“A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” wryly examines the human response to those who are weak, dependent, and different. There are moments of striking cruelty and callousness throughout the story.
The parents decide to put the old man to sea on a raft with provisions for three days rather than just killing him after Elisenda and Pelayo’s child recovers from his illness, a concession to the old man’s difficult situation but hardly a kind act. Pelayo and Elisenda imprison him in a chicken coop outside, where strangers pelt him with stones, gawk at him, and even burn him with a branding iron. Once they discover that they can profit from showcasing him.
Moments of compassion are few and far between, although perhaps all the more significant for being so rare. By the time the old man finally flies into the sunset, Elisenda, for all her fussing, sees him go with a twinge of regret. See that couldn't been me, because I would've destroyed everything when I finally got well. That not only what I will do, but also others would, too. Am I right or wrong? It just the way we response to things.
It just amazing how someone extreme patience that can ultimately transforms lives. Seen in this light, the old man’s refusal to leave might be interpreted as an act of compassion to help the impoverished couple. García Márquez may have even intended to remind readers of the advice found in Hebrews 13:2 in the Bible: “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” If you think about it, you never know how many angels you have mistreated in your lifetime.
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