Treasure Trove Short Storie Workbook Answers Old Man at the Bridge
Chief Seattle’s Speech Questions and Answers Extract Based
Question 1.
An old man with steel rimmed spectacles and very dusty clothes sat by the side of the road. There was a pontoon bridge across the river and carts, trucks, and men, women and children were crossing it. The mule-drawn carts staggered up the steep bank from the bridge with soldiers helping push against the spokes of the wheels. The trucks ground up and away heading out of it all and the peasants plodded along in the ankle deep dust. But the old man sat there without moving. He was too tired to go any farther.
(a) Where does the scene of the story take place and when ? What commotion can be seen and why ?
Answer:
The story is set in a war zone at a pontoon bridge across the Ebro River during the Spanish war on an Easter Sunday. This place is twelve kilometres away from the town of San Carlos in Spain as described by the old man in the story. As there is danger of the impending war, there can be seen the movement of vehicles and civilians fleeing across the pontoon bridge to protect themselves from the expected attack by the enemy troops.
(b) Who is the narrator of the story and what is his duty ? Whom does the narrator encounter and where?
Answer:
The unnamed army scout or soldier is the narrator of the story. His duty is to cross the bridge and find out how far the enemy had advanced. While crossing towards the enemy, he encounters an old man at a pontoon bridge near the Ebro River which people are crossing to escape from the war zone.
(c) Who is the protagonist of the story ? What kind of atmosphere does the author convey in the story and how ?
Answer:
The old man sitting by the side of the road is the protagonist of the story. The author conveys a gloomy atmosphere by constant references to dust and to colours like grey and black: ‘very dusty clothes’, ’ankle deep dust’, ‘black dusty clothes and his gray dusty face’ and ‘a gray overcast day’.
(d) What is a pontoon bridge ? Why were many people crossing the bridge ? Why did the old man not move from his place ?
Answer:
A bridge that is made of large hollow containers filled with air is called a pontoon bridge. The people were crossing the bridge to protect themselves from the impending attack by the enemy troops. The old man was so tired that he could not move from his place. Moreover, he was fatalist he did not care of his safety.
(e) Describe in brief the physical appearance of old man.
Answer:
The old man wore a steel rimmed spectacle and had black dusty clothes. He had a gray dusty face. He neither looked like a shepherd nor like a herdsman. He was looking like a very poor man and he was very ugly.
(f) What made the narrator curious to talk to the old man.
Answer:
When the narrator (the soldier) crossed the bridge towards the enemy, he found an old man at the bridge and when he came back, the old man was still there. On seeing the old man sitting there for a long time, the narrator became curious to talk to him and know about him.
Question 2.
“Where do you come from?” I asked him.
“From San Carlos,” he said, and smiled.
That was his native town and so it gave him pleasure to mention it and he smiled.
“I was taking care of animals,” he explained.
“Oh,” I said, not quite understanding.
“Yes,” he said, “I stayed, you see, taking care of animals. I was the last one to leave the town of San Carlos.” He did not look like a shepherd nor a herdsman and I looked at his black dusty clothes and his gray dusty face and his steel rimmed spectacles and said, “What animals were they?”
“Various animals,” he said, and shook his head. “I had to leave them.”
(a) What was the business of the narrator (scout or soldier)? What did he see while coming back after observing the enemy ?
Answer:
The narrator who was a young soldier in army, was on a mission to cross the bridge and find out how far the enemy had advanced. After the narrator had scanned the region for any sign of the enemy troops, he noticed the old man still sitting at the pontoon bridge.
(b) Why was the narrator surprised to see the old man still there ?
Answer:
The narrator found that there were not so many carts and very few people were moving on foot but the old man was still there. He was sitting at the same place and was not moving from there hence he felt surprise to see him.
(c) What was the first question that the narrator asked the old man ? What did the old man answer? Why did the old man smile?
Answer:
The narrator asked the old man where he came from. The old man replied that he belonged to his native town San Carlos. While telling the narrator his living place, he smiled because he was deeply attached with his native town and he felt great pleasure at the mention of his native town.
(d) Why was the old man the last one to leave his town? How did the old man look ?
Answer:
The old man was the last to leave his native town because he was taking care of his animals and he was extremely worried about the safety of his animals. The old man wore dusty clothes and steel-rimmed spectacles. His face was grey and dusty. He appeared weak and exhausted.
(e) Who has been referred to as ‘he’ in the extract given above ? In what condition was he ?
Answer:
The old man has been referred to as ‘he’. He was in a weary condition as he had already walked twelve kilometres and too tired to move further. Moreover his clothes were dusty and his face had turned grey.
(f) What all animals did he own? What kind of relationship did he share with them?
Answer:
He had two goats, a cat and four pairs of pigeons. He had an emotional attachment with his animals. The animals were his family; he loved them and cared for them so much that separately from them made him feel that he had lost his reason for existence.
Question 3.
“And you have no family?” I asked, watching the far end of the bridge where a few last carts were hurrying down the slope of the bank. “No,” he said, “only the animals I stated. The cat, of course, will be all right. A cat can look out for itself, but I cannot think what will become of the others.”
“Whatpolitics have you?” I asked.
“I am without politics,” he said.
“I am seventy-six years old. I have come twelve kilometers now and I think now I can go no further.”
“This is not a good place to stop,” I said. “If you can make it, there are trucks up the road where it forks for Tortosa.”
(a) What was the narrator doing while conversing with the old man ? What did the old man do with the animals ?
Answer:
While conversing the old man, the narrator was nervously awaiting the advent of the Fascist army and the ensuing battle between the armies. The old man left the animals behind in his native town of San Carlos. The heavy firing from the enemy forced him to do so.
(b) How did the old man express his concern about the safety of his animals? What did he say about the cats ?
Answer:
The old man expressed his concern about the safety of his animals saying what would happen to his animals as there was none to look after them. He said that the cat would be all right because cats could look after themselves.
(c) What does the old man mean when he says, ‘I am without politics’? Why does he mention his age ?
Answer:
The narrator who was more concerned for the old man’s safety than those the animals enquired what the old man’s politics was. The old man replied that he was without politics. The old man means to say that like other innocent civilians what matters to the old man was his home and animals rather than politics. He mentions his age along with the fact that he already walked twelve kilometres to reflect the extent of his weariness.
(d) What was the old man doing in San Carlos ? Which place does the narrator refer to when he say, ‘This is not a good place to stop’?
Answer:
In San Carlos, the old man was taking care of his animals. The place referred to is a war zone at a pontoon bridge across the Ebro river. The place is twelve kilometres from San Carlos in Spain.
(e) What shows that the old man is fatalist ?
Answer:
During the conversation with the soldier at the bridge, the old man reveals he is not worried about the safety of his own life but he is deeply concerned about the safety of his animals. It clearly shows that he is a fatalist.
(f) What advice did the narrator give to the old man ? How did the old man react ?
Answer:
The narrator advised the old man to cross the bridge and catch a truck towards Barcelona. But the old man replied that he did not know anyone there. However, he thanked the narrator for his suggestion and continued to express his concern for the fate of the animals he had left behind.
(g) Which thought always lingered in old man’s mind ? How did he feel?
Answer:
The old man was so much worried about the fate of the animals that he could not get rid of the thought of the safety of his animals. This thought made him depressed and sad.
Question 4.
He looked at me very blankly and tiredly, then said, having to share his worry with someone, “The cat will be all right, I am sure. There is no need to be unquiet about the cat. But the others. Now what do you think about the others?”
(a) Where was the old man sitting? Unlike others, why did he not move?
Answer:
The old man was sitting by the side of a road near a pontoon bridge that crossed the river. The old man was too tired to go any farther becuase he had already walked twelve kilometres since he left his hometown, San Carlos.
(b) What does the old man symbolise?
Answer:
The old man symbolises the men and women who had to leave their homes as victims of war with which they had nothing to do. The old man was a victim of the war like the goat because the goat, unlike the pigeons, could not fly.
(c) What did the narrator come to know during conversation with the old man.
Answer:
During conversation with the old man, the narrator came to know that the old man took care of the animals and he was worried more about the safety of his animals whom he had left behind in his home town than his own safety.
(d) Why was the narrator worried? What did he ask the old man? What made the narrator sad?
Answer:
The narrator was worried about the safety of the old man. He asked the old man to take a ride on a truck to Barcelona and save himself. The narrator felt sad about the inevitability of the old man’s fate.
(e) What made the old man look blank and tired ?
Answer:
The old man was forced to flee from his native town, leaving behind his only family i.e., his animals. He was concerned for them but did not know what to do. It made him blank. Moreover, he was seventy-six years old man who had already travelled twelve kilometres so he was tired.
(f) How can you say that the old man needed someone to talk to? What was the cause of old man’s worry and guilt?
Answer:
The manner in which the old man engaged in a conversation with the narrator and told him about his village and animals shows that he needed someone to talk to. The old man believed that he must watch over the cat, the goats and the pigeon in San Carlos. The man was not able to fulfil his responsibilities so was guilty and wondered what would the animals do in his absence.
Question 5.
“I was taking care of animals,” he said dully, hut no longer to me. “I was only taking care of animals.”
There was nothing to do about him. It was Easter Sunday and the Fascists were advancing toward the Ebro. It was a gray overcast day with a low ceiling so their planes were not up. That and the fact that cats know how to look after themselves was all the good luck that old man would ever have.
(a) What do the incidents in the story show about the consequences of the war.
Answer:
The Spanish Civil War forms the background to the story and the author describes that how in times of war man acts inhumanly to his own race. War brings devastation and mass killings and this has been shown through the pitiable and miserable condition of the old man who can be seen as the symbol of civilian victims of war. The old man gives meaning to his life by taking care of his animals, but the war takes away everything from him. He sits alone by the side of the road; he seems to be as helpless as his goats; he is so old and exhausted that he cannot escape from the impending war.
(b) What is all the good luck that the old man would ever have? What had made the narrator feel that there was nothing to do about him?
Answer:
All the luck that the old man would have is that the cats could protect themselves and as the day was overcast, the Facists were not able to launch their planes. The narrator tried to engage in a conversation and enquired if he had left the dove cage unlocked. He tried to reassure him that the animals would be fine. At regular intervals, he reminded him to cross the bridge. The narrator became a friend in need for the old man but he was not able to relieve him of his worries. The old man was submissive to his fate and till the end he only thought and worried of his animals. The narrator thus realised that nothing could be done about him and moved forward leaving the old man.
(c) Describe how the story brings out the conflict between man and his inner self.
Answer:
The story has two level of conflicts. One of the conflicts is that between man and his inner self which is seen in the character of the old man. The old man is guilty of leaving his animals behind for the fear of fire by the artillery. Man against another man is the other conflict in the story. In times of war, a man causes pain and suffering to another man. He fights with his own race for a seemingly greater good.
(d) Why does the narrator note that the old man spoke ‘dully’?
Answer:
The old man had lost all hope and was filled with guilt for not being able to look after his animals. War thus does not only cause physical destruction but also psychological destruction.
(e) Give a symbolised meaning of the following sentence : ‘a gray overcast day with low ceiling
Answer:
The day is described as ‘a gray overcast day with low ceiling’. A gray colour here is symbolic of old age, sadness and something boring. By this sentence Hemingway tries to establish an atmosphere of sadness, loneliness and destruction was brought about by the war.
(f) Describe how both the narrator and the old man have been described as helpless in the end ?
Answer:
The old man had an intense attachment with his animals. His animals were in integral part of his life hence his separation from his animals made him feel highly sad. It seemed as if he had lost his reason for existence. Like his goats, the old man had no one to care of him and thus he surrendered to his fate. The narrator lent a kind ear to the old man and urged the man to get up and cross the bridge; the man tried but failed. The narrator felt sorry for him; thus the story ended with the old man’s concern for the goats and the soldier’s concern for the men.
Long Answer Type Questions
Question 1.
What was the old man doing in his native town ? What does the narrator suggest the old man ? Why does the narrator take so much time to converse with the old man ?
Answer:
The old man was a native of San Carlos. He tells the narrator that he had been taking care of some animals (two goats, a cat and four pairs of pigeons) in his native town. The old man only left San Carlos when a Captain warned him that enemy artillery fire was on its way. He laments the fate of the goats and the pigeons, but is convinced that the cat would be able to take care of itself.
The narrator suggests that the old man should move on as soon as he feels a little rested; he is concerned that the enemy will advance over the Ebro river that very day. He suggests the old man that he should take the opportunity to get on one of the trucks that is heading towards Barcelona. However, the old man states that he does not know anyone in Barcelona and sits down again.
The main reason the narrator seems to be talking to the old man at such length is that he is concerned about his safety, but he wants to establish some degree of mutual trust before advising him to flee. The old man should obviously not be sitting there. No doubt the Fascist soldiers would shoot him if he was still there when they crossed the bridge. He is a peasant and the Nationalists under Francisco Franco were taking severe reprisals against the peasantry under the assumption that all peasants were Loyalists (or Republicans). The most important part of the conversation between the two men comes after the narrator has found out a little about the old man, including his politics :
‘This is not a good place to stop’, I said. ‘If you can make it, there are trucks up the road where it forks for Tortosa’.
‘I will wait a while’, he said, ‘and then I will go.’
The narrator may be making a small talk with the old man, but he is watching and listening for the approaching enemy at the same time. The approach of the unseen enemy seems to haunt the scene.
Question 2.
Why did the old man at the bridge leave his native town ? What does the old man’s moral dilemma reveal in Hemingway’s story The old man at the Bridge ?
Answer:
The old man at the Bridge left his native town in San Carlos because his town was under attack. In the story, the old man tells the narrator that he was told by the army captain to leave. Apparently, San Carlos was taking artillery fire from the enemy and it was no longer safe for civilians to remain in the town. The old man was unwilling to leave, however. He tells the narrator that he was the last one to leave San Carlos because he was taking care of his animals.
During the conversation, the old man confesses that he had no family; the animals he cared for war the only family he had. The old man’s animals consisted of two goats, a cat and four pairs of pigeons. He admits that he was afraid for his animals. While the cat would likely stay safe, he was not quite sure the goats and pigeons would survive. However, the narrator assumed the old man that the pigeons would likely fly away if the bird cages were left unlocked.
The old man had already walked twelve kilometres away from his home town San Carlos. He was sitting in dust on the roadside close to a bridge on the River Ebro. He was worried about his animals that included a cat, two goats and four pigeons; they also constituted his family. The troops had forced him along with others to vacate his home town as the enemy was approaching fast to carry out a massive attack. If he boarded the trucks going up the road, he could go towards Barcelona. Several of them had been deployed to take the civilians to safe places. But the old man did not want to go further. When the narrator urged him to leave the place, the old man thanked him and got to his feet but instead of going along with him, he swayed from side to side and then sat down backwards in the dust.
The old man’s dilemma was about making a decision over either to proceed towards Barcelona where he knew no one in that direction or to await sitting lonely and thinking about his mute family members. His dilemma shows how deep his attachment was to his animals. The fact that he was putting his life in danger by not moving further did not seen to bother him much. Although he had come miles away from his animals, he was simply unable to move ahead without them.
Question 3.
Prove that the old man is the fatalistic hero of the story.
Answer:
Basically, fatalism is the belief that we have little control over future events. It is also the belief that we can do little to change what fate determines for us. So, a person who is fatalistic is a person who believes that he must resign himself to the inevitable. 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 content to talk about his animals. He tells the narrator that he left his farm only because he was told to do so.
The old man divulges that he has no relatives and that the animals he left behind were his only family. He talks about the animals with love and great emotion. Although the narrator tells him that there are trucks up the road that will take him to Barcelona, the old man makes no effort to move in that direction; he proclaims that he knows no one on Barcelona.
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 had only been taking care of his animals. So, the old man is fatalistic because he has resigned himself to whatever fate befall him. He accepts that he can do nothing else to save himself and his actions demonstrate his belief that it is futile to struggle against the inevitable.
Question 4.
What is the significance of Easter Sunday in *Old Man at the Bridge?
Answer:
‘Old man at the Bridge’ is one of Hemingway’s shortest tales. It is based upon an Easter Sunday stopover at the Ebro River during his coverage of the Spanish Civil War in April 1938. Hemingway reports an incident that took place on an Easter Sunday. It might have just been a coincidence that this incident took place on Easter Sunday. On the other hand, Hemingway might have wanted to emphasise the irony of the situation that the old man’s life is in danger on the very same day that Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ rose from the dead!
A soldier (who is also the narrator) sees an old man resting on the side of a road near a pontoon bridge. Other civilians are crossing the bridge, but the old man is too tired to proceed any further. The old man tells the soldier that he is a native of San Carlos where he worked as a caretaker of animals. The old man seems more concerned for the safety of his animals than for his own safety. He has some relief in knowing that the cat will be able to fend for itself and that since he has unlocked the cage, the birds can fly away, but the fate of the other animals is uncertain and the man is distraught by this. The soldier tries to encourage the old man to move a little farther along, for he knows the bridge is likely to be bombed.
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