The story ‘Old Man at the Bridge’ deals with the themes of resignation, depression and impending death. This theme is reflected in a conversation between a soldier and an old man who had to leave his hometown during the Spanish Civil War. The old man is gripped by panic and anxiety. He is a fatalistic hero of the story who is resigned to his fate as a casualty of war. When the soldier who is concerned about the safety of the old man tells him to walk up the road and catch a ride on the truck to Barcelona, he tells him that he is an old man of 76 and is too tired to go further. So he resigns himself to his fate. Then the soldier reflects that he is sure to be killed once the Fascists advance to the bridge across the Ebro. His life is prolonged by the fact that the day is overcast and the Fascists cannot launch their planes. His mind is eased by the fact that cats can look after themselves, but aside from that the soldier says that nothing can be done for him and his death seems certain.
The soldier seems more affected by the inevitability of the man’s probable fate than by the old man. On the other hand, the old man is worried about the fate of his animals. He can’t get rid of the thought of safety of his animals. This gives him depression. When the soldier tells him that it is best not to think about his animals, he is unable to stop thinking about them. This leads him to depression.
At the close of the story the narrator bemoans the old man’s impending death. He asks him to walk and catch a ride on the truck to Barcelona, but the old man expresses his inability to walk due to fatigue. The soldier begins to feel pity for him and says, “There was nothing to do about him.”
