In Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” he is writing it in a very similar style as Franz Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis.” As they both have normal people turning into something different and it becomes a struggle for them to get up and do what they usually do in their everyday life.
“He had to go very close to see that it was an old man, a very old man, lying face down in the mud, who, in spite of his tremendous efforts, couldn’t get up, impeded by his enormous wings.” (217)
Marquez must have an understanding of angels, as it was written that the angel fell into the backyard of a sick child. He wanted to show that angels were sent to you in a time of need. He could have also sent the angel to this family so that they could make money off of him, as they could have been in a time of need. Gabriel was having the neighbor blaming it on something else, was saying it was just fate bringing someone like him to their house.
“He’s an angel, she told them. He must have been coming for the child, but the poor fellow is so old that the rain knocked him down.” (218)
The woman who turned into a spider is also similar to “The Metamorphosis,” as she wasn’t born like a spider. By this woman turning into a spider for disobeying her parents show that her parents also had something mysterious about them and makes one wonders what happened to the parents for them to be able to make her change into something else as well.
“ It so happened that during those days, among so many other carnival attractions, there arrived in town the traveling show of the woman who had been changed into a spider for having disobeyed her parents.” (222)
This takes me back to the idea of the story being a children’s fairytale. Especially with the woman turning into a spider. Could this have simply been to teach kids not to disobey their parents (or else they’ll turn into a spider too)? It’s always very interesting to see stories for children be so dark; it makes you curious what they’re suppose to gain from it.
While I was reading this story, I had completely forgot that it was supposed to be a children’s story! I could not help but have sympathy for the angel, it seemed as though he was a “blessing” for the family – making them rich, popularity, a better life, etc. – but they did not treat him like a decent human being. As far as the spider metamorphosis, I believe it was to teach children to listen to their parents. I am not sure how it flows with the story, that is the hard part to figure out, but the story had multiple little symbols, like a puzzle, for the reader to figure out. (Also, side note, Garbriel Garcia Marquez is a male.)
I hadn’t really thought to compare this story to “The Metamorphosis.” I think your comparison of the spider woman to Gregor is very interesting, though, especially when considering both their relationships with their families.
Your idea of the writing being similar to Kafka’s intrigued me because it was not something I noticed, or see now, but an interesting comparison in the sense of a metamorphosis into a “bug” or “critter” type.