The idea that no one escapes harm in one form or another when it comes to war was not new in the early 20th century, but World War I centered it for a generation of artists and writers who experienced a devastating type of modern warfare. Hemingway’s most praised novel, The Sun Also Rises, deals with the emotional trauma of the war in greater depth, and many other stories and novels he wrote attempt to convey the horrors of war. In “The Old Man at the Bridge,” Hemingway again presents an intimate portrait of two individuals who are casualties of war.

The first casualty is the old man, who is a physical victim of the fighting despite not being a soldier. His life is uprooted in every possible way, and he will probably not survive. The narrator doesn’t notice luggage or a bag, which suggests he had to flee with nothing, not even food. This kind of displacement, if one survives it, generates emotional problems; even if he does survive, it is difficult to imagine a 76-year-old in these circumstances making a full recovery. Compounding this grief is the fact that he is one of many fleeing for their lives.