Grace Returns For More

Marquez uses the winged man as an example of how God’s grace can be bestowed on the needy in less than traditional guises. Pelayo and Elisenda are in dire straits at the beginning of the story; their child is chronically ill and crabs constantly overrun their ramshackle house. They clearly need a stroke of good fortune, but they do not expect anyone, especially God, to come to their aid. It is against this backdrop that a mysterious winged man appears; although he does not directly help the family, he is a curiosity in the village and thus becomes a source of revenue for the family. While the winged man is unable to perform the standard set of sudden miracles, blind men did not suddenly recover their sight, during the winged man’s stay the host family’s sickly child becomes well. Only once the fortunes of Pelayo and Elisenda have been reversed does the winged man begin to make attempts of leave. Although the family was not blessed with the answer to its prayers in a blaze of heavenly glory, the net effect is the same. Marquez suggests that God may not respond to the needs of mortals in the manner that we expect, but God still works subtly to improve our lives.