At first the old man is nothing more than an annoyance. Pelayo and Elisenda put him in their chicken coop until they decide what to do with him. Word spreads that they have an alleged angel on their hands and many people come to see. Elisenda gets the idea to fence off the area and charge people to see the angel. They make a lot of money with this business.
A carnival comes to town and commands all of the attention the angel had once received. Now, Pelayo's and Elisenda's fenced-in yard is bare, sans the old man and the chickens. However, they have made quite a lot of money off of the old man. They have built a two-story mansion with gardens and "iron bars on the window so that angels wouldn't get in." Elisenda bought satin pumps and silk dresses. Even though they have made a fortune by charging people to see the old man, they do not show him any appreciation. The most they do for him is allow him to sleep in the shed when the chicken coop collapses.
Finally, the old man starts practicing flying and eventually flies away. Elisenda watches his departure anxiously, "because then he was no longer an annoyance in her life but an imaginary dot on the horizon of the sea."
Initially, the old man is an annoyance. He makes them money and changes their lives (financially) for the better. His arrival also coincides with their child recovering from a fever. They greedily use him and show no appreciation. He stops bringing in money and they continue to tolerate him. He leaves and they are glad to see him go.
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