A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings

Use these links to supplement and complement students’ reading of the work and to increase their overall enjoyment of literature. Challenge them to discern parallel themes, engage through visual and aural stimuli, and delve deeper into the thematic possibilities presented by the title.

Recommended Texts for Pairing

The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates

• A novel that explores the magical realistic journey of a man fleeing from slavery
• Ties in to themes of The Power of Magical Realism to Transform the Everyday and Meaning Lost in Translation
• The Water Dancer on SuperSummary

The Crucible by Arthur Miller

• A powerful play about the Salem Witch Trials that exposes the chaos of a dogmatic society
• Connects to themes of The Danger of Superstition and Dogmatic Thinking
• The Crucible on SuperSummary

The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie

• A controversial novel about the rebirth of two men in a topsy-turvy world
• Relates to themes of The Power of Magical Realism to Transform the Everyday and Meaning Lost in Translation
• The Satanic Verses on SuperSummary

Other Student Resources

The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus

• A philosophical text about the emptiness of life and how to navigate it
• Absurdism is a foundational precursor to magical realism.