The Bridge on the Drina: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Bridge on the Drina: Analysis of Major Characters" examines the diverse cast of characters woven into the fabric of the historical and cultural tapestry surrounding the iconic bridge in Višegrad, Bosnia. Central to the narrative is Mehmed Pasha Sokolli, a former Serbian taken by the Ottomans who becomes a powerful grand vezir and commissions the bridge, symbolizing his connection to his homeland. The bridge also serves as a grim backdrop for Abidaga, a stern builder whose cruelty culminates in the tragic impalement of Radisav, a Serbian laborer, who becomes a martyr for his people. Fata, a young Muslim woman, represents the personal tragedies that unfold around the bridge, choosing death over an unwanted marriage. Alihodja Mutevelic’s fate reflects the changing political landscape as he faces the consequences of inaction during the Austro-Hungarian occupation. Salko Corkan, the town fool, and Lotte, a Jewish widow, add layers of complexity to the communal narrative, each embodying aspirations and losses reflective of the broader societal changes. Together, these characters illuminate the bridge's role as both a literal and metaphorical crossing point in the lives of the communities it connects, offering insights into the historical tensions and cultural intersections of the region.
The Bridge on the Drina: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Ivo Andri
First published: Na Drini uprija, 1945 (English translation, 1959)
Genre: Novel
Locale: Višegrad, Bosnia
Plot: Historical realism
Time: 1516–1914
Mehmed Pasha Sokolli (SOH-koh-lih), a grand vezir at the Ottoman court. When he was ten years old, he was taken away from his Serbian parents as a part of the so-called blood tribute. He is trained in Istanbul to be a janissary, and he becomes a grand vezir, the highest position a non-Turk could attain at the court. To still his nostalgia for his home country, he orders a bridge to be built at his expense across the Drina river at the town of Višegrad, which was the last place he saw his mother, who could not cross the river and follow him any longer. He appoints his brother Makarije to the highest position in the Serbian Orthodox church. He is stabbed to death by a deranged dervish when he goes to the mosque.
Abidaga (ah-bih-DAH-gah), the first builder of the bridge on the Drina. He is known far and wide as very stern, even cruel, especially when his orders are not fully carried out. He orders a Serb laborer, Radisav, to be impaled at the bridge site because he sabotaged the building of the bridge. Abidaga is replaced when the news reaches Istanbul that he had embezzled the vezir's money and forced laborers to work without pay.
Radisav (rah-DEE-sahv), a Serbian peasant and laborer at the bridge. He is caught destroying at night what had been built during the day, and for this he is impaled at the bridge site as a warning to the opponents of the bridge. The impaling takes place over several days and is watched by the frightened populace. Radisav is admired by the Serbs as a hero and a symbol of their suffering under the Turks.
Fata (FAH-tah), a beautiful young girl from a well-to-do Muslim family. Her father forces her to marry a man she does not love. During a wedding procession, she jumps to her death from the bridge into the Drina. This is one of many dramatic events that takes place on and around the bridge throughout the centuries.
Alihodja Mutevelic (ah-lih-KHOH-djah mew-teh-VEHlihch), a Bosnian Muslim who was supposed to become a hodja but declined and continued managing his father's shop. When the Austrians occupy Bosnia in 1878, he is nailed by his ear to the bridge because he did not believe that the infidels would ever come to Višegrad, yet he did not want to oppose them. When World War I breaks out, the bridge is bombarded. Alihodja dies on the bridge as a symbol of the end of the Turkish reign.
Salko Corkan (SAHL-koh CHOHR-kan), the One Eyed, a powerful young Gypsy who lives off temporary jobs. The whole town feeds him; he belongs to everybody and nobody. He plays the role of the town fool, falling in love with every pretty woman; his love affairs, however, never amount to anything. He embodies the constant yearning for love and happiness that is never fulfilled but is never extinguished.
Lotte (LOH-teh), a young and pretty widow with a free tongue and masculine energy. She is one of many Ashkenazi Jews who came from Galicia to Bosnia to try their luck in business. She builds a hotel next to the bridge and spends many years providing travelers with rest and the townspeople with entertainment. With the passage of time, her fortunes dwindle. She disappears together with the Austrian hold on Bosnia.