“The Very Old Man with Enormous Wings,” by Gabriel Márquez, is linked to the classic theme of human selfishness versus sympathy. However, Márquez uses narrative elements such as plot, setting, and different characters, to provide much deeper sources of evidence to support his theme. In "The Very Old Man with Huge Wings", Márquez uses an old man who is supposed to be an angel to display human tendencies to display both brutality and/or grace depending on the situation. The strange, tattered man with wings finds himself in a town to see a sick little boy. After the boy's health improves, the boy's parents, Pelayo and Elisenda, decide to let the old man reside in their chicken coop outside their house because they do not know what to do with him. Soon the villagers hear about this old winged man who can perform miracles and he becomes a big attraction. Especially since visitors come to be speechless and receive miracles from the old man; Elisneda decides to charge a fee to see him. The Old Man is inactive and inattentive to the crowds and is soon overshadowed by the new attractions visiting the town. Yet, Elisneda and Pelayo have acquired so much money from the Old Man attraction that they are able to build a bigger house and the Old Man moves into the shed. The old man frequently enters inside the house and annoys Elisends with his presence. Soon, when the family thinks the Old Man is going to die, his new feathers bloom and he leaves town. Márquez uses the plot of his story to expose humans who exploit selfless beings, like the old man, for personal gain. He displays the compassion shown by the old man and the miracles he performs for others and, in turn, the villagers behave as if they were in the middle of a paper... that of a haughty angel …” (273). Through the use of the character Spider Woman, Márquez clearly explains the lack of loyalty of humans once something better or more interesting comes along, proving the selfishness of humans. Márquez uses different elements to support his theme of selfish human behavior using a ragged angel. to prove his reasoning. Instead of how an angel is usually looked at, the old man does not fit the traditional angel appearance and is used for entertainment purposes and as a means of making money. Once Pelayo and Elisenda heal their son, they do not hesitate to use the old man as a tool for their acclaimed new wealth. Márquez draws attention to many who do the same and prefer to get what they want by thinking only of themselves and hurting others, using the actions of the villagers towards the old man who is supposed to be an angel..