In the short story by Gabriel García Márquez called, "A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings" he portrays two brilliant characters known as Spider-Woman, and an old man with huge wings who is also known as an angel. In this short story, it displays some similarities, and differences between the Spider-Woman and the Old man to show their efficiency, and how the characters explore dualities in human life.
Firstly, the author compares the Old Man and the Spider-Women in this short story in many similar ways. The story states that the Old Man and the Spider-Woman are both known as phenomena's throughout the story. They are phenomena's because the definition states that it is, "the object of a person's perception; what the senses or the mind notice, one whose cause or explanation is in question." Also another similarity is that they both share the faith that's handed down to them by twisted human nature of their lives.
Secondly, the author contrasts the Old Man and the Spider-Woman in this short story in many different ways. The story shows that the people think the Old Man with Angel wings, not understandable people because he is more complex, and does not tell the people any information about himself, so he is unexciting to pay much attention too. In "A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings" it states, "A spectacle like that, full of so much human truth and with such a fearful lesson, was bound to defeat without even trying that of a haughty angel who scarcely deigned to look at mortals." The Spider-Woman is easy to understand because she is simple, and she is a spectacle to many people since she is the main attraction of the traveling carnival show which is why people pay attention to her.
Lastly, the author uses these characters to explore dualities in human life. In the story the Old Man is quiet and sullen, and not supposed to be a spectacle.