A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings by : Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Freytag’s Plot Pyramid

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Exposition

Inciting Moment

Exposition

The main characters of this story are:

Pelayo - Husband of Elisenda, father of sick child.

Elisenda - Wife of Pelayo, mother of sick child.

‘The Angel’ or ‘The Old Man’- The protagonist of the story, the angel is taunted for being different.

The Setting of this story is:

The story takes place in a gloomy coastal town in South America.

Inciting Moment

The inciting moment for this story would be when after coming upon ‘The Angel’ in their courtyard Pelayo and Elisenda locked him up in the chicken coup for being different. Bringing the moral of the story into play. This is the real hook of the story it is explained in a way that the reader begins to understand where the author is headed with the motif.

Rising Action

The rising action that takes place in this short story begins after the inciting moment when the priest of the town comes and explains why that the creature may be an angel, however is incredibly human like making it almost impossible to be a supernatural being. When the towns people hear about The Angel, they become very fidgety wanting to see what it actually is.

Climax / Turning Point

The entire town and people from all over the world seek sudden interest in The Angel and come from great lengths to have a glimpse at him while he remains in the chicken coup. Elisenda decides to charge a small admission fee to see The Angel and soon she and her husband Pelayo become incredibly wealthy from the admission fees.

Falling Action

The new sensation is ‘‘the spider-woman,’’ whose fantastic nature includes none of the majesty we associate with angels; she represents a kind of ''magic’’ familiar from fairytales and folk legends. She comes to the town with a carnival and charges a lower fee than the The Angel. The town grows more interested in the Spider woman and eventually stops coming to see The Angel all together.

Resolution / Dénouement

After years of being with Pelayo and Elisenda The Angel grows old and the child grows up. When it seems that The Angel will die he grows new wings and flies away over the ocean. Elisenda only feels that the annoyence he brought is out of her life. After years of being treated unfairly and in a rude manner The Angel in a sense becomes reborn the ending of the story is described with a good sense of imagery.