Question

What does the old man hope would happen to the animals?.... Old man at The Bridge by Ernest Hemingway
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Answer 1

Explanation:

The lonely old man himself symbolizes a soldier who is alive after the war. The 2 goats represent the soldiers who could not take care of themselves and couldn't fight the war. The cat represents the soldiers who could fight well with the enemy and kill them without any fear.

The story details a chance encounter between a young soldier and an old Spaniard at a pontoon bridge. The old man's hometown of San Carlos is being evacuated because of artillery fire, and he sits at the roadside before the bridge crossing, too tired to walk.