Ideas and Questions for Discussion (Additional Task)

PLOT STRUCTURE, SETTING

Inspired by what he had eye-witnessed during the Civil War in Spain, E. Hemingway wrote a series of stories, one of which was Old Man at the Bridge. What indications are there in the story that it is set in Spain during the Civil War?

Do the geographical names contribute to versimilitude?

What span of time does the story cover?

Is the evacuation drawn in development?

Is the setting described only in the exposition or does it accompany the main event of the story?

Does the setting gradually intensify the emotional strain?

What atmosphere does the setting create? How is it related to the message contained in the story?

What is the climax of the story? Does it reveal the old man's extreme despair?

What role does the denouement play in conveying the message?

NARRATIVE METHOD

What does the writer attain by a first-person narration?

What role does the narrator play in the story?

How reasonable would it be to call the narrator the author's mouthpiece?

Is it a one-scene story?

What form is it presented in: dramatic or pictorial, or both?

What speech forms does the author resort to? What does he gain by them? Does he manage to draw a vivid scene that the reader can visualize?

What emotions does the scene arouse? Is it related to the message?

CHARACTER IMAGES

1. What methods and means of characterization does the writer employ?

2. Are the characters real and convincing? Supply evidence to support your view.

3. Is the old man described economically and laconically? Would you call the word «dust» («dusty») an artistic detail? Or would you rather treat it as a symbol of disaster? Why, or why not?

4. Do the words «blankly», «tiredly», «dully» suggest implication?

5. What effect is achieved by the recurrence of the sentence «I was taking care of animals», and finally «I was only taking care of animals»?

6. What is implied in the sentence? Do you sense the man's utter distress and loneliness in it?

7. Does the repetition of this sentence and the word «dust» intensify the tragedy of the event described? Does it contribute to the message?

8. How is the old man singled out from among the others? What role does contrast play?

9. Is the main character-image related to the message?

STYLE, TONE

1. What neutral words acquire expressive charge in the context of this story?

2. E. Hemingway's style is generally marked for its simplicity. How would you characterize the style in this story?

3. Is the language in accordance with the status of the narrator?

4. Is it the tone, or rather the subject matter that affects the reader emotionally? Supply evidence to support your choice.

5. Is the tone vigorous, excited, impartial or matter-of-fact? Find evidence in the text to support your view.

6. Does the narrator intend to establish an intimate relationship with the reader? Is that relevant in the story?

7. Comment on the phrases placed in the strong position,

8. What makes the end of the story sound ironic?

MESSAGE

1. Is the message conveyed mainly by the image of the old man?

2. What makes the reader realize that the story is a protest against war?

3. Does the story lay stress on the fact that war is immoral, that it

4. is merciless to the old, the feeble and the helpless?

5. Are all the details in the plot, in the description of the old man and the setting subordinated to the message and serve to convey it?

6. Does the message penetrate all the elements of the story?

7. Is the story in keeping with Hemingway's principle of omission of all that is redundant?

8. Does the story afford an illustration of Hemingway's "iceberg principle"? What are the implications?

9. Formulate the message of the story.