The author's flair for describing the fantastic in a casual, understated way creates an atmosphere of credibility in which anything is possible and believable. Using a South American village for setting and an assortment of descriptive images for flavor, M rquez shows how superstitious ignorance and religious dogma can prevent the realization of true spirituality. The rural South American setting adds credibility to his theme by assuming a lack of sophistication and worldliness in his characters and a historically strong Catholic influences. The village's remoteness, which is implied by the need to send a letter to communicate with the bishop, helps explain the characters' suspicious and brutish reaction to the unknown. Because they are stagnated by geographic isolation and lack exposure to outside influences, it seems natural for the villagers to seek understanding through folklore and traditional cultural beliefs.
Diction is mature and appropriate, as is the tone.
The use of literal yet imaginative descriptions is not only effective in supplying a realistic touch to a magical story, but also enhances the theme by establishing a reliance on concrete meanings. By reflecting the perceptions of the villagers through this realistic imagery, M rquez exposes the simplicity and baseness which makes them susceptible to an unyielding trust in traditional beliefs and rigid religious doctrine. The hypocrisy of the church is expressed through the character of the village priest, Father Gonzaga, who assumes the role of authority in dealing with the angel. Throughout his miserable ordeal in Pelayo and Elisenda's village, the angel endures humiliation, neglect, and cruelty. His shabby appearance and failing health are so much more obvious than any angel qualities he might be hiding, that he is treated like an ineffectual enigma rather than the divine creature he is.