"The Graduate" and "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings" Novels - Literary Analysis Essay

The Graduate

“The Graduate" novel was written in 1963 by Charles Webb shortly after graduating from college. Upon graduating from college, the family of Benjamin Braddock wants to know what plans he has for his life (Webb, 1963). Although everybody at the graduation party praises him for his education achievement, Benjamin is filled with fear of the future. Although he has earned a scholarship for graduate school, he is unsure of what he wants to do. One of the guests at the party called Mrs. Robinson, stands out by giving him career advice. This, however, leads to a moral situation as the two ends up having an affair. Mrs. Robinson is older than Benjamin, and due to societal values, such relationships are mostly under scrutiny. However, Benjamin ends up with Robinson's daughter Elaine, and despite the threats for her parents, love wins. Dating a mother and marrying her daughter is a situation that is questioned in society.

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When deciding to marry, one is accepted to conform to the socially accepted patterns of behavior. It is, for example, morally unacceptable to have an affair with a married person. Benjamin has an intimate affair with Mr. Robinson's wife, but Robinson does not suspect. He sees Benjamin as a good man suitable for his daughter Elaine (Webb, 1963). He sets her up with Benjamin by asking him to call her when she comes home from Berkeley. Mr. Robinson later learns that his wife and Benjamin had a sexual relationship and, therefore, no longer want him to marry his daughter. Elaine, however, challenges the accepted social norm of obeying her parents by fleeing away with Benjamin.

Divorce is not a behavior accepted in many societies, and once people get married, they are expected to stay faithful to their partners. It is expected that marriage should be based on love, but in "The graduate," some marriages and relationships are not based on love. For example, Mrs. Robinson married her husband, not because of love, but because she got pregnant; therefore, she felt she had no other option but to drop out of school and get married (Webb, 1963). As per the social norm, one is expected to get engaged, get married, and then have children. Mr. and Mrs. Robinson challenge this social norm and get divorced, which is against the social norm. There are consequences of deviating from the social norms as the deviants are perceived as a bad influence on those around them.

Deviating from the society norms and values makes a person look like an outcast. Benjamin is not open to his relationship with Mrs. Robinson with anyone as he knows he will be criticized for the decision. When he first takes Elaine to date, he tells him that he had been in an affair with a woman who has a son (Webb, 1963). Telling Elaine that the man she is now dating has an affair with her mother is shocking as the society sees, such as an abomination. Mrs. Robinson also knows that having an affair as a married woman is wrong, and therefore she knows that by telling her daughter that she had an affair with Benjamin, she could be upset and never want to see him again. However, learning the truth from Benjamin is easier for Elaine, and since both of them have a connection, she gives him a chance by abandoning the man she wanted to marry and eloping with him.

Following the societal and cultural norms is important as it helps people avoid consequences such as alienation from society, divorce, and family conflicts. Infidelity is a vice, and it is socially unaccepted no matter the reason. When it occurs, it tears the family apart, and in this novel, it leads to a divorce between Mr. and Mrs. Robinson (Webb, 1963). It also affects the whole family as Elaine can no longer trust her mother when she learns that she is the one who seduced Benjamin. Elaine’s father is also against the marriage as he is angry at Benjamin for having an affair with his wife. At first, she could not believe that her mother could do such a thing and therefore accused Benjamin of raping her. Through "The graduate" narrative, we learn that social expectation shapes our values. Societal values and norms are important in providing order in society by guiding people's behavior.

A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings

The narrative of the short story on ‘a very old man with enormous wings’ has a good structure where the readers are able to follow the story and understand what the story is all about. The writer uses the style of magical realism to communicate the theme of the story and make the readers understand the setting and the moral of the story (Márquez, 1972). Magical realism is used in the story where Pelayo discovered a homeless and disoriented man that had large wings. The magical realism is meant to make the readers think about a character based on the description of the character. The look of the old man made the people begin to question his identity because of his appearance; hence the readers are able to concentrate while reading the story.

The narrative of the story gives the people a look at how people that seem to be different in society are treated by society. The style of the narrative keeps the people guessing of the eventuality of the story; hence the people are able to learn the moral lesson of the story (Márquez, 1972). The linear narrative style is used by the author to show the story as if it's something that actually happened. The story flows from the beginning to the end; hence the readers are able to follow and understand the theme of the story.

The narrative voice is the perspective of the storyteller, and it's important for the reader to understand the perspective of the storyteller. The narrative voice of the story 'a very old man with enormous wings' the narrator the third person voice by using an omniscient voice because he enters into the minds of the characters used in the story and explain why the characters make certain decisions (Márquez, 1972). The voice of the narrator makes the readers understand the story because the readers understand the flow of things. The author is able to make the story interesting through a voice that explains different interesting ideas.

Symbolism literally a device that is used by writers by using symbols to represent ideas that the writer wants to express to the readers. The wings of the old man symbolize power and limitless freedom of motion, where the old man could be able to move freely in a manner that other people were not capable of (Márquez, 1972). The people viewed the old man as an angel because of the wings where they believed resembled those of angels they have heard about. The old man did not speak with the people that had come to seek healing; therefore, he symbolizes old age where people develop different kinds of challenges such as communication challenges.

Among the themes of the 'a very old man with enormous wings' story is doubt and ambiguity where people do not believe things for various reasons because the people have unresolved facts that make them doubt the things they are being said or have heard. The theme is meant to educate the readers to take caution before engaging in activities that they have doubt with (Márquez, 1972). The people in the story saw the old man with wings like an angel, and they began to have doubt that the old man was not an angel when he refused to communicate with them. Pelayo also had doubts about the homeless old man because he had never seen people with wings before; thus, he did not look human.

The story is effective in communicating and making the readers understand the main theme of the story as represented by the characters. The readers are able to compare the experiences of the characters in the story with their own experiences; hence they understand the theme of the story (Márquez, 1972). The author also used a narrative voice to explain the thinking of the characters that make them make the decisions and respond to situations. The author also uses different writing styles, such as symbolism, to express the experiences of the characters. The story was interesting to read and reflects the challenges faced by minority people in society.

References

Webb, C. (1963). The Graduate (Graduate, book 1) by Charles Webb. Fantasticfiction.com. https://www.fantasticfiction.com/w/charles-webb/graduate.htm.

Márquez, G. (1972). Bloom's how to write about Gabriel Garcia Marquez (2nd ed.). Leaf Storm and Other Stories. http://jerrywbrown.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/A-Very-Old-Man-with-Enormous-Wings-Marquez-Gabriel-Garcia.pdf