41 pages • 1 hour read
Robert James WallerThe Bridges of Madison County
Fiction | Novella | Adult | Published in 1992A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Summary
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Character Analysis
Themes
Symbols & Motifs
Important Quotes
Essay Topics
Tools
BetaSymbols & Motifs
Cameras
Of Robert’s work tools, the camera is most important. It’s his way of recording the world and sharing his perspective with others. He uses Nikon cameras, a name highly regarded among photographers and, at the time of Robert’s encounter with Francesca, the most popular professional camera. As a young man, Robert also used a Leica, another highly regarded camera. While cameras generally symbolize creativity, the author mentions these specific brands to establish Robert as a discerning craftsman who knows quality when he sees it. This further suggests that he recognizes quality in other things as well, including people, and senses it immediately in Francesca.
Covered Bridge
The significance of bridges is made plain in the novel’s title; it is bridges that bring Robert and Francesca together in the first place—not as practical structures of connection, but as the subject of artwork in Robert’s photo series. However, the practical structure of covered bridges also plays into their symbolism. A covered bridge contains an upper structure called a truss that’s made of wood and built to support the road bed; the truss is protected against sun and weather by a housing that resembles a long barn or shed. Covered bridges last several times longer than bare truss bridges; they became obsolete when metal bridges came into use. Bridges symbolize connection; the covered bridges represent Francesca and Robert’s private, protected encounters away from prying eyes, where they feel safe enough to reveal their hearts to one another.
Harry
Harry is Robert’s name for his pickup truck. It’s old and has trouble starting up, but it’s durable and gets him where he needs to go. When they first meet, Francesca hops into Harry to show Robert the way to Roseman Bridge, and it’s during that short drive that she begins to have powerful feelings for the man. Harry is a vehicle for an adventurer. Its age matches his Robert’s: Both are still strong but won’t be around forever, and both will soon be outmoded as modern life sweeps past. Robert’s individualism is shown in the very fact that he gives his truck a name; this is not just some vehicle from the category “truck.” Rather, it has a life and personality all its own.
