The Bridge on the Drina

Early in the novel, before the construction of the bridge is even completed, one character emerges to embody the sentiments toward the project. Radisav is mentioned once in the opening chapter, alluded to as a historical figure before the text explains his origins. As such, there is an immediate sense of contrast. There is the man of legend, whose grave is visited by fairies, and the first real person to lodge his displeasure at the construction of the bridge and resolve to do something about it. In the view of Radisav, the bridge is an attempt to change the way of life of the people of Višegrad. It is an example of the Ottoman Empire overreaching and encroaching.

Radisav becomes the leader of a sabotage campaign and the reference point of a certain ideology. He is the first Serbian insurrectionist depicted in the book and the focus of his attention is the Ottoman bridge, but Radisav’s efforts ultimately fail. Not only is he murdered in an excruciating manner, but the campaign that he launched does not take hold. When the bridge is completed in a few years’ time, for example, the people quickly come to appreciate it functionality, its beauty, and what it represents.