Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls

A detailed Summary of Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls

For Whom the Bell Tolls is a novel loosely based on Ernest Hemingway's own experiences in the Spanish Civil War in the 1930's. Before I delve into the book itself, I thought it would be best to give some background information on Ernest Hemingway and on the Spanish Civil war and the circumstances surrounding it.

Hemingway was born July 21, 1899 in Oak Park, Illinois, and the second of six children. His father, Clarence Hemingway, was a physician and his mother was a devoutly religious woman with a talent for music. When he was young, Ernest acquired the nickname "champ," which he relished and felt it showed his rowdy, hard-nosed outdoor sense of adventure. He had garnered his father's passion for hunting and fishing in the north woods of Michigan, a period of his childhood which left important impressions later reflected in several of his short stories such as "Up in Michigan" and "Big Two Hearted River."

In high school, Ernest edited the school newspaper, excelled in football and boxing, and ran away from home twice. Upon his graduation, seventeen year old Hemingway headed to Kansas City to enlist in World War I, in outright defiance of his parents objections. However the army rejected Hemingway, despite his repeated

The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) followed the failure of a military rebellion to overthrow Spain's democratically elected government. The war divided Spain both geographically and ideologically and it brought to power General Francisco Franco who ruled Spain from the end of the war until his death in 1975.

"Pablo had them all beaten to death with flails and thrown from the top of the cliff into the river."

Finally comes the ultimate irony of the novel. Robert Jordan has done everything he should have done and his mission has actually been successful. He is in the process of escaping with Maria and everyone else who is left alive, but he will die, not for the cause, but for the protection of Maria, for true love.

In chapter 30 we learn that Jordan's father committed suicide- a shameful and cowardly act in Jordan's mind. It is the first time Ernest Hemingway ever reflected on the suicide of his father in his writing.

In Chapter four, there is a confrontation between Jordan and Pablo and in it, Pablo announces that he doesn't want to blow up the bridge. Pilar, Pablo's wife and one of the only others that Jordan feels he can trust, sides with Jordan. Subsequently, the rest of the band side with her, feeling that Pablo has "gone bad" (p. 56). Pablo is homesick, tired of the war and scared of getting killed, by his own men and at the battle of the bridge. Jordan wrestles with the idea of whether or not he should have killed Pablo in the confrontation but is reassured by Pilar that he was right not to.

Ironically, this same cynicism is expressed when Jordan arrives at the guerrilla's hideout in the mountains. Pablo, the guerrilla leader, resents the fact that a foreigner has come to run the show for awhile. It puts Pablo in an inferior position where he is no longer the spokesman of the group. Irony is a major theme in this novel and is illustrated frequently in the thoughts and actions of its characters. Pablo is interested only in the safety of himself and his band and Jordan's military plans are of little importance to him.

In spite of all attempts to maintain a coldly professional attitude toward his work and to remain detached from any emotional involvement, Robert Jordan finds himself falling in love with Maria. Jordan's Battle within himself has now passed the beginning stage. He talks to Pilar about his sense of duty but he acknowledges the fact that he cares very much for Maria. It begins to become obvious to all the characters that their enemy is better organized, has more support, is better equipped, and really cannot be defeated. It is becoming less obvious to them that the cause is worth all of their lives and the lives of others like them.

"There was a great crowd outside and there was some levity outside and some shouting of obscenities, but most of the people were very serious and respectful."

The battle at the bridge has grown more and more hopeless up to this point (it has even snowed so that the fascists will be able to follow their tracks). Robert Jordan's daydreams of taking Maria to vacation in Madrid are indicative of his little hope of surviving.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Jordan's Battle, Robert Jordan's, Robert Jordan, Golz Russian, Joaquin's Pablo's, Ernest Hemingway, Suddenly Pablo, Jordan Maria's, Jordan Subsequently, Clarence Hemingway, robert jordan, blow bridge, spanish civil war, civil war, spanish civil, bell tolls, world war, ernest hemingway, bridge jordan, die cause, pablo's band, top cliff river,

Approximate Word count = 2445
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English