I-Prose
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
Setting in "Old Man at the Bridge" by Ernest Hemingway
Abstract
In this paper,
the writer tries to analyze “Old Man at the Bridge” by Ernest Hemingway. The
purpose of this writing is to analyze setting of the short story. The writer
uses theory of setting and close reading method. The short story consists of setting
of time, setting of place, and setting of environment. To conclude, the setting
is dominated by setting of environment.
Keywords: “Old Man at the Bridge”, Ernest Hemingway, setting
1.
Introduction
“Old
Man at the Bridge” is written by Ernest Hemingway. The main character is the
old man, who 76 years old, walked twelve kilometres from his hometown, San
Carlos and he is the last person from his hometown. The short story shows a
message from a tragedy of war using the bridge as the setting which has its
meaning.
2.
Theory and Methodology
According to
Merriam-Webster.com, “setting is the time, place, and circumstances in which something occurs
or develops, the time and place of the action of a literary, dramatic, or cinematic
work or the scenery used in a
theatrical or film production.”
The
methodology on this study is setting which divides into setting of time,
setting of place, and setting of environment.
3.
Research Object
The objects of
research consist of material and formal object. Material object in this study
is “Old Man at the Bridge” by Ernest Hemingway. Formal object of this study is
setting in the short story.
4. Biography of Ernest Hemingway
Ernest
Miller Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899, in Cicero (now in Oak Park),
Illinois. He was a son from Clarence and Grace Hemingway. In high school,
Hemingway worked on his school newspaper, Trapeze
and Tabula. At the young age of 20, Hemingway met Hadley Richardson, the
woman who would become his first wife in Chicago. After their marriage, they
moved to Paris. In 1923, Hemingway had a son named John Hadley Nicanor
Hemingway.
5.
Summary of “Old Man at the Bridge”
An old man with black dusty clothes
and grey dusty face sat by the side of the road. There was a pontoon bridge
across the river and carts, trucks, men, women and children were crossing it.
He was 76 years old and came from San Carlos. A young soldier came close to him
and asked some questions. The old man said that he is taking care of animals,
that is, two goats, a cat, and four pairs of pigeons.
6.
Discussion
In “Old Man at
the Bridge”, the setting is setting of time, setting of place and setting of
environment.
”There
was a pontoon bridge across the river....”
Setting
of place of the short story is at
pontoon bridge across the Ebro river. The bridge is a symbol which has two
sides, that is, war and peace or death and life. One side is the old man, who
walked twelve kilometres from his hometown San Carlos and he said that he can
not go any further. The other side is a young soldier, who does his job by
exploring the bridge.
“It
was Easter Sunday...”
Ernest
Hemingway shows us that it happens during the Spanish Civil War in April, 1938
on Easter Sunday.
“It was my business to
cross the bridge, explore the bridgehead beyond and find out to what point the
enemy had advanced.”
From
the quotations, we know that the social environment is environment of the
capable people even though they are busy with themselves.
7.
Conclusion
Setting
is the time, place, and circumstances in which something
occurs or develops of the action of a
literary, dramatic, or cinematic work. In the short story,
Ernest Hemingway using setting of time which is happen during the Spanish Civil
War, setting of place is at pontoon bridge, and setting of
environment is environment of the capable people even though they are busy with
themselves.
References
Kennedy, X.J. 1978. Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama 2nd ed. Boston:
Little, Brown, and Company, Ltd.
Meyer, Michael. 1976. The Bedford Introduction to Literature 2nd
ed. Boston: Bedford Books of St.
Martin’s Press.
“Setting”. Merriam-Webster.com.
1828. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/setting
(accessed on 6 June 2017)
Thrall, William Flint, and Addison
Hibbard. 1960. A Handbook To Literature. New York: Odyssey
Press.
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