old man at the bridge , there are times when people are made helpless by their situations beyond their control. justify the statement in the context of the story
Answers
The short story ‘The Old Man at the Bridge’ is written by Ernest Hemingway. It is a story which depicts how people become helpless due to situations that are beyond their control.
This story shows a setting in San Carlos during the Spanish Civil war. The author’s mission was to cross the bridge daily to check the advancement of the army into their territory.
On one such occasion, the author happened to come across an old man sitting near the bridge at the Ebro river. Although he knew the army had reached really close, the old man would not listen to the author’s plea of moving from there. He could not bear to part with the animals and birds he loved the most.
The author was prepared to help the old man to get out from there. However, the old man refuses to move from there, which makes the poet feel helpless.