Discussion-3 Model Answers
The Old
Man at the Bridge by
Ernest Hemingway reflects the theme of depression and impending death. Discuss.
The Old Man at the Bridge by Ernest Hemingway
Ernest
Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899, in America. He was a novelist, short story
writer, and journalist. His economic and understated style had a strong
influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public
image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between
the mid-1920s and the mid-1950s. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954.
He published seven novels, six short story collections, and two non-fiction
works. Additional works, including three novels, four short story collections,
and three non-fiction works, were published posthumously. The Old Man and the
Sea is considered a classic of American literature.
"Old Man at the
Bridge," which Ernest Hemingway "cabled from Barcelona" to
his publisher in April of 1938, most likely grew out of the author's
experiences as a journalist during the Spanish Civil War
(1936-1939). In this brief and spare story, Hemingway unleashes a a multitude of contrasts: young and old, war and peace, the man-made and the
natural.
The story details a chance encounter
between a young soldier and an old Spaniard at a pontoon bridge. The old man's
hometown of San Carlos is being evacuated because of artillery fire, and he
sits at the roadside before the bridge crossing, too tired to walk. The
soldier, while anticipating contact with the enemy, expresses concern about the
man's safety and encourages him to continue moving. The old man, on the other
hand, is not concerned about himself but worries about the animals he left
behind. The old man's view of himself as a guardian of animals contrasts
ironically with the soldier's identity as a killer of people.
The old man tells the soldier that he
was forced to leave behind two goats, one cat, and four pairs of doves. The old
man admits that "there is no need to be unquiet" about the welfare of
a clever cat, and also confirms that he left the dove cage unlocked—the birds
will certainly fly to safety. It is the fate of "the
others"—the two goats—that he laments. The old man is very much like
the goats he left in harm's way, since they have nowhere to go and cannot take
care of themselves. Unlike the goats, however, this man is completely alone.
Ultimately, both the goats and the old man are left to their fates because the
soldier admits that "there was nothing to do" but leave the old man
behind.
Finally, and almost parenthetically, the
young soldier mentions that this encounter took place on Easter Sunday. The
image of the risen Christ is not unlike the image of the old man's doves being
released from their cage—both are symbols of hope and peace. The soldier,
however, is not hopeful about the old man's fate—he bitterly remarks that
"all the good luck that old man would ever have" was the fact that
artillery planes were not flying that day and "the fact that cats know how
to look after themselves." In this tale of contrasts, Hemingway portrays
the natural world as morally and spiritually superior to the manufactured world
of human beings because it does not destroy itself in war. As a keeper of
animals, the old man, though he has no family and no political affiliations, is
also morally and spiritually superior to the young soldier who leaves him
behind.
The story
‘Old Man at the Bridge’ is in the form of a conversation between a soldier and an
old man. The writer takes the ordinary detail and transforms it into a powerful
story about the tragedy of war. The old man in the story becomes a symbol of
countless civilians who perished in the war.
The story
‘Old Man at the Bridge’ is related through a conversation between a soldier and
an old man who had to leave his hometown during the Spanish Civil War. During
the war, there was panic and anxiety all around. Everyone was aware of the
impending death. An old man with spectacles sat exhausted by the side of a road
near a pontoon bridge that crossed the river. The soldier got engaged in
conversation with the old man. During the conversation, he came to know that the
old man was worried about the animals that he had left behind. The old man told
the soldier that he had the charge of two goats, a cat, and four pairs of
pigeons. He said that a captain had told him to leave the town and the animals
because of artillery fire. He had no family but he expressed concern about what
would happen to his animals. He said that the cat would be all right because
cats could look after themselves, but he did not know what would happen to his
other animals.
The soldier was concerned about the old man’s safety whereas the old man was
concerned about his animal’s safety. He told the soldier that he was an old man
of 76 and had come 12 kilometers and was too tired to walk up the road and
catch a ride on a truck to Barcelona. The old man thanked the soldier for his
concern for his safety but he continued to express his concern over the fate of
the animals he had left behind. The old man remained obsessed with the thought
about the safety of his animals. At the end of the story, the soldier felt pity
for the old man and thought “There was nothing to do about him.” He realized
that he could not remove the old man’s concern about the safety of his animals.
The story reflects the theme of depression and impending death.
The story ‘Old Man at the Bridge’ is related
to a conversation between a soldier and an old man who had to leave his
hometown during the Spanish Civil War. During the war, there was panic and
anxiety all around. Everyone was aware of the impending death. An old man with
spectacles who had walked 12 kilometers from his hometown sat exhausted by the
side of a road near a pontoon bridge that crossed a river. Carts, trucks, and
men, women, and children were crossing the bridge. Peasants, refugees, and Republican
soldiers laden with munitions and supplies fled the advancing Fascist army. The
narrator, who said that his mission was to cross the bridge and find out how
far the enemy had advanced, did so. He saw the old man sitting beside the
bridge when he crossed toward the enemy. He found him still sitting there when
he crossed back. He began talking to the old man and came to know that his
hometown was San Carlos. He was the last person to leave the town, as he was
anxious about his animals.
The narrator, who was nervously awaiting the advent
of the Fascist army and the ensuing battle between the armies, asked the old
man about his animals. The old man said that he had charge of two goats, a cat , and four pairs of pigeons. He said that a captain had told him to leave the
town and the animals because of artillery fire. He also told the narrator that
he had no family. He, then, expressed concern about what would happen to the
animals. He said that the cat would be all right because cats could look after
themselves, but he did not know what would happen to the other animals.
The narrator, who was more concerned for the old
man’s safety than those of the animals, enquired what the old man’s .politics
was. The old man replied that he had none. He told the narrator that he was an
old man of 76 and had come 12 kilometers and was too tired to go further. The
narrator told him to walk up the road and catch a ride on a truck to Barcelona.
The old man thanked him but continued to express
his concern over the fate of the animals he had left behind. The narrator
reassured him, saying the animals would be fine. The narrator told him that the
pigeons would fly away, but the old man continued to worry about the goats. The
narrator told him that it was better not to think about them and that he should
get up and walk to the trucks and leave that place. He thanked the narrator and
got to his feet, swayed from side to side, and then sat down backward in the
dust. He reflected his obsession with the fate of his animals when he remarked
that ‘he was only taking care of animals. The narrator felt pity for the old
man and remarked that there was nothing to do about him. He thought that the
old man’s only luck was that cats could look after themselves and that the day
was overcast, so the Fascists were unable to launch their planes.
Old Man at the Bridge Word Notes and Explanations
The story
‘Old Man at the Bridge’ deals with the themes of resignation, depression, and
impending death. This theme is reflected in a conversation between a soldier
and an old man who had to leave his hometown during the Spanish Civil War. The
old man is gripped by panic and anxiety. He is a fatalistic hero of the story
who is resigned to his fate as a casualty of war. When the soldier who is
concerned about the safety of the old man tells him to walk up the road and
catch a ride on the truck to Barcelona, he tells him that he is an old man of
76 and is too tired to go further. So he resigns himself to his fate. Then the
soldier reflects that he is sure to be killed once the Fascists advance to the
bridge across the Ebro. His life is prolonged by the fact that the day is
overcast and the Fascists cannot launch their planes. His mind is eased by the
fact that cats can look after themselves, but aside from that the soldier says
that nothing can be done for him and his death seems certain.
The soldier seems more affected by the inevitability of the man’s probable fate
than by the old man. On the other hand, the old man is worried about the fate
of his animals. He can’t get rid of the thought of the safety of his animals. This
gives him depression. When the soldier tells him that it is best not to think
about his animals, he is unable to stop thinking about them. This leads him to
depression.
At the
close of the story, the narrator bemoans the old man’s impending death. He asks
him to walk and catch a ride on the truck to Barcelona, but the old man
expresses his inability to walk due to fatigue. The soldier begins to feel pity
for him and says, “There was nothing to do about him.”
The title
of the story ‘Old Man at the Bridge’ is very appropriate because the story
revolves around the old man who has left his hometown during the Spanish Civil
War and has arrived at the bridge for safety. It is at the bridge that the
narrator engages the old man in conversation. The old man expresses his concern
about the safety of the animals that he has left behind. He thinks that the cat
will be all right, but he is worried about the safety of the other animals. The
narrator is worried about the safety of the old man whereas the old man is
worried about the safety of his animals. The narrator asks the old man not to
think about his animals and to get up and walk to the trucks and leave that
place, but the old man who has already walked 12 kilometers on foot expresses
his inability to walk due to fatigue. He remains at the bridge. Thus the story
has an apt title.
In this
story ‘Old Man at the Bridge’, the author wants to convey his opposition to war
because war spreads panic and anxiety all around. Everyone becomes aware of the
impending death.
Confusion
and chaos prevails everywhere. During the Spanish Civil War, an old man with
spectacles sits exhausted by the side of a road near a pontoon bridge. The
soldier gets engaged in conversation with the old man. During the conversation, the soldier comes to know that the old man is worried about the fate of the
animals that he had left behind. The soldier is concerned about the safety of
the old man whereas the old man is concerned about the safety of his animals.
He tells the old man to get up and catch a ride on a truck to Barcelona.
He wants
the old man to save his life. But the old man who is 76 and has walked 12 kilometers
tells the soldier that he is too tired to walk and catch a ride on a truck. The
old man thanks the soldier for his concern for his safety, but he continues to
express his concern over the fate of the animals that he had left behind. At
the end of the story, the soldier feels pity for the old man and thinks, “There
was nothing to do about him.” The story reflects that war brings depression,
anxiety, and scare of death. So the author expresses his opposition to the war. He
conveys a message that war should be opposed and avoided.
The old
man, the protagonist of the story ‘Old Man at the Bridge’, is a healthy and
energetic old man of 76. He is physically fit and agile. During the Spanish
Civil War, he has to walk 12 kilometers from his hometown to the bridge. He has
to leave his place because a captain told him to leave the town because of
artillery fire during the Spanish Civil War.
He has no
family but he loves his animals. He has the charge of two goats, a cat and four
pairs of pigeons. He is forced to leave his farm and animals behind. But he is
worried about the safety of his animals. During his conversation with the
soldier at the bridge, he reveals that he is not worried about the safety of
his own life because he is a fatalist; but he expresses his deep concern about
the safety of his animals. He tells the soldier that he is not worried about
the cat because cats can look after themselves, but he is worried about the
fate of other animals. He cannot get rid of the thought about the safety of his
animals. This thought makes him depressed and sad.
The old
man symbolizes the men and women who have to leave their homes as victims of
war with which they have nothing to do. The old man is a victim of the warlike
the goats because the goats, unlike the pigeons, can’t fly.
He
reconciles himself with his impending death. When the soldier asks him to catch
a ride on a truck to Barcelona to save his life, he refuses to do so. The
soldier takes pity on him and says “There was nothing to do about him”. Thus he
is worried more about the safety of his animals than his own safety.
The
narrator in the story ‘Old Man at the Bridge’ is the soldier who comes in
contact with an old man at the bridge where people are crossing to flee from
the Spanish Civil War.
The
soldier is a scout whose duty is to cross the bridge and find out how far the
enemy has advanced. He engages himself in conversation with the old man.
During
conversation, he comes to know that the old man is worried more about the
safety of his animals whom he has left behind in his hometown than his own
safety. On the other hand, the narrator is worried about the safety of the old
man. He tells the old man to take a ride on a truck to Barcelona, and save
himself but he refuses to do so. The narrator feels sad about the inevitability
of the old man’s fate and feels pity for him, saying “There was nothing to do
about him”. He bemoans the old man’s impending death. The conversation reflects
the old man’s fatalism and the narrator’s despair in a subtle manner.
The story
‘Old Man at the Bridge’ is related through a conversation between a soldier and
an old man who had to leave his hometown during the Spanish Civil War. The
conversation takes place at the bridge where the soldier is performing his
duty.
The story
conveys the problems faced by people as victims of war in the form of a
dialogue. The conversation advances the story further and takes it to its
logical conclusion. The theme of the story and the characteristic traits of the
two characters involved in the conversation are revealed through conversation.
The story
is written in the first person and narrated by a nameless soldier whose duty is
to observe the advancing of the enemy. The soldier has captured the atmosphere
of war and the helplessness of the people as victims of war in
his conversation with the old man who was forced to leave his hometown and
animals behind. He has explored the region and the situation by suggestive
hints. The first-person narrative helps the reader to identify with the scene
of threat and helplessness.
The story
abounds in metaphors and symbols. One of the symbols is the bridge which
represents uncertainty and dangers. The pigeons symbolize peace and harmony and
the fact that they fly away, from the war, may be a reference to the refugees
who flee from the war to a safer place. The cat is a symbol of independence who
does not need anybody to survive, but the goat is often used as a sacrificial
animal and this probably represents the old man who reconciles himself with his
impending death.
As Hemingway observes the movement
of vehicles and civilians fleeing across the pontoon bridge from an
anticipated enemy attack, he notices a solitary old man sitting at the
edge of the structure. Upon questioning him, Hemingway determines that the old
man has just walked the twelve kilometers from his home village of San
Carlos, but fatigue forces him to halt at the bridge, for he can go no further.
The last man to leave the village, the old man's duty is to take care of the
animals left behind. It is obvious that he takes his obligation seriously, for
he worries more about the cat, two goats, and eight pigeons that were under his
care than for his own safety. Sadly, he explains, he was forced to leave them
behind. The cat will be able to take care of itself, he adds, but the goats and
pigeons will have to fend for themselves. The correspondent suggests that the
displaced man cross the bridge to the next crossroads, where he can catch a
truck toward Barcelona, but the man explains that "I know no one in that
direction." Although the correspondent is curious, he is not particularly
helpful, and when the old man is unable to proceed, the journalist decides that
"there was nothing to do about him." The enemy would cross the bridge
soon, and death appears imminent for the old man.
The story
is narrated in a conversational form and the language used is simple. But
several simple words are symbolic insignificance. The style is lucid and
intelligible. The dialogue between the soldier and the old man takes the story
forward. The simple conversation reveals the characteristic traits of the
speakers and reflects the theme of the story.
Sources:
·
https://www.learncram.com/english-summary/old-man-at-the-bridge-summary/
·
https://www.enotes.com/topics/old-man-at-the-bridge
No comments:
Post a Comment