Gabriel Garcia Márquez uses imagery and symbolism throughout his 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 and who represents light and dirt. Angels in common knowledge are described as beautiful creatures or celestial beings. Marquez can exploit this traditional symbol thanks to the angel's wings. In the story, the angel/old man's wings are described as dirty, disheveled, and undecorated. Marquez jokes about this angel. Instead of being an angel of beauty and miracles, he is instead some sort of reaper or deadly figure. However, as dirty as the angel's wings may be, it still seems to draw attention to thousands of villagers and travellers. Regardless of what the reader believes or imagines the angel to be, the characters still seem to treat the angel as if he were a normal homeless person. Soon the village doctor examines the old man and notices how naturally the angel/old man's unique wings fit into the rest of his body. The doctor wonders why the rest of the people in the village don't have wings too. This would consequently suggest that the old man is an ordinary and mystical being at the same time. Giving the angel or old man the description of not being fully human or dreamlike whatsoever. Which brings light to the question; Would we change our view on angels today if this angel had ever been discovered by us? Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Additionally, the angel appears to have a connection with a newborn baby who appears to have become ill as soon as the angel arrives. However, this disease appears to be short-lived as soon as the angel is thrown into a cage and locked inside a chicken coop. This makes the reader realize that the sudden presence of the angel could have something to do with the state of health of the newborn. As soon as the angel arrives, the child becomes ill and after a short time is locked up, thus recovering his health. The improvement of the child's health is not the only blessing for the city, but the angel begins to be used as a sort of circus attraction. As a way to get as much monetary value as possible. From this point on the angel soon begins to deteriorate, which causes him to lose his sight and his feathers also fall out. It seems that we readers begin to sympathize with the angel. It is then that we begin to remember the fact that the angel is also a living being like the rest of the inhabitants of the city. 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. For them, the old man is a dirty person, often seen as nothing more than a homeless person, even if they call him an angel. However, the narrator also visualizes him as beautiful. The angel may seem creepy and perhaps even crazy, but that in no way eliminates the fact that he too is actually a living creature. And we readers thank the narrator for helping us understand this fact. Works Cited Bloom, H. (ed.). (2009). Gabriel Garcia Márquez (Bloom's Modern Critical Views). New York, NY: Infobase Publishing.Cevallos, F. G. (1990). Gabriel García Márquez: a critical companion. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.Consolo, V. (2003). Gabriel Garcia Márquez and the powers of fiction. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press.Franco, J. (2010). Decline and fall of the literate city: Latin America in the Cold War. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.González, A. (2003). Gabriel García Márquez: A life. New York, NY:..