Gabriel Garcia Marquez uses imagery and symbolism throughout his short story, from beginning to end. One of the most significant uses of symbolism in this text would be the old man or angel that the village encounters who represents light and dirt. In common knowledge, angels are described as beautiful creatures or celestial beings. Marquez can play on this traditional symbol thanks to the angel's wings in particular. In the story, the angel/old man's wings are described as being dirty, disheveled and unadorned. Marquez gives irony to this angel. Instead of being an angel of beauty and miracles, he is more of a sort of reaper or mortal figure. However, as impure as the angel's wings may be, they still seem to attract the attention of thousands of villagers and travelers. Regardless of what we, the reader, believe or imagine the angel to be, however, the characters seem to treat the angel as if he were an ordinary homeless person. Soon the village doctor examines the old man and notices how the angel/old man's unique wings fit naturally with the rest of his body. The doctor is surprised why the rest of the villagers don't also have wings. This would therefore suggest that the old man is both an ordinary and mystical being. Giving the angel or old man the description of not being fully human or dreamlike. Which sheds light on the question; Would we change our view of angels today if we had already discovered this angel? Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Additionally, the angel appears to have a connection with a newborn baby who appears to have fallen ill upon arrival. However, this illness seems to be short-lived once the angel is thrown into a cage and locked in a chicken coop. This gives the reader the idea that the sudden presence of the angel might have something to do with the health of the newborn. As soon as the angel arrives, the child becomes ill and, shortly after, he is locked up, allowing him to regain his health. The child's improved health is not the only blessing for the town, but they begin to use the angel as a sort of circus attraction. As a way to gain as much monetary value as possible. The angel soon begins to deteriorate from this point on, causing him to lose his sight and his feathers to fall off as well. We, the reader, seem to begin to sympathize with the angel. This is when we begin to remember that the angel is also a living being like the rest of the townspeople. In conclusion, the old man or angel represents light and dirt. I believe Marquez wanted us readers to find beauty in the ugly and ordinary. This is what Pelayo and Elisenda cannot do. To them, the old man is a dirty person, often seen as just a homeless person, although they call him an angel. However, the narrator also visualizes him as being beautiful. The angel may seem disturbing and perhaps even crazy, but that does not negate the fact that he too is a living creature. And we, the readers, thank the narrator for helping us see this fact. Works CitedBloom, H. (Ed.). (2009). Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Modern Critical Views of Bloom). New York, NY: Infobase Publishing. Cevallos, F.G. (1990). Gabriel García Márquez: a critical companion. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. Consolo, V. (2003). Gabriel Garcia Marquez and the powers of fiction. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press. Franco, J. (2010). The decline and fall of the literate city: Latin America during the Cold War...