Imagery

In establishing the character of the old man, Garcia Marquez plays against traditional stereotypes of angels. Angels are supernatural creatures and are expected them to be presented in images that convey grandeur, perfection, wisdom, and grace. By definition, angels are contrasted with humans; though they resemble humans physically, they are super-human in every conceivable way. But like Father Gonzaga, the reader's first response to the old man is likely to be that he is "much too human." Instead of presenting a majestic, aweinspiring figure, Garcia Marquez describes a creature with mortal weaknesses and senility ("a drenched great-grandfather"), in circumstances without any trace of reverence or dignity. While his feathered wings invite comparisons with birds, even this imagery is common and debased; he is "a senile vulture" or a "decrepit hen," not a soaring eagle or an elegant swan. While the villagers face the problem of understanding an apparent...