There are many similarities between “A very old man with enormous wings” by Gabriel García Mȧrquez and “The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka. Both show many negative aspects of human nature through the use of magical realism, while also demonstrating many valuable lessons. Some of these lessons involve help appearing in unexpected and unrecognized places and the ease with which humans become distracted by the superficial components of life. One message from the two stories is that help appears in unexpected and indirect ways. In “An Old Man with Enormous Wings,” the angel appears seemingly out of nowhere and changes Pelayo and Elisenda's lives for the better. Although they are treated as nothing more than a pet, he provides them with enough money to build a luxurious home. Each member hides behind a different excuse to avoid doing any work. However, once Gregor was taken away from them, they received the push they needed to stop making excuses and fend for themselves. Mr. Samsa transformed from a man who "couldn't be expected to do much" to a bank messenger, Mrs. Samsa transformed from a woman who had no expectations in her life due to asthma to a successful seamstress, and Grete's life was transformed from the days spent "dressing well, sleeping for a long time, helping with household chores, going out for some entertainment and above all playing the violin" to dedicating herself to the activity of a shop assistant, also spending the evenings practicing shorthand and in French to improve (482) . These jobs were not just a way to make ends meet, but were “admirable and would probably lead to better things later” (499-500). In this way Gregor's family underwent their metamorphosis into self-sufficient members of society. This happens often in today's society. An example is the transition from high school to college. In high school, many teenagers are financially dependent on their family. Once they get to college, they are forced to get a job and fend for themselves, often for the first time. While this may be stressful at first, they eventually realize how to be themselves. “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” shows this idea through the town's desire to be distracted by the spider woman. Part of this change in focus is due to convenience; it cost less to see her than to see the angel. It was also easier to choose to see the spider rather than the angel. The spider was open to questions and it was more obvious to spot a lesson from her, while the angel rarely interacted with anyone. It seems there would be a lot to learn from the angel if citizens were willing to invest some time. An angel would have valuable knowledge and lessons to share if anyone was willing to listen. No one ever tries to befriend him, and instead he becomes too caught up in mob mentality to harass the angel. Many were also reluctant to visit the angel due to his unkempt appearance, not realizing that it does not reflect his personality. These ideas also occur in today's world. People tend to choose the easy path instead of doing what is right. Peer pressure is a dominant component of this, along with not wanting to be the odd one out. When a group gossips about someone, it is much easier to go along with it than to speak out and be subject to criticism. Humans are also prone to basing their opinion of others based on their physical appearance, not their personality, just like in the situation the angel was in