Character
Identify ONE character trait of the old man and justify it with textual evidence.
Pointlessness / Futility of War
What does the bridge represent in the story?
Hope, freedom, escape, peace
Where does the story take place?
Bridge near the Ebro River
Identify one kind of conflict in the story.
Man vs. Man / Man vs. Self
What can you infer about the character of the narrator? Explain with evidence.
Kind / compassionate / helpful
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.
What is the significance of the date on which the story takes place?
Easter Sunday - represents new life / rebirth. Ironic.
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.
What message is the author trying to convey through the story?
War is futile and the common man is most affected.
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.
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.
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
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
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.