Read “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” by Gabriel García Márquez (attached). Reflect and respond to the story in a 3- to 4-page reader-response essay.
Remember that reader-response essays are less formal than other types of academic writing. You may use the personal pronoun “I” and may write about whatever strikes you from the story. You may also choose to write from one of the following prompts:
Explain how “good” and “evil” co-exist in this story, and which one you think wins out in the end. Use specific lines of text from the story to support your assertion.
Was the old man with the enormous wings truly an angel? Why or why not? Use specific lines of text from the story to support your assertion.
Gabriel García Márquez is said to have fathered the genre of “magical realism” with this story. What parts of the story felt magical to you and what parts felt real? How do they work together to convey the overall message of the story? Use specific lines of text from the story to support your assertion.
Does the fact that Márquez is a South American writer have any influence on the developments of this story? Does its international setting have any impact on the reader’s potential understanding of the story?