The narrator’s keen observations at the beginning of the story show Hemingway’s concise characterization. They not only instantly establish the chaotic scene of people fleeing an advancing army but also reveal that the narrator is an efficient observer. The second paragraph reveals that it is the narrator’s job to scout out the enemy’s movements; he looks for and brings back detailed information, just as he provides information for the reader. For example, he documents the number of people moving across the bridge, the dust on their feet, the old man by the side of the road, and the way the other soldiers help move things along. His observations are thorough and presented neutrally.

Observation is all he does while he waits for the enemy, setting up one of Hemingway’s major points and setting the stage for the bleakness of the story’s end. While other soldiers help push carts, the narrator does nothing to help, even when the old man attempts to rise but must sit back down in the dust. Hemingway doesn’t directly reveal anything about the narrator other than his skills as an observer, but implicit characterization reveals the soldier’s inattention and inaction relative to the suffering happening directly in front of him, his quick dismissal of the old man at the end, and his casual attitude toward the death of others.