Character Summary:
-Old Man/Angel: A mysterious man who is kept in a chicken coop, is taunted and ridiculed, and is not appreciated for all of the good he provides. Instead, he is treated badly, which reveals how judgmental people can be when there is good right in from of their faces.
-Pelayo: Seems caring at the beginning but ends up being like all the others in that he uses him for his own selfish means by using him as a circus for his own greed.
-Elisenda: The wife that uses him as a source of entertainment for her own money. She gets annoyed of him after he no longer benefits her.
-Father Gonzaga: He is skeptical along with everyone else about the old man being a real angel, yet tries to get people to respect him.
-Neighbor Woman: A friend of Pelayo and Elisenda who tries to act like she knows everything and gives them advice on what to do with the old man. She claims he was an angel sent to care for their sick child.
-The Spider Girl: A girl who turned into a spider by the heavens for sneaking out. She becomes the new "it" thing and steals the crowds attention away from the old man.
Discussion questions:
1. Why do you think Marquez referred to the visitor as "a very old man with enormous wings" rather than "an angel"?
-He was referred to in this sense in order to portray how he was not really seen as anything that great to the people, rather he was seen as a weird old man with obnoxious feathers. Instead of referring to him as an angel which is something that is seen as spiritual, special, and a gift, he serves as a skeptical and is only payed attention when it's convenient for them. In other words, all of his great blessings and abilities aren't really focused on, instead people condemn him for being different and don't accept or appreciate him just because he looks different.
2. What do the reactions of the different people of the town say about human nature itself?
-The people's reactions depict how narrow-minding, distrusting, cruel, and selfish they are. The fact that they taunt him then use him for their own benefits without even really believing in him, reveals the human nature to use things as much as possible, until they have nothing left to get out of them and find something new to replace them with. This can be seen when people stopped being attention to the old man after "Spider Girl" came along simply because she was new and exciting.
3. What are some possible themes for this story?
-Acceptance vs. scorn
-Selfishness
-Trust
-Human Nature: narrow-mindedness and pride
-Ignorance
-Faith in things unseen
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