While the angel is covered with parasites, only has a few teeth, and is far from the conventional conception of angel, the very fact that he is labelled an ‘angel’ by Marquez bestows us with more disgust at the way in which he is dehumanized. It conveys the idea that we as a society can disregard things that are (or can be) sacred and beautiful because they are unworthy in appearance or unfamiliar.
I would have to agree with Roger in saying that Marquez uses remarkable language throughout his story. He describes his characters and scenes so beautifully. I especially enjoyed his descriptions of the angel's wings; "huge buzzard wings, dirty and half-plucked". His words allowed me to really get a sense for what specific things looked like. At some points in the story I felt like I could even smell or see the exact things he was describing. Furthermore I enjoyed the whole idea of the angel character. To have an old man with wings and to make him an angel was something that I did not expect. The mystery in his character, yet the importance of him to the story's plot, made him an interesting character.
ReplyDeleteI had only read one other piece by Marquez before - "Al Ahogado Más Hermoso Del Mundo" (The Most Beautiful Drowned Man in the World). The two stories have a very similar set up (a strange man appears in a lifeless and impoverished town and they impose on him superhuman qualities that make them rethink their own lifestyle) though with two very different outcomes.
ReplyDeleteEl Ahogado is, ultimately, a happy story I think - the village ends up revamping their colorless town to make it worthy of the beautiful corpse. The Man with Enormous Wings isn't quite as optimistic. While the family ends up a bit wealthier, they aren't ultimately that much better off, and the story ultimately paints a depressing picture of human nature as perhaps incurably cruel and selfish.
In both stories, Marquez uses beautiful poetic language to link the real and fantastic elements of his story together, so that while the story itself is undeniably fiction, the characters and their interactions feel undeniably real.
I agree with Roger and Caroline that the language in "The Man with Enormous Wings" was beautiful and riveting, but the primary reaction I had to the story was horror. The way they treated the old man seemed like a very real reflection of how some people treat the elderly, and, of course, others who are not like themselves. The story really came to life for me, in a less-than-positive way.
ReplyDeleteI think the line that stood out most for me was on page 541: "The angel...tolerated the most ingenious infamies with the patience of a dog who had no illusions." What was really interesting was how Marquez wrote the cruelty and abuse that the villagers dished out to the angel--exactly the same way as he wrote in the elements of fantasy. That matter-of-fact tone and the seamless ease with which he made those scenes acceptable, as Rosie mentioned, make the story both believable and chilling.
I think that one unique characteristic go Marquez's work is being able set a scenery where the magical realism is accepted by the reader. Marquez does this by letting the characters be shocked by the old man with wings, like the reader would be, but then having the characters accept the magical man and cueing the reader to do so too. He does this awfully quickly with the line, "they looked at him so long that they overcame their surprise..and found him familiar" (538). I think that in other context, this technique may seem forced or unskilled; however, Marquez uses the reactions of the realistic characters to allow the reader to gage emotions based on the characters most like them. As the analysis on Marquez's life points out, this allows the reader to see normal people acting in a magical world, so that we can easily envision ourselves doing the same.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Onisha and Michelle's point that one of Garcia Marquez's talents is that the magical realism feels very natural to the world he creates. At the same time, the magical elements still feel very much not of this world, in the way that they interact (or don't interact) with the story. For example, on p. 540, Garcia Marquez writes, "The angel was the only one who took no part in his own act." The angel feels very apart from the main action in some ways -- while the story centers around him, he does not interact with the characters directly much, except a bit towards the end. He is physically separated from the characters in the story, staying in the chicken coop and then the shed. While Garcia Marquez does describe the magical realism as natural to the world the characters inhabit, he also subtly makes these phenomena distinct from their surroundings. The magical creatures are still stigmatized and treated differently from others in their world. I think this is a very interesting approach to magical realism.
ReplyDeleteOne of the most captivating elements of this story was the simultaneous beauty and simplicity of Marquez’s language. Starting from the title, we are given very simple words, but combining them produces something with weightier simplicity (if that makes sense). I found that idea in many of his other descriptions, such as “glimmered like powdered light” and “celestial conspiracy”. As with previous posters, I also thought that the magical realism woven throughout was presented naturally and fluidly, and loved the process of immersion we experienced as we entered this piece of Marquez’s imagination.
ReplyDeleteI am confused as to whether this was magical realism or fantastical. In one respect, it seems fantastical because people are amazed with the fact an angel has fallen to the earth, to the point of forming lines to see it. Yet, at the same time, this seems to be a world where "fantastical" occur occasionally, like the case of the spider women many in the story are apparently familiar with and accept very, as Michelle said, matter-of-fact. I am still unclear as to what defines "magical realism" and I have asked this question to my friends ad nauseum. Is magical realism magic occurring in a world very much like our own, but magic is treated as just another thing that happens, like gravity or the fact people go to school, or is magical still seen as unrealistic and unbelievable, but the fantastical element of magic takes place in a world very much like our own, like urban fantasy?
ReplyDeleteI'm starting to realize that what makes brutality horrifying to me isn't the fact of it, but people's reactions to it. And this story was unbelievably horrifying because of its characters' total lack of empathy. There are other reactions that are equally painful to read, but this one stands out here in particular because Elisenda almost feels bad for him. The line, "Elisenda let out a sigh of relief, for herself and for him[...]" is almost absurd given the way she and Palayo have treated him. It indicates that she is in fact capable of empathizing with the old man--she just chose not to because it was easier not to feel.
ReplyDeleteI loved the title of this story. It could easily have been called "The Angel," and lost half its ambiguity in a heartbeat.