In contrast with most stories that have been read within the context of the class, the outstanding fantastic element is not only explicit in the first paragraph but within the title “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
The troublesome thing about this story is the emotions, resonance, and empathy towards the old man that this story elicits, the way that this “angel” is treated. A fear and fascination of the unknown turn into ignorance and mistreatment, putting him in a chicken coop and later charging for admission to see him as if he was a circus animal. A being that is usually regarded as sacred and with glory is deemed dirty with parasites and “half-plucked” in Marquez’s rendition. The old man is exploited for money, miracles, and entertainment. Moreover, it is because he is not the perfect or assumed vision of an angel, exemplified by the priest Father Gonzaga and then the townspeople, that this once in a lifetime experience is taken for granted and abused. He is then later forgotten, except when he was directly interfering with them, as an annoying child does.