In reading this week's workshops, opened my eyes to the realism of Latin cultures.
In "A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings"…how can cruelty and compassion co-exist in such an environment. It's like the necessary evils in order to know the good.
It takes a look at the human response to the weak, dependent and different.
So many moments of cruelty and callousness are expressed throughout the story, it stuns me.
After the Elisenda's child recovers from the illness, for example, the parents decide to set the old man adrift with provisions for only 3 days a concession to the old man's plight but not a very nice one.
Once they can profit from showcasing him, however , Pelayo and Elisenda imprison him outside in a chicken coop for the visitors to pelt stones at him even taking a hot iron to him. Things that make you ask yourself , "where is the humanity in this world?"
On a positive note, I like that his wings of an angel convey a sense of magical attraction for pilgrims and although his wings are dirty and bedraggled and bare , he is rich in spirit and hope, setting examples for us all.
We are starting DOC2, you ready?
I enjoyed this story. It really made me realize people's reponses to things they don't know and don't understand can be cruel. This goes on even today. They were going to get rid of the old man like you said, but once they figured they could make a profit off of him they decided to keep him locked in a chicken coop.
ReplyDeletethis is a good story that does well to capture the callous nature of human beings
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