Educational Notes

a. How does the narrator describe the weather and its effects in the exposition of the story?

Ans: The narrator describes gloomy, continuous rain that lasted for days, causing floods in the house and yard. The sky and sea turned grey, the sand became muddy, and everything appeared lifeless and dim.

b. Describe the strange old man as Pelayo and his wife first encounter him.

Ans: They find an old man lying face down in the mud, weak and dirty. He is bald, toothless, and has enormous, battered wings tangled in feathers and mud, making him look both human and mysterious.

c. Why did Pelayo and Elisenda imprison the old man in the chicken coop?

Ans: Believing the man to be an angel who came to take their sick child, they locked him in the chicken coop to prevent any harm or loss.

d. Why was Father Gonzaga doubtful that the old man was an angel?

Ans: Father Gonzaga doubted the old man’s divine nature because he didn’t understand Latin, didn’t behave like an angel, and appeared too human and dirty to represent a celestial being.

e. Why did so many people come to see the old man?

Ans: People came out of curiosity and fascination, drawn by the rumor that a real angel had fallen to Earth. His strange appearance made them believe he was supernatural.

f. What miracles were reported during the crowd’s visits?

Ans: Strange events were reported: a blind man grew new teeth, a paralyzed man nearly won the lottery, and a leper’s sores blossomed with sunflowers. These surreal events were seen as magical, if not exactly helpful.

g. What cruel acts did people do to the old man?

Ans: The crowd teased and tormented him. They threw stones, burned him with hot iron, pulled his feathers, and treated him like a circus attraction without any compassion.

h. How did the woman become a spider?

Ans: As punishment for disobeying her parents and sneaking out to dance, she was struck by lightning and transformed into a giant spider—a tale used to entertain and warn others.

i. How did Elisenda witness the old man fly away?

Ans: From her kitchen window, Elisenda noticed a breeze and saw the old man flapping his wings and eventually lifting off the ground, disappearing into the sky like a dream fading away.

a. Interpretations of the old man varied. How do the neighbor woman, Father Gonzaga, and the doctor explain his presence?

Ans: The neighbor woman believes he's a fallen angel. Father Gonzaga doubts this, citing his dirty appearance and inability to speak Latin. The doctor is baffled, wondering how such a frail being could still be alive. Each interpretation reflects their background—superstition, religion, and science respectively.

b. List five examples of magical realism from the story and explain why they are magical.

Ans: 1. An old man with wings—human yet supernatural.
2. The man’s unclear dialect—hinting at another realm.
3. The spider woman—transformed as punishment.
4. The strange miracles—bizarre rather than healing.
5. The old man’s final flight—feather regrowth and lift-off defy logic. All these events blend reality with magical elements, a hallmark of magical realism.

c. Why does the author introduce the spider-woman and shift focus away from the old man?

Ans: The spider-woman represents how easily public attention shifts to new spectacles. It highlights society’s fleeting interest and how people exploit others until something more entertaining arrives.

d. How did Pelayo and his wife take advantage of public belief?

Ans: They monetized the crowd’s fascination by charging an entrance fee to see the old man. They exploited people’s belief in miracles to earn money and eventually improve their living conditions.