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Old Man at The Bridge Imp Qs

The document contains questions about the short story "Old Man at the Bridge" by Ernest Hemingway. It explores the character of an old man who remains at a bridge as refugees flee war, refusing to leave behind his animals. The narrator encounters the man and tries to convince him to safety, but the man resigns himself to his fate, symbolizing the helpless victims of war. The story highlights themes of the pointlessness of war and compassion through the interaction between the nameless old man and narrator.

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483 views7 pages

Old Man at The Bridge Imp Qs

The document contains questions about the short story "Old Man at the Bridge" by Ernest Hemingway. It explores the character of an old man who remains at a bridge as refugees flee war, refusing to leave behind his animals. The narrator encounters the man and tries to convince him to safety, but the man resigns himself to his fate, symbolizing the helpless victims of war. The story highlights themes of the pointlessness of war and compassion through the interaction between the nameless old man and narrator.

Uploaded by

manu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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OLD MAN AT THE BRIDGE

Q1. What is a pontoon bridge ? Why are many people crossing the bridge ?

Q2. Where is the old man sitting ? Unlike others, why doesn’t he move ?

Q3. Who is the speaker of the lines “There was a pontoon bridge….” ? Why is he there ?

Q4. What is the first question that the narrator asks the old man ? What does he answer ? Why
does the old man smile ?

Q5. Why is the old man the last one to leave his town ? Describe his physical appearance ?

Q6. “He did not look like a shepherd nor a herdsman and I looked at his black dusty
clothes”. Who is referred to as ‘He’ in the extract above ? In what condition is he ?
Q7. What all animals did he own ? What kind of relationship did he share with them ?

Q8. What did he do with the animals ? What forced him to do so ?

Q9. Why doesn’t the old man cross the bridge and escape to a safer place ?

Q10. What do the incidents in the story show about the consequences of the war ? How does war
affect the old man and his animals in the story ?

Q11. What does the old man mean when he states, “I am without politics” ? Why does he
mention his age ?
Q12. Describe the old man’s appearance ? What was he doing in San Carlos ?

Q13. The narrator says “This is not a good place to stop” Which place is he referring to ? Why
is it not advisable to halt there ?

Q14. What advise does the narrator give to the old man ? How does the old man react to it ?

Q15. Explain why the old man finally resigns to his fate. What is the old man’s fate symbolic of ?
Do you think the old man could have changed his fate ? Give reasons to justify your answer
?

Q16. “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. ….” Why does the old man look blank and
tired ? How can you say that the old man needed someone to talk to ?
Q17. What is the cause of the old man’s worry and guilt ?

Q18. Explain how the story brings out the conflict between the man and his inner self?

Q19. The old man seems to have given up on his life. Do you agree ? Why ?

Q20. How does the narrator try to relieve the old man of his worries ? Does he prove successful ?
Support your answer with instances from the story ?

Q21. Why does the narrator note that the old man spoke ‘dully’ ?

Q22. What makes the narrator feel that “there was nothing to do about him” ?
Q23. State how both the narrator and the old man are depicted as helpless by the end ?

Q24. What is “all the good luck that old man would ever have” ?

Q25. The story is set on an Easter Sunday, which symbolically shows renewal and peace. How is
it ironical with reference to the events in the story? State another example of irony in the
story

Q26. What are the themes of the story ?

Q27. How does the story highlight the theme “Pointlessness of War” ?
Q28. How does the story highlight the theme “Compassion” ?

Q29. What can be said about the character of the Old Man ?

Q30. What can be said about the character of the Narrator ?

Q31. What aspects highlight irony in the story ?


Q32. Explain how symbolism has been used by Hemingway in the story ?

Q33. What are the two conflicts in the story ?

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