"The Old Man at the Bridge" by Ernest Hemingway is a poignant short story set during the Spanish Civil War. It focuses on a brief encounter between the narrator, a soldier and scout, and an old man who is sitting by a bridge. The old man has been forced to leave his hometown of San Carlos due to the advancing enemy troops.
As they talk, the old man reveals that he was taking care of animals in his town—two goats, a cat, and four pairs of pigeons. He expresses deep concern for their well-being now that he has had to abandon them. The old man is weary and seems resigned to his fate, displaying no interest in the ongoing conflict or his own safety.
The narrator is concerned about the old man's chances of survival, noting his fatigue and the likelihood that he will not be able to move quickly enough to avoid the approaching danger. The story ends with the narrator having to leave the old man behind to continue his duties, reflecting on the inevitability of the old man's fate and the cruel impact of war on innocent lives.
The story is a stark depiction of the displacement and despair faced by civilians during wartime, and it highlights Hemingway's characteristic themes of human endurance in the face of hopelessness and the impersonal nature of conflict.
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