For Whom the Bell Tolls

A detailed Summary of For Whom the Bell Tolls


The Disillusionment of Hemingway with War

Hemingway uses certain repetitive themes and ideas in his book, For Whom the Bell Tolls, which relate to the grander dogma that he is trying to teach. By using these reoccurring ideas, he is able to make clear his views on certain issues and make the reader understand his thoughts. The most notable of this reoccurring theme is that of war. Hemingway uses the war concept as paradoxical irony in this book, to tell the reader what the thinks about war. It is even more interesting to note that rather than this theme being derived from this war theme, the book is derived from this main theme.

Hemingway emphasized the fallacy of war by discussing how there are no real winners in war, that war is equal. What goes around comes around. That whereas one man may kill another, another man will come to kill the first man and so on, in a never-ending cycle of stupidity and futility. The setting of this book can be analyzed here; the Spanish Civil War in the 1920-30 time period is the setting for the book, on the battlefields in the Spanish countryside. The whole fascist/communist aspect is brought up since both sides are against one another. Here again, Hemingway doesn't idealize either side


Ernest Hemingway uses many reoccurring themes throughout his book, For Whom The Bell Tolls, as if to emphasize a grander point. One such theme is the concept of war, and how it encompasses the plot, storyline, characters, setting, and much more. He talks about the equality of war, that one side does to the other side will eventually be returned to the first side. Hemingway also satirizes the whole concept of war by poking fun of the "illusionment" both sides have, and the real truth that both sides are good, peace loving people that have been made to fight one another. In another book by Erich Maria Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front, a notable quote said by one of the characters trapped in war stands out-"...maybe they (the leaders of both sides) all just strip down to their underwear to step into a ring and fight it out amongst themselves to determine the winner and let the rest of us stay home." It seems Hemingway agrees too.

, not referring to their political beliefs but to the fact that each side is very much the same. Both sides consist of sad, depressed fools who have been shipped off to war, content to live in peace and harmony with each other. It is here that Hemingway's first satirical punch at war comes in, when he makes it clear that both

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Approximate Word count = 857
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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