Character
Themes
Symbolism
Setting
Conflict and Message
100

Identify ONE character trait of the old man and justify it with textual evidence.

lonely / loving / protective
100
What is the most prominent theme in the story?

Pointlessness / Futility of War

100

What does the bridge represent in the story?

Hope, freedom, escape, peace

100

Where does the story take place?

Bridge near the Ebro River

100

Identify one kind of conflict in the story.

Man vs. Man / Man vs. Self

200

What can you infer about the character of the narrator? Explain with evidence.

Kind / compassionate / helpful

200

Why do you think the author chooses an old man as the protagonist of the story?

helpless - uninterested in politics. Shows that the common man gets drawn into war against his will.

200

What is the significance of the date on which the story takes place?

Easter Sunday - represents new life / rebirth. Ironic.

200

Describe the scene at the bridge.

mule-drawn carts staggered up the steep bank, soldiers helping to push. Very crowded - carts, trucks, people, ankle deep dust.

200

What message is the author trying to convey through the story?

War is futile and the common man is most affected.

300

Describe the old man's appearance and state of mind.

76 years old, black dusty clothes, gray dusty face, steel rimmed spectacles. 

Given up hope, resigned to his fate, worried about his animals.

300

How/why is this story classified as an anti war story? What effects of war are seen?

old man represents the common man who has no interest or involvement in war but is forced into it. 

Effects of war: displacement, families torn apart, anxiousness, worry - mental stress, animals represent different groups of people affected by war - those who flee, those who stay and survive and those who succumb to the conflict.

300

What do the three animals in the story represent?

Goats - sacrifice - people who do not survive the war

Cat - survivors of war

Birds - people who flee the war

300

Where is the old man from and where is advised to go (by the narrator)? Why was he the last person to leave his home town?

San Carlos

Barcelona

Stayed to take care of his animals - worried about them

300

Explain what the narrator means by the last line of the story. What does this indicate?

Indicates that the old man will die. His luck cannot last much longer. 

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