Character Sketch of The Old Man at the Bridge
Introduction
The old man is the central character of the story. He is seventy-six years old. He comes from a town called San Carlos. He is a war refugee who has been uprooted and displaced by the war. He is without politics. He was only taking care of his animals, but his small world has been destroyed by the impending war. He is disoriented, confused, and disconnected. He has retreated into his isolated world in which he can only cling to his obsessive thoughts about his animals and is too tired to go any further. He is sure to die at the bridge another nameless victim of war.
His Pathetic Physical Appearance
The old man’s physical portrait has been conveyed on several occasions and helps suggest the idea of helplessness. When the story begins, he is described with steel-rimmed spectacles and very dusty clothes sitting by the side of the road. Then again the narrator describes him saying that he did not look like a shepherd nor a herdsman and he looked at his black dusty clothes and gray dusty face and his steel-rimmed spectacles.
His Showing Great Concern for The Animals
The old man has no family. The most crucial part of the old man’s life is his animals. As being a lonely man his whole life circles around only his animals and his hometown. During his conversation with the narrator, the old man tells him that he has the charge of two goats, a cat, and four pairs of pigeons, but he is forced to leave his farm and animals behind. The old man seems to be worried about the safety of his animals. He is not worried about the cat because cats can look after themselves, but he is worried about the two goats because there is none in the village to look after them.
A True Human Being
The old man is a true embodiment of humanity. He is a loving human being. He is deeply attached not only to his native town but also to his animals. The only thing that concerns him is how he would take care of his animals, his family which he leaves behind because of the danger of being attacked by the enemy. The old man is lonely. He feels happy when the soldier shows his concern for him. He is grateful to the soldier who talks to him. Having someone to talk to, he (the old man) lends out his worries to the soldier.
His Symbolising the Victims of War
The narrator who is a scout or soldier discovers the old man and in the end, realises that he (the old man) cannot move anymore and will probably die at the bridge. The narrator comes to know that the old man is forced to leave his farm where he had lived and to leave his animals behind. This makes clear that he symbolises the men, women, and children who had to leave their home and their normal life as victims of a war with which they have nothing to do. The old man also talks about the animals he has. He has a cat which can probably flee. She is the symbol of the survivor. He has pigeons which can fly away. They are a symbol of peace. But the old is neither like the cat nor the pigeon escape and is a victim of the warlike the goat.
His Sense of Duty
The old man believes that he must watch over the four doves, the cat and the two goats in San Carlos. The old man places the needs of other living things over his own well-being and the need to save himself. While he leaves the living things behind, it is due to the fact of old age and the forced evacuation. He would have taken care of them otherwise. The old man represents nature and morality. His duty is to care for nature.
His Moral Dilemma
The old man’s Dilemma is about making a decision either to proceed towards Barcelona where he knows ‘no one in that direction or to await his fate sitting lonely and thinking about his mute family members. His dilemma shows how deep his attachment is to his animals. The fact that he is putting his life in danger by not moving further doesn’t seem to bother him much. Although he has come a mile away from his animals, he is simply unable to move ahead without them. Besides, his dilemma makes him a foil to the remorseless and cruel enemy who would not hesitate to open indiscriminate firing on the civilians, soldiers, and even animals and birds alike.
The Fatalistic Hero of The Story
In the story, the old man makes no move to continue on his journey, despite the narrator’s warning that the enemy is approaching. While the narrator watches the bridge anxiously for the enemy’s advance, the old man seems contented to talk about his animals. He tells the narrator that he left his farm only because he was told to do so. At the end of the story, the narrator again urges the old man to move on. For his part, the old man stands up but appears too weak to make the journey to the trucks on foot. He sits back down and mumbles that he has only been taking care of his animals. The Old Man is fatalistic because he has resigned himself to whatever fate will befall him.
Treasure Trove Poems and Short Stories Workbook Answers