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Hemingway, Ernest: For Whom the Bell Tolls

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For Whom the Bell Tolls Ernest Hemingway

---------------------------------------------------------

1940

ERNEST HEMINGWAY`S

FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS

by Jim Auer

SERIES COORDINATOR

Murray Bromberg

Principal, Wang High School of Queens

Holliswood, New York

Past President

High School Principals Association of New York City

(C) Copyright 1986 by Barron`s Educational Series, Inc.

Electronically Enhanced Text (C) Copyright 1993, World Library, Inc.

CONTENTS

THE AUTHOR AND HIS TIMES.............................

THE NOVEL

The Plot.............................................

The Characters.......................................

Other Elements

Setting.........................................

Historical Background...........................

Themes..........................................

Style...........................................

Point of View...................................

Form and Structure..............................

THE STORY............................................

A STEP BEYOND

Tests and Answers....................................

Term Paper Ideas and other Topics for Writing........

The Critics..........................................

Advisory Board.......................................

Bibliography.........................................

AUTHOR_AND_HIS_TIMES

THE AUTHOR AND HIS TIMES

-

In June 1937, Ernest Hemingway addressed the Second Congress of

American Writers at Carnegie Hall in New York City. His subject was

the Spanish Civil War, which had started in 1936 and which he had

observed first-hand for some months as a correspondent of the North

American Newspaper Alliance. In his speech, which was warmly

received by the audience, Hemingway spoke of his deep hatred for the

fascist forces trying to overthrow the Republican government in Spain,

particularly for the way they suppressed artists, notably writers.

"Really good writers are always rewarded under almost any existing

system of government that they can tolerate," Hemingway said in his

speech. "There is only one form of government that cannot produce good

writers, and that system is fascism. For fascism is a lie told by

bullies. A writer who will not lie cannot live and work under

fascism."

Hemingway`s apparent devotion to the Republican cause in this war

was greeted with cheers by liberals in the United States. Here was

Ernest Hemingway, a famous novelist, declaring his allegiance to their

cause! His pledge of support seemed particularly welcome, since he had

long resisted public political commitment of any kind and had been

criticized for his reluctance to become involved in the important

issues of the day. Now he had thrown himself into the midst of the

controversy.

Hemingway returned to Spain to watch the battle rage, and he

became increasingly frustrated by the failure of the Republicans to

hold their own against the fascist rebels. He was also sickened by the

corruption and ineptness of Republicans and Nationalists alike. He

called this situation "the carnival of treachery and rottenness on

both sides," and was especially critical of the military leaders.

Hemingway decided that he could best serve the Republican cause by

writing about the war as honestly as possible. "The hell with war

for awhile," he said, "I want to write." The result of his creative

urge was the novel For Whom the Bell Tolls, which was published in

1940, the year after the Republicans had lost the war.

-

* * *

-

For someone who lived his adult years with bold, muscular strokes in

public view across three continents, Hemingway`s early life was

relatively uneventful. He was born in Oak Park, Illinois, a suburb

of Chicago, on July 21, 1899. His mother was artistic and cultured,

and might have followed a career as an opera singer. She tried to urge

Ernest to develop musical inclinations, but with no results. His great

love was the outdoors, the appreciation of which he learned from his

father, a physician, who relished fishing, hunting, and the lore of

the woods. Ernest acquired ideals of endurance, physical prowess,

and courage that later show up in his writing and his life.

When he was graduated from high school in 1917, Hemingway had no

desire to go to college. His interest was World War I, which had

been raging for three years. He wanted to participate before the

fighting ended, but he was met by disappointment. At first Hemingway`s

father refused to let him enlist, and when his father finally

relented, the American armed forces rejected Hemingway for poor vision

in one eye.

Hemingway then worked as a reporter for the Kansas City Star for six

months until he found a way to participate in the war- as an ambulance

driver with the American Red Cross. By June 1918 he was at the front

lines in Italy. During a furious Austrian shelling of Italian

troops, he carried a wounded soldier to safety, but was struck along

the way by pieces of mortar shrapnel.

The Italian government decorated Hemingway for his heroism,

newspapers printed glowing stories, and a hero`s welcome awaited him

in Oak Park. But Hemingway was nonetheless plagued by rejection in

other areas: He had fallen in love with Agnes von Kurowsky, a nurse

who had cared for him in an Italian hospital, but in 1919 she broke

off their relationship. And his determination to be a writer was

dampened by rejection slips from one magazine after another.

Coloring almost everything was his disillusionment with the values

he had learned while growing up. His experience in the war overseas

had changed his outlook, and he became more and more estranged from

his parents. In Europe he encountered cynicism about the war, not

patriotism, and there was an overwhelming loss of hope and belief in

traditional values.

In September 1921, Hemingway married Hadley Richardson. The couple

moved to Paris, where Hemingway served as a correspondent for The

Toronto Star. Paris was a gathering place for American expatriates-

people who chose to live away from their homeland, mostly because they

were disillusioned or confused about their lives and their country.

One writer dubbed these rootless people "the lost generation."

Hemingway`s desire to be a full-time writer of fiction was still

unfulfilled. Manuscript after manuscript was turned down by

publishers. Another devastating blow came in December 1923 when a

suitcase containing almost everything he had written was stolen and

never recovered.

But in 1924 a small collection of his short stories, in our time,

was published in Paris. In 1925, retitled with capitals, In Our Time

was published in the United States and ultimately received high

critical praise. His terse, direct style (developed in part by his

need to use as few words as possible as a foreign correspondent) and

his ability to articulate intense, complex emotions without flowery

excess, was greeted with warm welcome by many critics, who saw him

as helping initiate a departure from the verbal indulgences of many

writers of the 19th century. Hemingway further polished his style in

his first novel, The Sun Also Rises (1926). The book, a telling

depiction of life among American expatriates in Europe, was warmly

received by both critics and the reading public.

In 1927, Hemingway divorced Hadley and married Pauline Pfeiffer, a

writer for Vogue magazine. They moved to Key West, Florida, where he

worked on A Farewell to Arms (1929) and Pauline gave birth to the

first of their two sons. Just as he was completing the final draft

of A Farewell to Arms, which would bring him even more critical and

financial success, he learned that his father- despondent and ill with

diabetes- had shot himself to death. Hemingway considered suicide a

cowardly act, and never forgave his father for it. Yet the suicide

would ultimately have a grim echo in Hemingway`s own life.

The 1930s brought Hemingway adventure and broad, bold experiences.

He indulged his love for deep-sea fishing off the coast of Florida and

hunting in the American West and Africa. Always seeking intense

physical experience, Hemingway spoke with awe about the thrill of

the "clean kill." He wrote many magazine articles that glorified these

brawny adventures, until the public generally identified him with

the image of the hearty and rugged outdoorsman. Hemingway wrote two

nonfiction books during this period, Death in the Afternoon (1932),

which honored the ritual of the bullfight, and Green Hills of Africa

(1935), detailing the glory of an African safari.

The Great Depression and other world problems helped develop a new

side of Hemingway. Because the heroes in Hemingway`s novels had been

loners, independent and aloof from the problems of the masses, the

generally left-leaning writers of the time disdained him and his

outlook. That`s one major reason why Hemingway was cheered so heartily

in his address in 1937 to the Congress of American Writers: this was a

new, politically committed Ernest Hemingway!

Hemingway`s zeal for the Republican, or Loyalist, cause was revealed

in actions as well as words. He accompanied both regular Republican

army groups and guerrilla bands as a correspondent. He spent time in

the Spanish cities, in the countryside, in the mountains. He also

bought ambulances for the Loyalists, and helped prepare a pro-Loyalist

documentary film, The Spanish Earth.

There was another aspect of Hemingway that lured him to the scene of

battle- his love of conflict itself. It would be simplistic to say

that Hemingway glorified war, as some have charged. He was as sickened

by its cruelty and waste as anyone could be. Yet he was also excited

by what he saw as the more positive aspects of battle- courage,

camaraderie, loyalty, dedication to a cause. According to one

observer, Hemingway was "attracted by danger, death, great deeds";

another said he was "revived and rejuvenated" by seeing those who

refused to surrender, no matter what the odds. Hemingway was also

buoyed by what he called "the pleasant, comforting stench of comrades"

fighting together for a common goal. Instincts similar to those that

drew him to a bullfight or to the stalking of wild game sharpened

his senses during the Spanish Civil War.

It is the conflicting impulses of attraction and repulsion that

create much of the tension in For Whom the Bell Tolls. The publication

of the novel was greeted with acclaim by some, but with disdain by

others. Some liberals and some conservatives were angered because they

felt Hemingway had betrayed them by not writing a novel that favored

their respective political outlook. But Hemingway responded, "In

stories about the war I try to show all the different sides of it,

taking it slowly and honestly and examining it in many ways. So

never think one story represents my viewpoint because it is much too

complicated for that."

For Whom the Bell Tolls was a great commercial success. Paramount

Pictures acquired the film rights for $150,000, an astronomical sum at

the time. Hemingway stipulated who the principal actors should be- the

very popular Gary Cooper would be Robert Jordan, the main figure in

the novel, and the rising star Ingrid Bergman would be Maria, the

guerrilla with whom Jordan falls in love.

In the later 1940s and 50s, the novel`s critical standing declined

compared with some of Hemingway`s other works. Readers noted

inaccuracies in the use of Spanish in For Whom the Bell Tolls. They

criticized details of the presentation of Spanish culture, such as the

scene where Agustin, a Spanish guerrilla, asks Jordan about Maria`s

sexual performance. Such curiosity would violate a strict Spanish code

of decorum. Other readers said the relationship between Jordan and

Maria lacked credibility.

In more recent times the novel has regained critical stature. Some

regard it as Hemingway`s finest achievement. And few doubt the

personal passion and experience he brought to its writing.

How objective a reporter was Hemingway? Can you read For Whom the

Bell Tolls as an accurate picture of Spain during the civil war?

Opinions vary. His war correspondence itself has received labels

that range from "stirring accounts" to "a kind of sub-fiction in which

he was the central character."

In For Whom the Bell Tolls he was objective enough to point out

deficiencies of the Republican side and to write vividly of the

atrocities they committed. He could also show the enemy in a favorable

light. For instance, in the novel`s final scene, the representative of

the Nationalists, Lieutenant Berrendo, is not an odious barbarian

but a richly human character for whom you may feel considerable

sympathy.

The famous British writer George Orwell, whose books include 1984

and Animal Farm, was another of the many leading writers who became

actively involved in the Spanish Civil War. He wrote Homage to

Catalonia (1938), a detailed recollection of experiences with one of

the Loyalist organizations. You might want to compare the fictional

details of For Whom the Bell Tolls with Orwell`s account of the way he

saw the war. You will also learn about the war by reading Arthur

Koestler`s Spanish Testament (1937), a vivid account of the writer`s

imprisonment by Nationalist forces. Man`s Hope (1938), by the noted

French intellectual Andre Malraux, is considered a masterly

depiction of early stages of the war. In addition, several

historical works on the Spanish Civil War contain a wealth of

material. Such studies include books by Gabriel Jackson (1965), Hugh

Thomas (1977), and Peter Wyden (1983).

Hemingway`s second marriage ended in divorce in 1940, and he married

Martha Gellhorn, a writer and foreign correspondent during the Spanish

Civil War. For Whom the Bell Tolls is dedicated to her.

World War II (1939-45) captivated Hemingway. Both his finances and

his reputation were solid, and he needed neither the notoriety nor the

money from being a war correspondent. Nevertheless, he took a job as

chief of the European bureau of Collier`s magazine. He accompanied the

British Royal Air Force on several bombing raids over occupied

France and crossed the English Channel with American troops on

D-Day, June 6, 1944. He was in the thick of fighting during the

liberation of Paris and the Battle of the Bulge, often seeming as much

a soldier as a correspondent, according to one source.

In 1945, at the age of 46, Hemingway divorced Martha Gellhorn and

married his last wife, Mary Welsh. The couple lived on a luxurious

estate outside Havana, Cuba, until the revolution begun in 1959 by

Fidel Castro forced them to leave.

Hemingway`s novel Across the River and Into the Trees (1950) was

eagerly awaited. But when published it was scorned, receiving

biting, almost vicious, reviews. Critics accused Hemingway of

writing self-parody; another claimed to feel "pity, embarrassment,

that so fine and honest a writer can make such a travesty of himself."

It became fashionable to consider Hemingway washed up as a writer.

Returning to Africa to re-create some of the adventures of the

1930s, Hemingway was nearly killed in an airplane crash. But he

survived, and went on to write The Old Man and the Sea in 1952, the

last major work published while he was alive. (A Moveable Feast,

Islands in the Stream, By-line: Ernest Hemingway, and The Dangerous

Summer were published after his death.) The Old Man and the Sea

revived Hemingway`s flagging career. He received a Pulitzer Prize

for the book, and it helped him win the prestigious Nobel Prize for

literature in 1954.

In subsequent years the hearty and death-defying Hemingway began

to lose his health. Nothing, including visits to the Mayo Clinic in

Minnesota, was able to restore him to his previous vigor. His

illnesses (including a rare disease that affects the vital organs)

were compounded by severe states of depression.

Did he decide that, if he could not live as aggressively and

boldly as he once had, he would prefer not to live at all? Whatever

the reason, he took his own life at his home in Ketchum, Idaho, on

July 2, 1961. He shot himself with a silver-inlaid shotgun, choosing a

method used by his father years earlier. He thus duplicated an act

that he had denounced as cowardly.

Hemingway the artist left a rich legacy of work that has found a

permanent place in American literature. That he is likely to endure

can be attributed to many factors, but is perhaps best summed up in

his own words, spoken to the Writer`s Congress in 1937: "A writer`s

problem... is always how to write truly and having found out what is

true to project it in such a way that it becomes part of the

experience of the person who reads it." Hemingway wrote truly, and

he becomes part of everyone who reads him.

THE_PLOT

THE NOVEL

-

THE PLOT (HFORPLOT)

-

For Whom the Bell Tolls tells the engrossing tale of Robert

Jordan, an American supporter of the Republican cause in the Spanish

Civil War (1936-39). Within a short span of some 68 hours, Jordan`s

involvement with a band of guerrillas- notably a young woman named

Maria, with whom he falls in love- forces him to question his own

participation in a war that seems unwinnable and to realize that the

sacrifice of life for the sake of a political cause may be too high

a price to pay.

Jordan is a college teacher on a leave of absence in Spain, and as

For Whom the Bell Tolls opens, he`s discussing the location of a

bridge with a local guide named Anselmo. But there`s much more to

the situation than that. The Spain that Jordan loves is involved in

a civil war, and he has really come to help wage that war on behalf of

the side he believes in. At the moment his job is to blow up a

bridge behind enemy lines.

The assignment came to Jordan through General Golz, a Soviet officer

also in Spain to help fight the war. According to Golz, the demolition

of the bridge at precisely the right moment is a key part of a

large-scale offensive by the Republican forces.

Jordan needs help to do the job, so the peasant Anselmo has

brought him to a guerrilla band hiding in the mountains. From the

moment Jordan meets Pablo, their leader, Jordan suspects that the

guerrilla chief, who should be his chief ally in the operation, will

spell trouble.

Pablo has "gone bad." He`s lost his drive, his purpose as a

guerrilla leader. He`s content simply to stay hidden and survive,

rather than actively harass the enemy.

With the arrival of Jordan, the band of seven men and two women

are given a renewed sense of purpose. This prompts a showdown for

leadership of the band. Pilar, Pablo`s mistress, publicly assumes

charge. Pablo`s status is uncertain at this moment, and several of the

band would now be grateful if Jordan killed Pablo. But he doesn`t.

Plans are made to enlist the help of a neighboring guerrilla band, led

by El Sordo, in the demolition of the bridge.

Robert Jordan finds more than the bridge to occupy his attention.

Among the guerrilla group is Maria, a young woman who was rescued by

the band during their last significant operation. They are almost

instantly attracted to each other and spend this first night making

love. It`s not the first sexual experience for either of them.

Jordan has been with other women; Maria was once raped by a group of

enemy soldiers. But for each, it`s the first experience that

combines sex with love.

On the second day, Jordan, Pilar, and Maria make their way to the

hideout of El Sordo to enlist his help in demolishing the bridge. El

Sordo promises support. On the return trip, Pilar deliberately

leaves Jordan and Maria by themselves for a while. Again they make

love, and Jordan begins to entertain serious doubts about whether this

war is the most important thing in his life after all.

The band now observes a heavy concentration of enemy soldiers riding

through the area but manages to avoid detection. El Sordo and his

men are not so fortunate. Nationalist soldiers- the enemy- trap them

on a hill and they are slaughtered. Jordan and the others hear the

sounds of the fighting but are helpless to come to El Sordo`s aid.

It`s an agonizing feeling.

Personal experiences have brought Jordan to doubt the value of

this war in general. Now the concentration of enemy soldiers and

planes in the area makes him doubt the practicality of blowing up

the bridge. Perhaps if Golz were aware of the enemy`s numbers in the

immediate area, he would want the operation canceled.

He writes a dispatch to Golz. But the messenger is delayed time

and again- not by the presence of the enemy in the area, but by the

frustrating bumbling and petty bureaucracy of his own Republican

forces. Ultimately, he is arrested and the dispatch is confiscated,

again by his own people.

At the camp, Maria and Jordan dream about their future together, but

Jordan knows they are fooling themselves. Finally, Pilar brings Jordan

the news that Pablo has deserted and has taken the detonation devices.

The bridge operation wasn`t easy to begin with; now Jordan will have

to improvise a makeshift exploder and detonators just to have a chance

at succeeding.

He spends the middle of the night devising a way- and holding Maria.

"We`ll be killed but we`ll blow the bridge," he whispers to her as she

sleeps in his arms.

Early on the morning of this fourth day, as the band eat what

could be their last breakfast, Pablo returns. He apologizes for his

moment of weakness. To make up for it, he has brought several more men

from the area to join them. But the exploder and detonators are

gone; he has tossed them in the river.

Meanwhile, a Soviet journalist secures the release of the messenger,

and Jordan`s dispatch finally reaches Golz, but it`s too late. The

doomed attack has already been mounted and can`t be stopped.

Without counterorders from Golz, Jordan`s mission to blow up the

bridge proceeds. He feverishly rigs the improvised detonation

devices just in time. At the sound of the Loyalist attack (his cue),

the bridge is blown up. Jordan has accomplished what he came to do.

But he is a different man from what he was a short while ago; the

success gives him little satisfaction.

The band must now attempt a retreat. Pablo, the most familiar with

the area, has devised a workable plan. The group draws enemy fire

but no one is hit. They all have a chance to escape to a safe area-

except Robert Jordan.

His horse is hit and falls on him, breaking his thigh. For the

good of all, he is left behind. Everyone but Maria can see that

there is no other way. There is a painful good-bye. Maria protests

to the end and won`t leave until she is forced to by Pilar and Pablo.

Robert Jordan struggles to remain conscious just long enough to kill

at least some of the enemy. He lies on the ground, awaiting the enemy.

THE_CHARACTERS

THE CHARACTERS (HFORCHAR)

-

MAJOR CHARACTERS

-

ROBERT JORDAN

Robert Jordan is a man of action. In For Whom the Bell Tolls, he

undertakes a dangerous mission, even welcomes it. Like other Hemingway

heroes, he seems to understand that dying well can be even more

important than living well.

But unlike other Hemingway heroes, Jordan believes in an abstract

ideal, an ideology, a cause. This cause is "government by the

people" in the Spain that he loves. Jordan`s liberal political views

have motivated him to leave the University of Montana where he teaches

Spanish, in order to fight with the Spanish Republicans, or Loyalists.

Whereas most liberal intellectuals were willing only to denounce in

words the rise of fascism in Spain, Jordan takes action in support

of his political beliefs.

Beyond that, Jordan is intelligent, clever, inventive, and decisive.

He can keep his composure in sticky situations. These qualities are

necessary for survival in his role in Spain of a demolition expert

behind enemy lines.

Jordan is unquestionably in charge, except in the arena of his own

mind. Here, he begins to question and reevaluate the very ideals

that brought him to Spain. This tormented individualist sways and

wavers, experiencing moments of painful honesty and moments of

self-deception. He sometimes feels caught between new values

emerging in his life and a duty he has committed himself to.

At the conclusion of Hemingway`s story, dedication to an ideology is

not as important to Jordan as it was at the beginning. He begins to

see that his cause is tarnished, that perhaps every cause is

tarnished. He has changed from a believer in abstract ideas to a

believer in the importance of the individual person.

You might accept this change as both credible and authentic, or

you might question it on the grounds that it`s motivated principally

by his rather swift and passionate love affair with Maria. You`ll have

to decide whether Jordan is more genuine or less genuine at the

conclusion of the novel- or equally so, even though his principal

allegiance has changed.

-

PABLO

Pablo, the leader of the guerrilla band, is one of Hemingway`s

richest characters. In one sense he is quite entertaining, not only

because he is frequently comically drunk but also because his behavior

is full of surprises.

At one time, there had been an entirely different Pablo, who, like

Jordan, believed strongly in the Loyalist cause. But unlike Jordan,

that Pablo was capable of immense cruelty.

Now the guerrilla leader is disillusioned. The cause means little to

him. He`s content simply to survive, hidden in the mountains, doing

almost nothing to aid the Loyalist forces. Given his horses and his

wine, he appears happy.

On the surface, he seems to have degenerated into an ineffective

force. But he cannot be discounted. In fact, his bitter

disillusionment makes him dangerous. He`s capable now of

deliberately sabotaging the very operations he formerly supported

and led.

Yet something of the old Pablo remains. He may have lost his

motivation and the firmness of his allegiance, but he hasn`t lost

his cleverness and expertise as a guerrilla soldier.

During the course of the story, Pablo doesn`t actually change, as

Robert Jordan does. He vacillates. He is now one Pablo, now another- a

frustrating figure to Jordan, and probably to you, also.

But most of the time Pablo suffers from what we might call

burnout, exhaustion and apathy resulting usually from working too hard

at something. What`s responsible for this disintegration of Pablo from

a terror-wielding firebrand to an often drunken excuse for a soldier?

Several possibilities exist. One is his dependence on wine. You

may see that as a defect of character or as a disease. Or it could

be that the responsibility of leading his band during wartime has

simply worn him down. Perhaps through lack of willpower he has allowed

fear to transform him into a spineless character. Maybe he has

simply become soft and spoiled by the relative luxuries of his

recently sheltered situation.

A particularly intriguing line of thought is that Pablo suffers from

guilt over the atrocities he engineered at the beginning of the war,

which Pilar describes in Chapter 10. Guilt can produce severe

depression leading to inactivity and even virtual paralysis. At one

point Pablo does express a sorrow for having killed and a kinship with

his victims, but it`s uncertain whether this is Pablo or his red

wine speaking.

-

PILAR

Pilar is Pablo`s mistress and the real leader of the guerrilla band,

even though Pablo nominally holds the title at the beginning of the

novel. As with Pablo, there is more than one Pilar. But she is far

more predictable. In fact, you typically see only her tough side.

Whatever the situation, Pilar is always in charge.

She is duly respectful of Jordan`s status with the movement and

his expertise as a demolition expert. But she is prepared to set him

straight when she feels it`s needed.

She is a woman born into a male-oriented culture. Thus she is

domestic in many ways. She even trains Maria in some traditional

household and man-pleasing "duties." At the same time, she can carry

heavy equipment, fire a machine gun, and command a group of

seasoned, male guerrilla soldiers.

She is rough and hardened, capable of crude speech and outrageous

insults. She dispenses them freely, particularly to Pablo. Anyone

who strikes her as acting stupidly is a target for her acid tongue.

Though physically ugly- by her own admission- Pilar has not lacked

for lovers. She recalls her former lover Finito with a nostalgic

fondness. She is affectionate with Maria, for whom she has genuine

feelings. And her strength diminishes at times- the roar of plane

engines overhead sends her into a shudder of fear.

True to her complex character, when Pablo returns from his brief

desertion, she insults, forgives, then admires him nearly all in the

same breath.

Unlike Pablo, throughout most of the story Pilar professes to be a

fervent believer in the Republican movement as an ideal. In that

respect she is like the Robert Jordan we see at the beginning of the

story. You might question how genuine this is or at least what

motivates Pilar. You might see her as truly convinced of Republican

ideals, even though she could not articulate them in the

intellectual manner that Jordan would. Another interpretation is

that she has simply found her niche in this turbulent wartime

situation and receives sufficient psychological reward to keep her

going from her role as behind-the-scenes controller of what is

nominally Pablo`s band. It might even be argued that both the above

compensate for her recent lack of romantic and sexual fulfillment with

Pablo.

There is also a mystical streak in Pilar. Although full of common

sense, she is attuned to mysteries of the universe. She reads Jordan`s

palm and probably sees his imminent death. She also graphically

recounts the smell of death that clung to the ill-fated Kashkin,

Jordan`s predecessor.

-

MARIA

Maria is a young Spanish woman who was rescued by Pablo`s band

when they hijacked a Nationalist train. She has been with them

since. Maria is important in the story as a principal cause of

character development in Robert Jordan. But many readers feel that she

herself changes little and is a superficial character. One commentator

has said that even Jordan`s fantasies of love affairs with screen

goddesses are more real than the portrait of Maria.

At their first meeting, she is strongly attracted to Jordan. She

exhibits an almost desperate need for the attentions of a man who will

care for her as a woman- but with respect and tenderness.

Crucial to this need is a nightmare of Maria`s past: the brutal rape

she experienced at the hands of her Nationalist captors. Pilar has

afforded some healing with her philosophy that whatever Maria didn`t

actually consent to did not, in a sense, happen- or at least did not

count. But Maria needs more than this.

You might question whether Maria`s willingness to give herself so

quickly and completely to Jordan is believable in light of her

previous brutal treatment at the hands of men. After all, even

though Jordan fights for the Loyalists, as a person he`s an unknown

quantity to her.

Finding Jordan both masculine and gentle, Maria becomes lovingly

subservient to a degree that some women readers find somewhat silly.

She talks almost in terms of worship. As you read the novel, you`ll

have to decide whether Hemingway has portrayed Maria`s relationship

with Jordan in believable terms.

At the close of the story, Maria and Jordan`s relationship is, in

their own words, much deeper than simple attraction and need. Has

Maria herself changed- or been changed? Or has something good (a

sincere love affair) simply happened to her while she herself

remains much the same person?

-

SELECTED MINOR CHARACTERS

-

ANSELMO

Anselmo, the oldest member of the guerrilla band, never uses his age

as an excuse for shirking work for the Republican cause. There is

nothing half-hearted about his service. Above all, he exhibits

simplicity and integrity. Many readers feel that when Anselmo

speaks, it`s worth listening to.

Anselmo is also a gentle, sensitive man who is able to see enemy

soldiers as men very much like himself. The killing involved in the

guerrilla band`s operations causes him much pain. At heart he is a

deeply religious man.

Thus, even in a situation he did not devise or wish for, Anselmo

seems to be an example of an honest gentleman. His integrity

combined with the nominal atheism he must subscribe to on behalf of

the Republicans have gained him the epithet "secular saint" in some

critiques.

Yet it`s possible to see him in another light. Given the depth of

his religious and ethical convictions, which become particularly

evident at the end of the novel, why hasn`t he simply stood up and

said "I will not serve" a cause which exercises the killing and

brutality which he hates?

-

GENERAL GOLZ

Golz is a Soviet military strategist who is in Spain to help the

Republican forces. But it`s difficult to determine his personal

involvement in the cause. He devotes himself to his job, and he`s

upset (as Jordan will be) at the incompetent manner in which the

Loyalists wage the war. He is resentful that amateurish bumbling and

pettiness prevent his strategic plans from being carried out as he has

ordered.

This could be explained by a sincere belief in his communist

ideology and a desire to see justice and self-determination granted to

the common people of Spain. It could also stem from a love of

playing professional war games and a desire for a sparkling military

record. Golz, after all, will not answer to the people of Spain. He

answers to superiors who will determine his career as a Soviet

officer.

-

EL SORDO

El Sordo ("The Deaf One") is the leader of a neighboring guerrilla

band. He`s an aggressive leader such as Pablo once was, although

perhaps without the cruelty. He`s courageous, resourceful, and

dedicated to the Republic.

But he`s also a realist: he has no illusions about the possibility

of Republican success in the civil war. In this respect, he can be

seen as the purest example of devotion to an ideal. He knows that

the cause for which he will die will fail. Yet he does more than he

has to on its behalf. He even gives Jordan (who is expected to

return to the luxury of the United States) a rare bottle of whiskey in

hospitable thanks for Jordan`s aid toward the cause.

He can also be seen as a contradictory character. Although he does

not accept the collectivist slogans that promise victory or at least

glory through sustained effort, he fights with all his effort on

behalf of the force which generates them.

-

KARKOV

Karkov is a Soviet journalist covering the Spanish Civil War from

his headquarters in Madrid. He seems to give allegiance to the

ideology of the Republic. Consequently, the bumbling and

indifference that he observes in many of its higher echelons disgust

and infuriate him.

He`s similar to Golz in that it`s difficult to determine how

personally he`s involved in the cause. While on the surface he seems

genuine, he doesn`t hesitate to avail himself of the relatively

extravagant luxuries at Gaylord`s Hotel, the Soviet headquarters in

Madrid. In this manner, he could easily symbolize many who have thrown

themselves into the cause of the common, impoverished people- but

without truly wanting to share their general lot in life.

-

JOAQUIN

Joaquin is a young, idealistic member of El Sordo`s band. At the

time of the air attack on the guerrillas, Joaquin at first is a

vocal partisan of the communist cause. But as the attack begins and

the possibility of death looms, Joaquin returns to his Roman

Catholic roots and begins to pray fervently.

-

ANDRES

Andres is a member of Pablo`s band. He is sent by Jordan to

deliver the message to General Golz that the planned Republican

offensive has been anticipated by the enemy.

SETTING

OTHER ELEMENTS

-

SETTING (HFORSETT)

-

Because For Whom the Bell Tolls is set during the Spanish Civil War,

it is important to know some of the elements of Spanish geography

incorporated in the book. If you look at the series of maps entitled

"The Course of the Spanish Civil War," (see illustration)

you`ll

notice the increase of Nationalist-held territory from July 1936 to

October 1937. (The novel takes place in May 1937.) By 1937 the

Republicans were steadily losing ground, and Robert Jordan`s

mission- to blow up a bridge crucial to enemy Nationalist interests-

takes on added importance.

Almost in the center of Spain is Madrid, the capital, once a

Republican stronghold, but in May 1937 close to falling to the

enemy. To the north of Madrid (see map) is the Guadarrama

Range, where

Pablo`s band is hiding and where the bridge is to be demolished. The

town of La Granja is where members of the band go for supplies and

news of the war. To the southwest of the Guadarrama mountains is the

Gredos Range, where Pablo intends to retreat after the bridge is blown

up. To the west of the Guadarrama Range is the city of Segovia, a

Nationalist stronghold the Republicans hope to capture in their

offensive.

Farther northwest of Segovia is Valladolid, where Maria was taken

prisoner. It was there she was transported by the train that Pablo`s

band seized and blew up.

Notice, too, the region of Estremadura in the western part of Spain,

where Jordan was working before his current assignment.

Many readers have pointed out that one of Ernest Hemingway`s major

goals in writing For Whom the Bell Tolls was to demonstrate that the

real victims of the Spanish Civil War were the Spanish people

themselves, torn by the savage self-interest of the competing

political ideologues. The tragic effects of a brutal war on the

peasants for whom it had become a daily reality are revealed in the

rebel camp where Jordan and the others are hiding. These simple,

earthy people have been transformed permanently by the war, and its

toll is immeasurable. Hemingway shows us the cost of war in a

variety of ways: Pilar`s lengthy and vivid description of the

atrocities inflicted upon Nationalist enemies in her village;

Maria`s suffering at the hands of the enemy; Pablo`s erratic behavior;

Anselmo`s pathetic conflict between loyalty to the cause and his

dislike of killing, to name the most obvious examples. Because the

fate of the Spanish people (mostly farmers) is so directly tied to the

land the war has ravaged, they act as an indivisible part of the

novel`s setting.

By placing most of the action in the mountain retreat of the

guerrilla band, Hemingway has created a setting that is symbolic in

contrasting ways. On the one hand, the camp hidden in the Guadarrama

Range is a refuge that offers safety for many of the characters.

Here Pablo, Pilar, and the other guerrillas have come to find

temporary safety; here, too, Maria has come to heal physical and

psychic wounds after her imprisonment by the Nationalists. It is in

the mountains that Robert Jordan begins to question his motives as a

participant in this war: through his love for Maria and his

association with the peasants, Jordan is humanized and slowly comes to

realize the truth of the quotation from John Donne at the opening of

the novel: "No man is an Iland."

On the other hand, the mountain hideout also represents the plight

of the Republicans- there they are trapped, blocked by fascist

troops below them and enemy aircraft whizzing over their heads. The

snow of the mountains offers a similar two-sided symbol: beautiful

to look at, it suggests nature at its most peaceful, but the snow is

also deadly, since it reveals the whereabouts of the rebels once

they have walked in it.

BACKGROUND

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND (HFORHIST)

-

Until the 1930s Spain had been a monarchy for centuries, except

for a brief experiment as a republic in 1873-74. We can begin the

background to the Spanish Civil War with Alfonso XIII, who came to the

Spanish throne in 1902. The general verdict of historians is that he

was incompetent. In 1921, for example, 20,000 Spanish troops died in

an ill-conceived, unsuccessful offensive that he ordered against

Moroccan tribes. He subsequently disbanded Parliament and selected

Miguel Primo de Rivera as a military dictator.

Rivera established a dictatorship with Alfonso as figurehead.

Although Rivera`s government, which held power from 1923 to 1930,

initially proved efficient and was widely favored, its popularity

later declined and finally even the army withdrew its support.

Rivera fled in January 1930, leaving Alfonso with the huge problem

of trying to run Spain with little popular support.

In the hope of avoiding civil war, Alfonso went into exile,

attempting to do so with a touch of grace by not officially

abdicating. In 1931 the Second Republic, led by a coalition of

Socialists and middle-class liberals, was formed amid enthusiasm.

But the new government tried to do too much too quickly- and often

acted unwisely. This was especially the case in matters of educational

reform and in trying to reduce the immense power of both the church

and the army.

Consequently, opposition mounted. Monarchist plots arose on behalf

of Alfonso and even on behalf of the line of Don Carlos, the

19th-century claimant to the throne. By the end of 1935,

twenty-eight governments had been formed and had fallen. The country

was close to chaos, with frequent strikes and uprisings by

self-declared autonomous governments.

The election of February 1936 gave power to the Popular Front, a

shaky mixture of Republicans, Socialists, Communists, and

Anarchists. But widescale disorder and violence continued to rack

the country. Spain had finally gained a government "of the people,"

but the Republic was weak and inefficient- and thus its own worst

enemy.

The situation begged for a force to bring order out of chaos and

hence was ripe for the formation and growth of fascist organizations

based on the premise of a strong central government. Principal among

the fascist groups was the Falange, begun by Jose Antonio Primo de

Rivera, the son of the previous dictator, Miguel Primo de Rivera.

Many tradition-minded Spanish people, particularly the landowners

and conservative army officers, began to feel that their way of life

would be destroyed either by official government reforms or by the

general chaos of the country. They started planning to overthrow the

government.

The army made its move on July 17, 1936, charging that the

government could not keep order. It was certainly not the first

fighting in Spain. But it was the beginning of large-scale civil

war, with the lines clearly drawn.

The forces led by the army (with General Francisco Franco in charge)

were called the Nationalists or Rebels. Supporting the Nationalists

were monarchists, Carlists (monarchists who supported the claim of

descendants of Don Carlos, rather than the Bourbon line), the

wealthy upper classes, the Falange fascists, and elements of the Roman

Catholic Church.

The forces defending the Republican government were called Loyalists

or Republicans. This group included much of the working class and most

liberals, socialists, and communists.

The Spanish Civil War was a brutal conflict that included many

appalling acts of cruelty and terrorism. The Nationalist forces

often found themselves in the position of an alien invading army.

Popular sympathy was usually with the Republicans, but the support was

largely passive. One way the Nationalists tried to gain control of

people was through terror: torture, executions, and bloodletting of

all kinds. Loyalists responded with equally reprehensible

atrocities, like those described in Chapter 10 of For Whom the Bell

Tolls.

The Spanish Civil War was, in part, an international affair.

Historians have often commented that the war served as a training

ground, almost a dress rehearsal, for World War II.

Aiding the Nationalists were approximately 50,000 soldiers from

Fascist Italy, 20,000 from Portugal, and 10,000 from Nazi Germany.

These countries also provided modern war materials.

On the Republican side were Soviet soldiers, well trained and able

to assume positions of leadership, and an estimated 40,000

additional volunteers from around the globe, including the United

States. The volunteers were mostly professional soldiers for hire,

international adventurers, or persons who sympathized ideologically

with the Republicans. This last group included people like Robert

Jordan, the main character in For Whom the Bell Tolls.

Some arms and equipment were sent to the Loyalists from such

countries as the Soviet Union, Mexico, and France, but this aid didn`t

equal that provided to the Nationalists. Consequently, Nationalist

forces were nearly always better equipped.

The Nationalist rebels began by occupying the northwest and the

southern tip of Spain and gradually linked these two areas. From there

they executed a pincer movement: down from the north, up from the

south, and toward the Mediterranean coast in the east.

By the spring of 1937, when For Whom the Bell Tolls takes place, the

Nationalists were making serious inroads in Republican-controlled

territory. Madrid, the Spanish capital, was held by the Republicans

but was constantly under siege. The guerrilla camp depicted by

Hemingway in the novel was behind Nationalist lines, about sixty miles

from Madrid. It was also during this time, on April 26, that Nazi

German airplanes bombed the Basque town of Guernica, killing more than

1600 civilians. Guernica was without military importance, and the

bombing brought an international outcry of protest. The incident

also inspired one of Spanish painter Pablo Picasso`s most vivid and

moving paintings, called Guernica, created out of his heartbreak and

rage.

Yet for all the Nationalist gains in 1937, the Republicans

remained hopeful they could win the war. Hemingway has called this

period of brave optimism "the happiest period of our lives," referring

to those sympathizers and journalists who were in Spain. But less than

two years later, in March 1939, Madrid was captured by the

Nationalists, and the war was over.

The toll in human lives was immense. Nearly 110,000 people died in

battles and air raids. Some 220,000 persons were murdered or executed.

About 200,000 Loyalist prisoners were shot or died of ill-treatment in

prison cells even after the Nationalist triumph. And more than 300,000

people sought exile abroad.

THEMES

THEMES (HFORTHEM)

-

The following are themes of For Whom the Bell Tolls.

-

MAJOR THEMES

-

1. RELATIONSHIP OF THE INDIVIDUAL TO MANKIND

Hemingway`s choice of a John Donne poem as the source of the novel`s

title and epigraph emphasizes a major theme of For Whom the Bell

Tolls: "No man is an iland," that is, no person can exist separate

from the lives of others, even others living in far-away countries.

The theme is demonstrated most clearly by the actions of Robert

Jordan. Throughout his participation in the Spanish Civil War, he

has fought actively for a cause- not the cause of communism, as he

says, but the cause of antifascism. As the novel progresses, his

involvement with the guerrilla band, and particularly his love for

Maria, teach him the value of the individual as he or she affects a

larger society. The abstractions of an ideology are lifeless without

the people they represent; concepts have no meaning except for the

ways in which they affect human beings.

For Jordan, Maria represents human love, the first he has ever

known. It is for her that he stays behind to allow the rest of the

band to escape, demonstrating his realization that others depend on

him as he has depended on them. His decision not to commit suicide

at the end of the novel represents his ultimate understanding that

he must fight for the people whose lives are affected by the cause,

not purely for the cause as a generalized ideology.

Both Pablo and Pilar represent minor variations of the theme of

interdependency. Pablo is full of greedy self-interest now that he

owns horses. His decision to betray the guerrilla band is due to his

need to survive and thrive. At the last minute, however, he seems to

understand how his actions will affect those whom he once led, and

he returns to help them. Pilar, on the other hand, is almost blindly

devoted to the cause. She will do whatever it takes to win for the

Republic. Yet she, too, comes to understand the severe toll the

guerrillas` mission is likely to take, and for the first time she

expresses doubt about the cause that prompted the demolition.

-

2. NATURE OF THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR

Who wants the Spanish Civil War? Is anyone likely to benefit from

it? Look for answers to these questions as you read For Whom the

Bell Tolls. There is much to suggest that the common people, on

whose behalf the war is supposedly being waged, are tired of the

war, uninterested in it, and unlikely to benefit from it. Readers have

pointed out that Hemingway was prompted in part to write For Whom

the Bell Tolls to show his disgust at the way in which the civil war

had betrayed the Spanish people, both through internal disputes

between the warring factions and through foreign intervention eager

for a testing ground for an upcoming war.

The war`s effect on the Spanish is demonstrated in acts of great

courage and great cruelty. The challenges of the struggle created both

the bloodthirstiness and greed of Pablo, as well as the steadfast

courage of Pilar and Anselmo. The war may have exacted a terrible

price from its people, Hemingway seems to be saying, but it often

revealed them at their best.

Despite his pro-Republican leanings, Hemingway is careful to point

out that both sides are capable of savage behavior and that each

side is peopled with human beings with similar human needs. Through

Robert Jordan, Hemingway describes how a foreigner comes to view the

Spanish struggle. Jordan often states his belief in the "power,

justice, and equality to the people" theory espoused by the

Republicans. But he soon sees the toll the war is taking on those

around him, and he realizes, too, that his own side has committed as

many outrages against human rights as the enemy has.

-

3. LOVE

Hemingway writes about several kinds of love in For Whom the Bell

Tolls. Romantic love is depicted in the relationship of Jordan and

Maria. Before Maria, Jordan had expressed himself sexually, but he had

not loved. Loving her transports him from his intellectual world of

ideology to the world of real-life relationships. Maria represents the

love that humanizes Jordan, making possible his transition from a

political partisan to one who recognizes the worth of the

individual. For Maria, Jordan`s love is the healing touch she needs to

cure the psychic wounds inflicted upon her by her former captors.

Other kinds of love also are discussed in the novel. Many of the

peasants in the guerrilla band demonstrate a fierce love of the land

that supports their involvement in this brutal war. Jordan`s love of

liberty has brought him to Spain to fight for the Republican cause.

The anguish of Pablo`s band as the guerrillas listen to the attack

on El Sordo`s camp reflects the love among comrades. And Pilar`s

concern for Maria`s happiness and well-being is a kind of maternal

love that plays a part in Maria`s healing process.

-

4. DEATH

In Hemingway`s novels, heroes are often involved in activities

that risk death- in fact, they might be said to court death. Robert

Jordan is no exception, and from the beginning of For Whom the Bell

Tolls death is a palpable presence. Jordan`s job as demolition

expert is filled with danger, and there are numerous foreshadowings of

his fate, such as the death of Kashkin, his predecessor, and the

troubling information Pilar reads in his palm (but won`t divulge).

Death also is linked to the novel`s major theme of

interdependency. The deaths that occur during the story as well as

Kashkin`s, which occurs before the novel opens, affect the lives of

others. Kashkin`s death, for example, affects Jordan and the members

of the guerrilla band. El Sordo`s death has serious consequences for

the members of the camp. Jordan is haunted by the deaths of his father

and grandfather. And Jordan`s decision to hold off his own death by

not committing suicide is made in order to save the lives of the

others who are trying to flee the enemy. Just as one man`s life can

have a strong effect on those around him, so his death can have

similar consequences.

-

5. HYPOCRISY

Examples of hypocrisy abound in For Whom the Bell Tolls. Prime among

them are the Loyalist leaders themselves, many of whom are incompetent

and uncaring. They exploit their positions in order to attain a

level of comfort and self-indulgence in the midst of war.

Many of the leaders who were supposed to have sprung directly from

the Spanish peasantry at the beginning of the war are not really

genuine, and in fact some have been imported.

In his musings, Jordan admits that he doesn`t really believe all the

things he says he believes in order to justify his involvement in

the war.

The communist slogans that Joaquin mouths as El Sordo`s band is

being besieged provide further examples of a philosophy that does

not seem to work, yet is regarded by many as sacred.

The crowning touch is Andre Marty, the visiting French communist

leader. Although many regard him with awe, his incompetence

regularly sends men to their death- while career officers stand around

and do nothing about it. He embodies both tactical bungling and

self-centered hypocrisy.

-

MINOR THEMES

-

1. FATE AND MYSTICISM

From the beginning of the story, when Pilar "reads" Robert

Jordan`s hand, there are hints at an unseen, unavoidable force in

control of events. It would be easy for Jordan to dismiss what Pilar

sees as mere superstition. But he doesn`t, even though he claims not

to believe in such things; what she may have seen of his future

concerns him a great deal.

-

2. THE CODE HERO

Hemingway did not coin the term code hero. It evolved from the

attempts of critics to describe the type of protagonist Hemingway

frequently placed in his novels.

"Code" here means a set of rules or guidelines for conduct. The

principal ideals in the code are honor, courage, and stoic endurance

through stress, misfortune, and pain. The hero`s world is often

violent and disorderly; moreover, the violence and disorder seem to

prevail.

The code dictates that the hero act honorably even in the midst of

what will be a losing battle. In doing so, he finds fulfillment. He

achieves or proves his manhood and his worth. The term "grace under

pressure" is often used to describe the conduct of the Hemingway

code hero. Robert Jordan fits this mold in many ways, although he is

more introspective, more thoughtful, and less physical than other

Hemingway heroes (such as Jake Barnes in The Sun Also Rises and

Harry Morgan in To Have and Have Not).

-

3. RELIGION

On the surface, religion does not come across favorably in the pages

of For Whom the Bell Tolls. Characters like Lieutenant Berrendo

order atrocities and utter prayers almost in the same breath. One

character, Joaquin, reveals the conflict that many of the characters

underwent as their own religious beliefs were forcibly replaced with

communist theories. He returns to his Roman Catholic prayers just as

he thinks death is near.

Some readers feel that Hemingway is criticizing religion as an

emotional "band-aid." But others say that his portrayal of religion

suggests that a relationship with God is built into the human

condition, and that neither evil nor official atheism can eradicate

it.

STYLE

STYLE (HFORSTYL)

-

Rarely have authors become so identified with a particular writing

style or with the word "style" itself as Ernest Hemingway. Many

writers have attempted to "write like Hemingway." Few have succeeded.

To many readers, the essential characteristic of the Hemingway style

is simplicity and precision of word choice. That description, while

accurate, can be deceptive.

"Simplicity" is not the same thing as short, grammatically simple

sentences. "Precision of word choice" does not mean an abundance of

unusual words in order to achieve precision. And Hemingway`s style

cannot so easily be explained as in his own often quoted advice (which

needs to be taken with a grain of salt!) to write the story and then

remove the adjectives and adverbs.

At the conclusion of For Whom the Bell Tolls, you will have a

distinct picture of the places, the objects, the people in the

story. If you diagrammed or sketched them, they might be somewhat

different from another reader`s mental picture. That`s inevitable.

It`s the distinctness- giving the reader the feeling of being there-

which is Hemingway`s literary feat.

Beyond question this effect is achieved by a heavy use of nouns

and verbs. If there is an object in the scene he is relating,

Hemingway will mention it. If a character moves, Hemingway will

mention it.

It is true that Hemingway often leaves the adjectives and adverbs to

the reader. The resulting effect is all the more vivid and

memorable. An excellent example is the description of the sights and

smells both inside and outside the cave, at the opening of Chapter

5. At the same time, Hemingway does not avoid modifiers altogether.

A good example is the description of Joaquin when he is first

introduced at the beginning of Chapter 11.

Much has been made of Hemingway`s dialogue, through which you get

the feeling of being at the scene. Yet when the dialogue is

transferred to the motion picture screen, directors have had to be

careful to keep it from sounding stilted and formal, because its

effectiveness does not depend on reproducing the exact words

(including the "uh`s" and "er`s") that people utter in real life.

Hemingway also doesn`t often punctuate his dialogue with italics,

capital letters, ellipses (...), and exclamation points to suggest

emphasis. The effectiveness lies in stating with utmost simplicity the

heart of what the characters mean.

In general, however, For Whom the Bell Tolls is often regarded as

somewhat of a stylistic departure from Hemingway`s earlier novels,

such as The Sun Also Rises. Earlier works relied more heavily on

colloquial dialogue to communicate action and rarely included

lengthy descriptive passages. Some experts have suggested that in

For Whom the Bell Tolls, Hemingway was responding to criticisms of his

style. In this, his longest novel, he inserted lengthy lyric

passages that describe the countryside, portrayed the mind of Robert

Jordan with extended interior monologues, and replaced flowing

conversation with a sometimes stilted attempt to reproduce the Spanish

language. The leanness of the prose in his earlier novels- which

prompted critics to call him a major literary innovator- was thus

sacrificed for what some consider pretentiousness, but what others see

as brave and successful strides in experimentation. Those who disliked

his work in For Whom the Bell Tolls were pleased when he returned to a

simpler, terser style in works like The Old Man and the Sea.

-

* * *

-

Stylistic features peculiar to For Whom the Bell Tolls should be

noted. They concern Hemingway`s deliberate attempt to reproduce in

English the flavor of the Spanish language.

Spanish (like other languages) preserves a special second-person

singular pronoun and related verb form such as English formerly had

(thou, thy, thee). This form is used in speaking to another person

in a familiar manner. Hemingway uses the antiquated English form to

better approximate the speech of his Spanish characters. Readers

differ in their reactions to this device. Some find it awkward and

distracting. Others find that it begins to sound natural after a

while. You`ll recognize other English sentences that display strange

word order or style, such as "That this thing of the bridge may

succeed." This kind of construction is also an attempt to capture

the flavor of the Spanish language.

Both Hemingway`s actual Spanish and his attempt to render the flavor

of Spanish in English have been criticized as frequently inaccurate by

people who know Spanish better than he did. An exiled Loyalist

commander, Gustavo Duran, read the manuscript of For Whom the Bell

Tolls before it was published and was critical of Hemingway`s Spanish,

although impressed by the story. A more contemporary Spanish critic

has called the language abstract when it should be concrete (to

properly mirror real Spanish) and solemn when it should be simple.

Hemingway also tries to convey the extremely physical and earthy-

often crude- dialogue of Spanish peasants (particularly when they

are upset with each other). Today, when there is very little

censorship in the publishing industry, there would be no problem in

printing the exact English equivalent of what Hemingway wanted his

Spanish characters to say. But in 1940 there was a problem in using

obscenities.

One of Hemingway`s solutions was simply to quote the original

Spanish word or phrase. It`s then up to the reader to check with a

Spanish/English dictionary to learn how crudely someone has insulted

someone else.

A second method was to employ an all-purpose and acceptable

English word that at least suggests the original. Anselmo, in his

early tirade about Pablo`s negative attitude, says: "I this and that

in the this and that of thy father. I this and that and that in thy

this." On several occasions one character advises another to "Go

unprint thyself."

VIEW

POINT OF VIEW (HFORVIEW)

-

There are many ways for a writer to tell a story. Point of view

depends in part on the author`s decision concerning who tells the

story. Is it someone intimately involved with the action of the story?

Someone who was merely a minor participant? Someone who has an

omniscient view of everything and can see into the minds of one or all

of the characters?

Hemingway considered the first-person point-of-view (in which one of

the story`s characters narrates the action) effective but limited.

He said that it took him a while to master the third-person omniscient

point-of-view used in For Whom the Bell Tolls, in which the narrator

knows everything and reports the inner thoughts and feelings of the

characters.

Most of the time, Robert Jordan is at the center of the scene, and

it is his thoughts that we listen in on. But there are exceptions.

Chapter 15, for example, spotlights Anselmo and his soul searching. In

Chapter 27, El Sordo reveals the thoughts that occupy his last

hours. These occasional departures from Jordan`s consciousness serve

to create a fuller, more rounded picture of the world the novel

portrays.

FORM

FORM AND STRUCTURE (HFORFORM)

-

For Whom the Bell Tolls is a finely crafted novel that builds to a

powerful climax. The novel covers approximately sixty-eight hours,

outlined as follows:

-

first day late afternoon to midnight 6 to 8 hours

second day complete 24 hours

third day complete 24 hours

fourth day midnight to afternoon 15 to 17 hours

-

The technique of flashback is used sparingly but effectively. The

most notable example is in Chapter 10, where Pilar describes the

brutality that Pablo inflicted on the leading men of a Nationalist

town his band had taken. Strictly speaking, this is indirect

flashback, since it comes through Pilar`s narration, rather than

through a directly presented scene.

Other significant flashbacks include Jordan`s painful recollection

in Chapter 30 of his father`s suicide and Maria`s moving account in

Chapter 31 of her abuse at the hands of Nationalist soldiers.

Hemingway heightens the suspense in the final chapters (33 to 43) by

devoting alternating chapters to two strands of the story line. The

odd-numbered chapters are devoted to Jordan at the scene of the

demolition. The even-numbered chapters (with the exception of 38)

feature Andres on his mission to find Golz and deliver Jordan`s

dispatch.

The bridge, described masterfully as "solid flung metal grace" forms

the center of the novel. Few readers find the bridge itself to be

symbolic, but the entire action of the novel radiates from it- it is

the reason Jordan has come to the guerilla camp, it is important to

both sides at this point in the war, and the decision to blow it up is

a matter of intense controversy among the Republicans hiding in the

mountains. Virtually every movement in the novel is directed toward or

away from the bridge and is occasioned by the plan to blow it up.

THE_STORY

THE STORY (HFORSTOR)

-

No man is an Iland, intire of it selfe; every man is a peece of

the Continent, a part of the maine; if a Clod bee washed away by the

Sea, Europe is the lesse, as well as if a Promontorie were, as well as

if a Mannor of thy friends or of thine owne were; any mans death

diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde; And therefore

never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee.

-John Donne

-

Hemingway used this excerpt from the English poet John Donne

(1572-1631) as an epigraph to For Whom the Bell Tolls. Its

significance will become more apparent as you accompany Robert

Jordan through the next few days of his life.

CHAPTER_1

CHAPTER 1

-

It`s a peaceful scene: a young man is lying on a pine-needled forest

floor. A gently flowing stream and a mill complete the placid, country

picture. An old man answers the young man`s questions about the

countryside.

Think of a time when you were in a situation where the appearances

of the surroundings contrasted with what was really going on.

Perhaps something very serious was happening in your life on a bright,

apparently carefree day.

That seems to be the situation here. Hemingway first hints at the

seriousness of the scene by mentioning the young man`s military map.

You can be sure this is no pleasure trip when Anselmo, an old

Spanish peasant who is Robert Jordan`s guide behind enemy lines,

asks how many men will be needed and when Jordan seeks a place to hide

explosives.

Jordan considers it a bad sign that he has forgotten Anselmo`s name.

It might mean simply that he`s upset with himself for forgetting a

significant piece of information. But it could also mean that he`s

uneasy about an invisible force at work in the situation. As you read,

look for other references to fate and signs.

While Jordan waits, Anselmo goes to inform "the others" of

Jordan`s arrival. Hemingway describes Jordan here as a man who "did

not give any importance to what happened to himself." This may mean

that he sees himself merely as a cog in the great wheel of some

cause or idea.

The importance of the individual is a major theme in For Whom the

Bell Tolls. Here you see Robert Jordan`s original position in relation

to this idea. Watch for signs of change.

As he waits for Anselmo, Jordan`s reflections explain why he`s here.

He is to blow up a bridge in these mountains. He received the

mission from General Golz, whom he addresses, communist style, in a

flashback as "Comrade General." Jordan is capable of doing the job;

his experience at demolition is considerable. But it`s absolutely

crucial that the bridge be blown up at the precise moment the

general attack that Golz is commanding has begun. Jordan will know

from an aerial bombardment that the attack has started.

Two things are now clear: Jordan is a partizan, a non-Spanish

volunteer doing guerrilla work behind enemy lines. Golz (a

pseudonym) is a Soviet career officer.

-

---------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE: FOREIGN INVOLVEMENT IN THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR The Spanish

Civil War was far from an exclusively Spanish affair. The Republican

cause attracted volunteers from some 50 nations, with the largest

number coming from France and Germany. Most of these volunteers were

recruited and organized into the International Brigades by European

Communist parties. More than 80 percent of the volunteers were (unlike

Robert Jordan) working class people. A major recruiting office was

in Paris where one of the staff members was Josip Broz- who after

World War II became President Tito of Yugoslavia. About one third of

the volunteers lost their lives in Spain.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

-

Listening to Golz`s comments, you may wonder why he`s here in

Spain at all. If you`ve ever tried to help an individual or a group,

and your efforts were actually frustrated by the very people you

were trying to aid, you have an idea of how Golz seems to feel. "You

know how those people are," he complains to Jordan.

This won`t be the first time you`ll see uncomplimentary references

to "those people," the very ones Golz and Jordan have come to help. It

raises the question, Why do these two foreigners stay? Look for

clues that answer this question and show you how Jordan and Golz

really feel about the Spanish people.

-

---------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE: Many of Hemingway`s friends (and one notable enemy, Andre

Marty) appear in For Whom the Bell Tolls. Some bear their real

names, such as the Loyalist commander Gustavo Duran and Petra, a

chambermaid at the Hotel Florida where Hemingway stayed in Madrid.

Others formed the basis for characters with fictional names. General

Golz is closely based on the Polish general Karol Swierczewski. Karkov

is the fictional name of the Soviet journalist and correspondent for

the Soviet government newspaper Izvestia, Mikhail Koltsov. Hemingway

often talked with Koltsov while in Spain during the civil war.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

-

Pablo, the leader of the guerrilla band, joins the two men. Jordan`s

introduction to Pablo does not go pleasantly. Rather than welcoming

Jordan, Pablo treats him rudely and with suspicion. "Here no one

commands but me," he states sullenly.

So it`s shocking when the 68-year-old Anselmo gives him a stiff

tongue-lashing full of earthy insults. Your first clue that Pablo is

not fully in charge has come early.

Pablo`s objection to the bridge operation is that it will draw

attention to the presence of his people`s camp, and they`ll no

longer enjoy their relatively safe hideout. But Pablo finally gives

in, and the guerrillas agree to carry the dynamite. Jordan has

passed the first hurdle. Note that the hurdle was someone on his side:

one of the people he is in Spain to help.

Pablo is caught in an inner conflict. He has become less

interested in the cause the guerrillas are fighting for than in the

preservation of the horses he recently acquired. Now that he owns

property for the first time, Pablo is afraid that the mission to

blow up the bridge will endanger his possessions. For some people,

Hemingway seems to be saying, the desire to fight for a principle

lessens if the fight affects the person on a material level. Perhaps

you`ve been in a position similar to Pablo`s. It`s easy to voice

concern over an issue, less easy to sacrifice something you love for

it.

To Jordan, Pablo`s sadness indicates that he is "going bad"; that

is, showing signs of being a traitor. At this point, the reason is not

completely clear, but we sense Pablo can`t be trusted. Jordan also

reminds himself to be cautious if Pablo suddenly becomes friendly.

That will mean he has made a decision. About what? Hemingway leaves

you in suspense here.

CHAPTER_2

CHAPTER 2

-

The three men arrive at the hideout. Rafael, a gypsy member of the

guerrilla band, is even less respectful of Pablo than is Anselmo.

But with Jordan, Rafael is friendly and good-natured, and Jordan

enlists his loyalty.

Jordan is the replacement for a previous demolition expert named

Kashkin, who died in a manner that Jordan knows but won`t reveal.

Kashkin had been getting nervous about his work and speaking in a

way that was bad for morale. It makes you wonder if the tension-filled

job will eventually get to Jordan as well.

There are seven men and two women in the band Jordan will be working

with to blow up the bridge. One of the women is an attractive girl

named Maria, whom he meets as she serves the evening meal.

Throughout the meal, the girl and he stare at each other.

Previously, Jordan had told Golz that there was no time for girls when

one was working for the Republican cause. It looks as though Maria

could change his mind.

Is this section realistic? You could see it as evidence of how

firmly Jordan`s relationship with Maria takes hold right from the

start. But some readers feel that Hemingway has painted Jordan too

much like a young man easily infatuated by a beautiful face and body.

Anselmo and Rafael prepare Jordan to meet the second woman in the

band, Pablo`s mistress, Pilar. You learn from Anselmo and Rafael

that she is part gypsy, reads palms, has a vicious tongue, and is

generally crude- and also very protective of Maria. It was Pilar`s

idea to take Maria with them when they left the scene of a Nationalist

train they had just dynamited. Maria had been a prisoner on the train.

Pilar lives up to her billing. In her first speech she uses some

salty language and gives the unmistakable impression of being in

charge. She hurls insults at both Rafael and Pablo.

She is neither pretty nor feminine, but, to Robert Jordan, she is

likable. Pilar exhibits qualities most people find admirable: she is

strong, honest, unpretentious. It is easy to know where she stands.

Pilar is anxious for Maria to be removed from the situation.

Pablo, she says, is beginning to desire the girl. But Jordan`s

attraction to Maria, which Pilar has noticed, doesn`t seem to stir any

resentment or misgivings in Pilar.

Pilar is definitely in charge of the guerrillas, in fact if not in

name. She and Jordan discuss the bridge operation. Although they`re

counting on the assistance of El Sordo, a neighboring guerrilla

leader, additional good help may be hard to get. There will be no

money or loot from the bridge, as there was from the train they had

blown up. Instead, the operation will be dangerous and will make it

necessary to move from the mountain hideouts.

Pilar asks to look at Jordan`s hand. Remember she is a gypsy; and

remember he has said he doesn`t believe in the occult. Pilar sees

something in Jordan`s hand that she obviously doesn`t like. But she

won`t tell what it is. And Jordan, the unbeliever who is "only

curious," is frustrated at not knowing.

Notice the foreshadowing of doom that Hemingway suggests for

Robert Jordan: Pilar`s reluctance to tell him what his palm has told

her and the revelation that Kashkin, Jordan`s predecessor, is dead.

Jordan refuses to pay attention to these signs, but you can look at

them as Hemingway`s hints that all will not go well for Jordan.

CHAPTER_3

CHAPTER 3

-

Jordan and Anselmo go to inspect the bridge. But the details of

the bridge are not Hemingway`s real concern in this chapter. Through

Jordan and Anselmo, the chapter offers a philosophical consideration

of the necessity and the morality of killing.

The conversation between Robert Jordan and Anselmo gives you a

good basis on which to develop your thoughts about the taking of

someone`s life. Although the two men are on the same side politically,

their consciences are not the same. Jordan confesses a repugnance

for killing animals, yet claims he feels nothing when it is

necessary to kill a human being "for the cause." Anselmo has no

problem with hunting and killing animals, but to him it`s a sin to

kill a man- "even Fascists whom we must kill."

Hemingway presents you with profound issues here early in the story.

If something is necessary, can it be sinful- in other words, truly

wrong and therefore blameworthy? Or do you proceed from the other

end first: if something is truly sinful, can it possibly be truly

necessary? Your own religious background and ideas of morality will

certainly affect your analysis and opinion of this interchange between

Jordan and Anselmo.

Jordan`s original position on the importance of the individual

compared to the cause is reinforced again. "You are instruments to

do your duty," he reflects, speaking of himself and others like him.

Certainly you can think of situations where individuals are part

of a team effort and times when doing one`s duty is necessary to the

group`s success and is a praiseworthy, honorable thing to do. Team

sports are an obvious example.

But how far does this value of "duty" extend? How much sacrifice

of self is ever necessary? For Whom the Bell Tolls raises these

questions eloquently.

-

---------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE: RELIGION AND THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR The historical

relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and the government of

Spain has been complex and stormy. Because a vast majority of the

Spanish people has long been Catholic, the Church has had great

power in the country. In the 1930s, as Spaniards began to divide

into various political groups that leaned to the right or to the left,

the Church aligned itself with the right. In the election of 1936

the left offered political amnesty to many anarchists and other

political prisoners known to be anti-Church. This, plus the strong

support of religious values by the right, prompted the Church to favor

the Nationalist cause. As a result, many churches were burned and many

clerics murdered by leftist fringe groups, and the Republican

government did little to stop them, an attitude that further widened

the gap between the Church and the left.

The victims of this schism mainly were the Spanish peasants. Marxist

theories that urged them to forget God and espouse atheism were

accepted by some, but many could not expel their religious beliefs

so easily. The concept of sin and a life hereafter as a reward for a

good life could not be ignored. Anselmo poignantly represents this

conflict.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

-

As they approach the camp, Jordan and Anselmo meet Agustin, one of

the guerrilla band. Agustin is guarding the entrance to the camp,

but he has forgotten the password- a clear indication that this is not

the best prepared of rebel groups. Watch for Agustin to be one of

the fiercest anti-Monarchist rebels, a man with little trust for

anyone. Here he warns Jordan to guard the dynamite-from Pablo.

CHAPTER_4

CHAPTER 4

-

In some ways, Chapter 4 is like the classic scene from a Western

movie where two men confront each other in a war of nerves that may

soon turn into a war of bullets.

The showdown between Pablo and Robert Jordan begins. It soon becomes

a matter of Pablo versus everyone else. At stake are two things:

demolition of the bridge and official leadership of the guerrilla

band. Hemingway builds the tension with mastery. Death for one of

the men looms as a real possibility.

In the end, Pablo loses on both accounts. After a moment so tense

that Jordan`s hand is resting on his pistol, Pablo officially backs

down and relinquishes command to Pilar. The remaining guerrillas

endorse the demolition of the bridge, but only after Pilar approves of

it.

Notice that there is less than unanimous commitment among the

gypsies to the mission of destroying the bridge. Most would rather

blow up a train, which at least would result in material to loot.

One of them says that the bridge means nothing, that he is "for the

mujer of Pablo," and others agree. The somewhat indifferent

attitudes of these men emphasize one of Hemingway`s themes: that the

Spanish Civil War was fought in large part for the leaders of Spain

and of foreign countries, not for the people of Spain, who had the

most to lose. Here, Hemingway shows you a band of rebels doing their

best to get along, although not sure why they`re fighting.

Hemingway also dwells on the relationship of the individual to

mankind and mysticism, both through Pilar. Pilar shows a devotion to

the cause similar to Jordan`s with her statement, "I am for the

Republic, and the Republic is the bridge." The personal consequences

of the demolition of the bridge, she claims, mean nothing to her.

Secondly she states, "That which must pass, will pass." And upon

remembering what she saw when she read Jordan`s hand, she becomes at

first momentarily enraged- and then extremely sad. The chapter

leaves us wondering what Pilar knows that we don`t.

CHAPTER_5

CHAPTER 5

-

At the opening of this chapter, in the sentence beginning, "There

was no wind...," Hemingway gives us still another typical Hemingway

description: a single sentence almost 180 words long, detailing the

sights and smells of the cave and contrasting them with the sights and

smells of the night outside the cave. Notice again the preponderance

of nouns.

Jordan finds from Rafael that in the preceding tense scene the

band had both expected and wanted him to kill Pablo.

And then Pablo returns- full of friendliness and welcome! You may

remember that Jordan had warned himself at the end of Chapter 1 to

be wary if Pablo ever became friendly.

The chapter concludes with Pablo delivering a maudlin, drunken

soliloquy to one of the horses. This is a good opportunity for you

to examine your opinion of Pablo. Is he more to be despised or to be

pitied? Why?

CHAPTER_6

CHAPTER 6

-

Pilar and Robert Jordan develop instant rapport. She openly

encourages his appreciation of Maria`s charm. Pilar quickly sees

that Jordan may be what Maria needs to heal the wounds left by her

captors.

Two more things emerge from this short chapter. Pilar does not see

danger in Pablo`s weakness, as Jordan does. And Maria needs a man. She

cultivates Jordan`s attention; in a low-keyed manner, she

practically flirts with him.

Jordan is upset when Pilar jokingly addresses him by the

aristocratic title "Don." It seems to offend his democratic

sensibilities. In the course of their conversation, Jordan asserts

that he is not a communist; he is simply an antifascist. In this

statement, Jordan may be reflecting Hemingway`s own beliefs.

CHAPTER_7

CHAPTER 7

-

Chapter 7 marks the beginning of Jordan and Maria`s love

relationship. Since this relationship will be one of the main

strands of the story, the chapter is particularly significant.

Robert Jordan is asleep in his robe beyond the mouth of the cave. He

is awakened by Maria. She protests a bit about getting into the robe

with him, but not much. After all, she came there of her own volition.

This is the first but not the last such episode of lovemaking for

these two. Maria reveals that she has been sexually used before-

"things were done to me"- by her Nationalist captors, but that was not

lovemaking. And she is not "sick" (from a sexually transmitted

disease).

Today`s novels are filled with graphic descriptions of sexual

encounters. Hemingway couldn`t go that far in 1940. Whether he would

have, if it had been possible, is an unanswerable question. Most

readers feel that his version is poetic and tasteful. It focuses

more on the lovers` dialogue and feelings than on a clinical

description of lovemaking.

-

---------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE: Some readers have pointed to this scene as wildly unrealistic.

Given the morals of the day and of the country, no single woman

would be so brazen as to give herself so openly to a relative

stranger. Others defend Hemingway`s choice, saying that Maria`s

behavior is necessary in order to accelerate the love affair between

them. Within the space of less than three days she must offer him a

love relationship that will help bring about a change in the way he

perceives the war and his role in it.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

CHAPTER_8

CHAPTER 8

-

This chapter contrasts sharply with Chapter 7. It`s concerned

completely with the war and Jordan`s assignment to demolish the

bridge.

As Jordan`s second day begins, a huge number of enemy planes are

roaring overhead. He listens for the sound of bombs. By noting the

lapse of time between the planes flying overhead and the sound of

the bombs, he could then calculate where the lethal missiles were

being dropped.

But no bombs are dropped. The planes are not attacking. A terrible

possibility strikes him: a large force of planes are being assembled

because the Nationalists expect a Loyalist attack!

His premonition becomes more likely. Fernando, who was in La

Granja the previous night, reports rumors of a Loyalist attack...

including the demolition of a bridge! La Granja is a Nationalist town-

how could there be such a drastic leak in security?

CHAPTER_9

CHAPTER 9

-

This is an important chapter that offers, principally through

dialogue, insights into Pilar, Pablo, and Jordan.

Pilar confesses a "sadness" to Jordan. It`s actually a despair she

feels: death is on the way for many. In previous times, she would have

shared this feeling with God. Now, as a communist, she cannot. Yet she

confesses that God probably still exists, "although we have

abolished Him."

Her conversation also reveals how much Pablo is hurting. He is

deeply wounded that the group sided against him. And he`s afraid to

die. He clings to his one great moment of glory, the assault on the

train. You may find this revelation little more than the tearful

carrying-on of a man who has lost his courage. Or you may see it as

a pitiful cry for help from a man broken by inner torment and the

demands of war.

Agustin, one of Pablo`s band, doesn`t see Pablo as completely

broken, though. He`s convinced they`ll need Pablo`s skills when they

retreat after the bridge is blown. Pablo may currently be a coward,

but he is nonetheless "smart," according to Agustin. Pilar- for all

her bravery, loyalty, decisiveness, intuition, and heart- is not

"smart."

Exactly what he means by "smart" is something of a mystery at this

point. Is he referring to Pablo`s skills in conducting guerrilla

maneuvers, and, if so, will those skills really be needed later on?

This chapter contains brief references to the themes of hypocrisy

and mysticism. When Pilar asks Jordan if he has faith in the Republic,

he answers yes- and hopes his answer is true. Is his devotion to the

cause weakening? In that case, is he a hypocrite for answering yes?

And Jordan, the practical demolition expert, is still worried

about what Pilar saw in his hand. Pilar calls the palmreading

"nonsense." But she doesn`t really mean that. She says it because

telling what she saw might harm the Republic. Is she being a hypocrite

too, lying and denying reality (as she saw it) for the sake of this

supposedly glorious cause?

CHAPTER_10

CHAPTER 10

-

This chapter is notable for its gruesomely graphic account of a

Loyalist takeover of a Nationalist town, complete with barbaric ritual

executions. Pilar relates the incidents to Jordan and Maria as the

three of them make their way to El Sordo.

But Hemingway accomplishes two other purposes earlier in the

chapter, before Pilar`s gory account begins.

With one exception (relaying her "sadness" to Jordan) we`ve seen

Pilar only as a strong, practical leader who wants to get the business

of war done. But on the way to El Sordo, it`s Pilar who wants to

stop and rest, take in the beauty of the surroundings, and bathe her

feet in a stream. So even Pilar, the strong, rough-hewn woman soldier,

has a side that wants to be an ordinary person, enjoying simple things

like the rush of cold water across bare feet.

Pilar is ugly- so much so that she cannot risk going to a Fascist

city. She`s known to be a Loyalist, and her exceptional ugliness makes

her instantly noticeable. Her reflections of what it`s like to be ugly

on the outside but to feel beautiful on the inside make a poignant

scene. In spite of her ugliness, Pilar has not lacked for lovers.

She recites the cycle of each relationship. At first, love blinds both

the man and herself to her unattractiveness. Then, "for no reason,"

the man notices the ugliness. He leaves, no longer blind. And neither,

anymore, is the woman. She realizes all over again that she is ugly.

In Pilar`s story of the Loyalist assault on a Nationalist town, we

see a completely different Pablo. He is energetic, decisive,

aggressive- and almost unbelievably cruel. Can you imagine these

qualities in the Pablo you`ve seen so far? If so, what is it that

you`ve noticed in the usually drunk and "cowardly" Pablo that makes it

easy to believe he could have been aggressive and cruel?

With Pablo in charge, the Loyalists took over the Nationalist

barracks. The wounded were killed outright. Four soldiers remained. In

a stroke of irony, Pablo got instructions from one of them on how to

use the Mauser pistol he had taken from a dead officer. Then he made

them kneel and calmly killed each of them with it.

But Pablo wanted more than the slaughter in the barracks. He

wanted to taste revenge and blood, and to hear the screaming of the

town`s Fascist sympathizers as they were savagely beaten before dying.

These prominent men of the town had been seized in their homes at

the same time the assault on the barracks had begun. Then they were

taken to the town hall and kept there.

Pablo organized the town square as if for a celebration. Citizens

were arranged in two lines leading from the door of the town hall to

the edge of a cliff. Each was given a flail.

-

---------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE: A flail is an old-fashioned tool for hand-threshing grain.

It consists of a long staff with another shorter and thicker pole

attached at the end of the staff by a hinge or a heavy cord so that it

can swing freely. The damage to a human body from a strongly wielded

flail would be considerable.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

-

One by one, the fascists were taken from the town hall and made to

run the gauntlet of the flailing lines. The citizens who had

instruments even more torturous and lethal than flails (such as

sickles and pitchforks) were put at the end of the gauntlet, by the

cliff. This was to prevent any of the fascists from being killed too

soon- before they made it through the entire line.

At first the peasants were uncertain; this was not their idea. But

as one man after another came from the town hall and went staggering

to his death, they became cruel. They began to enjoy it.

They were drinking, of course, but Pilar says they were overcome

by a drunkenness caused by something other than wine, a

"drunkenness" that comes from great ugliness.

Perhaps the ultimate in ugliness came with the execution of Don

Guillermo, a fascist storeowner. Pilar points out that he at least

should have been executed quickly and with dignity. He was a fascist

in name only, and his wife had remained a Catholic. Ironically, the

flails and other tools that the peasants were using came from his

store.

Yet, with his wife watching and screaming, Don Guillermo was

brutally killed before he even got to the edge of the lines and the

cliff.

And then the situation became even uglier. Impatient with waiting

for the men to be released one by one from the town hall, the mob

stormed the building and attacked the remaining fascist prisoners in a

slashing frenzy of sickles and pitchforks and reaping hooks.

Pablo sat calmly watching.

They had taken the town. But Pilar was disgusted with the brutality.

As for Pablo, he "liked it... all of it."

This chapter has been described as assaulting the reader with its

explicit ugliness. Beyond question it`s powerful. But it`s also a

puzzle. The Spanish Civil War was filled with atrocities committed

by both sides. Yet in the one chapter that describes such a scene,

Hemingway chose to feature senseless, inhumane brutality committed

by the side he himself favored: the Republic.

He even crowns it with a pathetic yet ludicrous scene. A drunken

Loyalist pours wine over a dead body and tries to set it afire.

Failing, he finally gives up the attempt, drinks the remaining wine

instead, and sits in a stupor patting the dead body.

Why put your own side in such a bad light? Obviously, it shows us

a very different Pablo. Perhaps Hemingway wanted to show that his book

was objective despite his close ties to the Loyalists. Both sides

are capable of atrocities, not just the Nationalists.

-

---------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE: Terrorism and atrocities occur in almost any war. There were

many during the Spanish Civil War, although reports were sometimes

sensationalized and exaggerated in the press. Republicans and

Nationalists were equally guilty, but each side tended to excuse its

behavior on grounds that atrocities committed by the other side were

worse. The incident recounted by Pilar in Chapter 10 is based on

actual events in the city of Ronda (near Malaga), where victims were

thrown over cliffs.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

CHAPTER_11

CHAPTER 11

-

This chapter is linked closely to Chapter 10 in questioning the

merits of war. The repulsively brutal picture presented in Chapter

10 is now followed by more intellectual considerations. Chapter 11

is significant because it begins another central strand in the

story: the change in Robert Jordan`s attitude toward what he is

doing here in Spain.

At El Sordo`s camp, Jordan, Pilar, and Maria are met by young

Joaquin, who was part of the train operation. Joaquin was also

there- crying and unwilling- when Pablo took over the town and

engineered the brutal executions. Joaquin`s family themselves had been

executed by the fascists.

This knowledge and the effect of listening to Pilar`s story bring

some reflections that you may find startling to be coming from

Robert Jordan:

The war isn`t helping these people. Partizans such as himself come

into an area, perform their missions, and leave; then the people of

the area suffer reprisals- often death- as a result.

Although Jordan automatically speaks of the fascists and

Nationalists as "barbarians," his side commits atrocities too. He

has always recognized that fact in an intellectual way. Now, Pilar has

made him see it, feel it.

In spite of these realizations, Jordan postpones reconsidering his

judgments about the value of the war. He returns to his belief that

the war is all-important and reaffirms loyalty to his war-making

duties. Later, he tells himself, after the war is won, he`ll sort it

out and make judgments based on his experience. But he`s beginning

to wish there wasn`t quite so much experience.

Stop for a moment here and reevaluate your picture of Robert Jordan.

Certainly he`s not a fool. And certainly he has seen evidence that

this war is not helping anyone and is not likely to. But as soon as

these reflections begin to bother him, he returns to his position:

we must win this war or all is lost. In contrast with his reflections,

does the position seem simplistic? Is he backing away from the

truth, unable to face it? Is his "Act now, think later" attitude an

example of intellectual cowardice?

That`s a possible explanation. But if so, Jordan is doing

something we`ve all done at some time. Can you recall an occasion when

you doggedly clung to a position in spite of mounting evidence that it

was wrong or at least needed reevaluation?

Jordan`s self-doubts are just the first of many he will have. Here

he is made uncomfortable by his feelings and therefore turns to a more

pleasant subject- Maria.

Was last night true or just a dream? Was it like the imaginary

lovemaking he had engaged in with Greta Garbo and Jean Harlow, the sex

goddesses of the movie world at that time?

This passage prompts various reactions. Some readers feel that

it`s realistic and we`re getting an authentic look into the complex

psyche of Robert Jordan. Others see the passage as juvenile and almost

embarrassing, coming in the midst of a serious novel. What is your

reaction as you read it?

Jordan finally gets to meet the partially deaf guerrilla leader that

he`ll be relying on to help blow the bridge. El Sordo is strange but

hospitable. (His nickname means "The Deaf One;" his real name is

Santiago.)

With offhand remarks, both El Sordo and Pilar add to the sense of

futility and approaching doom. El Sordo says that there are many

people in the hills now, but fewer and fewer who are reliable. When

Jordan suggests where Pilar and the guerrillas should go after the

operation, Pilar becomes furious and tells him to let them decide what

part of the hills to dies in. Again you see Jordan`s uneasy position

as a foreigner come to help the Republicans in the war. On some

matters the Spanish just don`t want outside assistance or advice.

CHAPTER_12

CHAPTER 12

-

This chapter sets the stage for the exceptionally significant

content of Chapter 13.

Jordan, Maria, and Pilar have secured the aid of El Sordo,

although he doesn`t seem overly enthusiastic about giving it. On their

way back, Pilar stops to rest and reveals her affection for Maria,

even to the point of admitting that she herself is somewhat jealous of

Jordan.

But then she deliberately separates herself from the pair and

heads back to camp so that Jordan and Maria can be alone. Maria

seems extremely anxious for this moment.

CHAPTER_13

CHAPTER 13

-

You`ll find a great deal to think about in Chapter 13. The

relationship of Jordan and Maria is intensified. Jordan entertains

even more serious doubts and recriminations about his activities in

Spain and begins to change his opinion of what is most important to

him. You also learn a good bit more about his background, which has

been presented sketchily so far.

Jordan and Maria`s lovemaking was an intense experience- both say

they felt the earth move. Maria confesses that she "died." Robert

Jordan says he almost did.

Jordan now realizes how special Maria is to him. He admits that he

has made love before, but the earth did not move. There is magic in

her body, he says.

Shortly afterwards, as they`re walking back to meet Pilar, he begins

planning the bridge operation. And suddenly he suffers from another

wave of guilt and uncertainty about what he`s going to do. These

periods are coming more frequently now.

Jordan reflects ironically that he is about to do the kind of

thing he is supposed to be fighting against, trying to prevent: he

is about to use and at the same time destroy people. Why? He has to do

this to help his side win the war. And why does he want his side to

win? So that people don`t get used and destroyed!

Yet, blowing up the bridge will not guarantee a successful end to

the war, and it will certainly not help the people. So "should a man

carry out impossible orders knowing what they lead to"?

Jordan`s answer is yes. Yes, you must, because you won`t know

whether the orders are impossible (or harmful) until after you`ve

executed the mission. Is Robert Jordan indulging in another instance

of "Act now, think later"?

-

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NOTE: PERSONAL INTEGRITY VS. FOLLOWING ORDERS Although Jordan`s

orders come from General Golz, he wouldn`t be court-martialed and

ruined if he didn`t carry them out; he`s a skilled foreign

volunteer, not a drafted recruit. But what do you think that someone

in military or government service should do who believes that the

orders from above are not only futile but harmful- perhaps even

monstrously inhumane?

Can a person escape moral responsibility simply by saying, "I was

following orders"? Are the personal consequences of not following

orders (loss of job, ruination of career, imprisonment, perhaps even

death) a valid consideration? Many high-ranking Nazis used

"following orders" as a defense of their personal involvement in

horrendous crimes during World War II.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

-

Thoughts involving several of the novel`s themes occupy Robert

Jordan`s mind now. He reflects that his presence brings danger to

the people of the region. They`ll be hunted down because of him.

But, he rationalizes, if he weren`t there, they`d be hunted down for

some other reason anyway. So the war is futile, but it`s still

necessary to fight on.

He admits to himself that he has no particular politics now. This is

amazing. A short while ago, he was saying that if this war (for

people`s rights) were lost, everything would be lost.

What`s made the difference? Have his political views simply

vanished, leaving a complete void? Not quite. Maria has come to fill

the void.

He wants to spend the rest of his life with her. Consequently,

he`s no longer quite so enthusiastic about dying a hero`s death as did

the Greeks at Thermopylae, or holding out, like Horatius or the

Dutch boy of legend, against almost insurmountable odds. Instead, he

dreams of life with Maria as his wife back in the United States.

-

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NOTE: Thermopylae was the name of the narrow mountain pass where the

Greeks under the Spartan king Leonidas made a stand in 480 B.C.

against invading Persians.

Horatius was a legendary Roman hero celebrated for his defense of

a bridge across the Tiber against the Etruscans.

"The Dutch boy" is the hero of the tale that pictures him

undertaking a night-long ordeal of plugging a small hole in a dike

with his finger to prevent the hole from enlarging and causing the

eventual collapse of the dike.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

-

This section finally gives us answers to a few questions you`ve

probably had about the background of Robert Jordan. He`s a professor

of Spanish at the University of Montana and has taken a leave of

absence in 1937. He had spent much time in Spain during previous

summers, doing civil engineering work, in the course of which he

learned the science of demolition.

Now Jordan`s thoughts occur rapid-fire. He realizes that bringing

Maria home to the United States as his wife is a highly unlikely

eventuality. But what he does have is now.

Is he being cheated if all he has is now? He tries hard to

convince himself that a short time packed full of intense

experiences could be the equivalent of living out a long life. And

then he says that all such thoughts are nonsense.

Hemingway presents quite a picture of Robert Jordan: as a college

professor, as a trained guerrilla and demolition expert, as an avid

lover... and as a man who is very confused about the meaning of

everything.

-

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NOTE: Many readers have criticized Robert Jordan for being

muddleheaded about his politics, saying that he hasn`t learned

enough about the issues to warrant leaving his university life to join

the guerrilla band. According to these readers, he also makes many

contradictory statements concerning his political philosophy, at one

point saying he is merely an antifascist, at another point claiming to

have no politics. Some readers defend Jordan, however, indicating that

he is typical of many who supported the Republicans. Such people

displayed much courage but often did not have a clearheaded

intellectual understanding of the issues. As you read For Whom the

Bell Tolls you`ll want to consider whether Jordan is a contradictory

person or whether his political beliefs are less important to his

makeup than his heartfelt zeal.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

-

Jordan and Maria find Pilar feigning sleep when they come back.

Pilar seems to find vicarious satisfaction in learning (through

insistent questioning) that the lovemaking was quite an experience for

both Jordan and Maria.

Looking at the sky, Pilar predicts snow, even though it`s late

May. A snowfall could be disastrous for the guerrillas. Making a

safe retreat after blowing up the bridge would then probably be more

difficult than the demolition itself. If the snow-covered ground

betrays their retreating tracks...

CHAPTER_14

CHAPTER 14

-

Chapter 14, though short, is important for plot development and

character revelation. Plans for blowing up the bridge receive a

setback, Pablo becomes more of a villain, Jordan does some more

philosophizing, and we learn quite a bit about Pilar`s background.

It is late on the second day when Jordan, Pilar, and Maria return to

the hideout. And it`s snowing. Jordan is furious. The job is difficult

enough without the extra burden of freakish weather. Pablo, on the

other hand, is positively enjoying the snow, or at least giving that

impression. Remember, he doesn`t want the bridge blown up. It`ll

ruin his security here in these hills. We can`t tell whether he`s

gleefully anticipating calling off the operation or just perversely

enjoying the bad luck of the people who are engineering the mission.

After fuming at the snow, Jordan returns to the composure and

philosophy expected of a Hemingway hero. What if there is snow? What

if the task is a little difficult? Calm down, stop complaining, and

get the job done.

A great deal of the latter part of the chapter is devoted to Pilar`s

former lover, Finito. She reminisces about him, a relatively

mediocre bullfighter who gathered quite a following nonetheless by his

brave manner in the ring.

-

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NOTE: BULLFIGHTING To many people bullfighting is almost synonymous

with Spanish culture. Beyond question, it is Spain`s best-loved sport.

Spectacle is perhaps a better word than sport, for in bullfighting,

unlike conventional sports, there is little doubt of the outcome

between the combatants, the matador and the toro. It is an elaborately

staged drama comprising three acts, and the script calls for the

bull to die. Bullfighting has been compared to ballet, for the

bullfighter executes definite, stylized movements. An essential

attraction of the spectacle is the courage of the matador, who

places himself in a dangerous position from which he can emerge only

with much skill.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

-

Why is all this time spent on Finito, a character who is long dead

when the story opens and who does not affect the plot in even a

minor way? Pilar tells us that Finito was always fearful before a

bullfight. Yet during the fight he did what he had to do and even

distinguished himself. What he got for all this was the respect of a

few people, a severely broken body, and a partly broken spirit.

He gave bullfighting his best effort... and ended by publicly

coughing up blood as he stared in terror at the head of a bull.

What is Hemingway trying to tell us? Perhaps that even if defeat

is inevitable, a person should behave honorably. Keep Finito`s story

in mind as Robert Jordan`s story continues to unfold.

CHAPTER_15

CHAPTER 15

-

It`s now the second night after Robert Jordan`s arrival. Most of

this chapter features Anselmo at his post, noting the traffic on the

road as Jordan has instructed him. He does a good job of keeping

tabs on the number of vehicles, but doesn`t distinguish the types of

cars, as Jordan would have. There are many luxury vehicles, indicating

a high concentration of top-level staff. You know from this fact

that something is brewing. But Anselmo doesn`t realize it and

neither does Jordan.

Hemingway offers the reader this insight by a combination of

omniscient point of view and direct statement. He relates a fact and

then bluntly says, "But Anselmo did not know this" and "Robert

Jordan would have..."

The main function of this chapter, however, is to collect the

strands of several themes. Anselmo seems the perfect choice of a

vehicle for the task. Throughout, Hemingway has emphasized Anselmo`s

straightforwardness and integrity.

Across the road is the sawmill. In it are enemy soldiers. Evil enemy

soldiers? Not as Anselmo sees them. They are not even really fascists;

they are simply men who have been forced to serve in the Nationalist

army. Who are they then?

Individual men, just like himself: "It is only orders that come

between us." Anselmo`s only grudge against them is that they are

warm and he is not. He hopes he won`t have to repeat the killing and

the cruelty that he`s been part of in the past (back in "the great

days of Pablo"). And he sums it up simply and poignantly: "I wish I

were in my own house again and that this war were over."

Now Hemingway takes you into the sawmill itself, and we see the

men just as Anselmo had pictured them. They`re ordinary people with

ordinary concerns, not monsters- although the war will no doubt make

them capable of such a transformation.

It`s an amiable scene. The soldiers realize they have an easy detail

and wonder how long it will last. They`re confident of the power of

the Nationalist air force.

-

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NOTE: Anselmo refers to the soldiers in the sawmill as Gallegos,

indicating that they are from Galicia, a region in the far northwest

of Spain. The climate there is generally wet, but snow is rare.

Anselmo wonders what they must think of snow- another facet of

seeing them as ordinary human beings.

Galicians speak a distinctive dialect similar to Portuguese. From

the men`s speech, Anselmo could tell where they came from.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

-

After letting us see the Galician Nationalists as simple human

beings, Hemingway returns to Anselmo, who is doing still further

soul-searching. More and more he regrets that any killing has to be

done at all.

And here comes the moral paradox again: Anselmo says that the

killing, even though necessary, is a great sin. (Can a genuine sin

ever be necessary?) He decides there will be a need for penance

after the war is over. God has been abolished by the Republicans, so a

religious penance will be impossible. Perhaps a civil penance of

some sort will suffice. Even without God as a source and judge of

morality, Anselmo feels the reality of evil and just as strongly feels

the need to atone for it somehow.

-

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NOTE: ATONEMENT/RESTITUTION You might use this section to check

your own feelings about atonement for wrongdoing. Do you think it`s

enough if a person has an honest change of heart and sincerely

resolves not to repeat a wrong? Or must that be combined with

additional action to make up for what was done?

---------------------------------------------------------------------

-

Anselmo misses his prayers. He used to pray frequently but has not

done so since the beginning of the movement. His reasons have

nothing to do with a personal rejection of God. Ironically, they`re

rooted in Anselmo`s own simple integrity: he figures that praying

would be unfair and hypocritical. Under the Republic`s official

atheism, none of the others on his side are saying prayers... and he

doesn`t want special treatment anyway!

What a strange and tragic conflict stirs within Anselmo, a deeply

religious man whose very integrity keeps him from practicing the

religion he misses so much!

The pangs of guilt over the killing will not leave him. He`s further

tortured by the unresolvable dilemma of "necessary evil" and returns

again to the concept of atoning for the sins of the war. He sees these

sins as things that need to be removed from a man`s soul.

Anselmo has been called the novel`s "yardstick of humanity,"

suggesting that he is the ideal of moral stability by which the

other characters should be measured. Anselmo is thoughtful, brave,

loyal, and one of the few characters in the story concerned about

the penance they will have to do for the killing and destruction of

the war. As the eldest character, 68-year-old Anselmo may represent

Hemingway`s view that wisdom comes with age. In any case, he is one of

the more admirable characters of For Whom the Bell Tolls and shows how

much Spain lost when it wasted the resource of its people.

Robert Jordan arrives to bring Anselmo back from his observation

post. Hemingway gives us a brief glimpse of the comradeship between

them. Jordan knows that he can count on Anselmo. And perhaps on

Fernando too. But that`s not many, considering the task ahead.

CHAPTER_16

CHAPTER 16

-

Back at the cave, Pablo is drunk, and Maria is waiting on Robert

Jordan, trying to anticipate his every need.

El Sordo has come, leaving a bottle of whiskey as a present

specifically for Jordan; then he`s gone to look for the horses they`ll

need on the retreat after the bridge. The whiskey is a rare gift for

the time and situation, and Jordan is grateful.

Now Pablo begins to suffer severe guilt pangs. He regrets the

violence and killing he was responsible for when the movement began.

He wishes he could restore his victims to life. It`s highly uncertain,

though, whether Pablo or Pablo`s wine is delivering these repentant

sentiments.

The others make conversation with Jordan, partly out of

embarrassment for Pablo`s drunkenness. They ask him questions about

the United States and learn that he taught Spanish there. They are

probably interested but also want to fill an embarrassing gap.

Pablo keeps entering the conversation. And he keeps insulting

Jordan, particularly with immature insults about the latter`s

masculinity. Jordan begins to think that Pablo may not be as drunk

as he appears- or wants to appear. It`s a repeat of an earlier

scene: an opportunity for Jordan to kill Pablo. Only now Jordan is

more aware of the situation and has more incentive. He realizes more

than before how dangerous Pablo could be to his operation.

And so he deliberately insults Pablo, hoping for some movement

from the former leader that will justify a fatal retaliation of some

sort, something that could be chalked up to self-defense. But Pablo

senses a trap (which he`s convinced Pilar has engineered) and will not

walk into it.

Augustin takes the initiative with lurid insults and harsh slaps

across Pablo`s face. Still Pablo will not fight back. Moreover, he

seems to know that he`ll be needed during the retreat; he taunts

Jordan with the prospect of having to lead the band to safety.

Pablo also makes a significant comment about the value of this

ideological war and the merit of foreign involvement. He calls the

band "a group of illusioned people" and refers to Jordan as "a

foreigner who comes to destroy you."

Clearly, Pablo no longer feels allegiance to the Republic. In

fact, such allegiance to the cause is precisely the illusion he`s

talking about. As for Jordan being a destroyer, that may be a little

difficult to prove. He`s about to destroy a bridge; we don`t have

any direct evidence that he has ever destroyed lives. On the other

hand, it is difficult to see how he has saved or improved any lives.

Is Pablo right? Does this often drunken, superficially weak,

less-than-admirable man have the best grasp on reality? As Pablo

leaves to look after the horses, he needles Jordan again by pointing

out that the snow is still falling.

CHAPTER_17

CHAPTER 17

-

Prompted by Pilar, the guerrillas concur that Pablo is a danger

and should be killed. Jordan agrees to shoot him. A tense scene ensues

when Pablo suddenly reenters the cave. The planned assassination is

about to take place when Jordan realizes that he can`t shoot inside

the cave- the dynamite is stored there.

But Pablo now shows a complete personality change. He maintains he`s

no longer drunk and says he wants to be involved in the demolition

of the bridge. He even openly admits that he knows they have thought

of killing him but stresses that only he can lead them to safety in

the Gredos Range.

Pilar attributes the change in Pablo to his having overheard the

plans to kill him.

Do you recall Jordan`s suspicions about Pablo at the end of

Chapter 1? Agustin`s anger at the guerrillas for not killing Pablo

suggests that Pablo may still be a threat to them.

CHAPTER_18

CHAPTER 18

-

Most of this chapter contains Jordan`s reflections about

Gaylord`s, a hotel in Madrid occupied by Soviet communists who had

come to fight for the Republic. It`s partly a story of the first

stages in Robert Jordan`s disillusionment. At Gaylord`s "you learned

how it was all really done instead of how it was supposed to be done."

At Gaylord`s he had met the well-known "peasant leaders" of the

Loyalist troops. Although they were originally simple peasants and

workers, more recently they had spent time at the military academy

in the Soviet Union and have Soviet interests at heart at least as

much as Spanish interests. Jordan consoles himself that perhaps this

manufactured peasant image isn`t so bad because real peasant

leaders, lacking the necessary military training, might very likely be

more like Pablo.

-

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NOTE: The three "peasant leaders" Jordan refers to in particular

were Enrique Lister, a former stonemason; Juan Modesto, a former

cabinet-maker; and Valentin Gonzalez, known as El Campesino ("The

Peasant"). They were well trained, able military leaders.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

-

The second of Jordan`s disillusionments is with the luxuries that

surrounded these communist leaders. (Communism was supposed to

eliminate economic distinctions and privileges of class.) For a while,

he had been able to accept this lifestyle on the part of his heroes

(at least while they were at Gaylord`s) and to give up the idea that

champions of the common people should do without nice things. But

the purity of revolutionary feeling dies fast, Jordan now reflects-

for him within six months.

At Gaylord`s, Jordan meets Karkov, a Soviet journalist who is more

than just a reporter, and who serves somewhat as Jordan`s tutor in the

ways of this war.

Although Karkov is a minor character, he is compelling and

interesting. Karkov is a realist. He holds no grand ideas about the

qualities of the Loyalist forces. In a sense, he bares the reality

of the Republican cause to Jordan.

Particularly significant is a comment Jordan makes to Karkov at

one point: "My mind is in suspension until we win the war." You

might see this as evidence that Jordan had adopted an "Act now,

think later" stance long before taking the bridge assignment and

meeting Maria.

-

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NOTE: While covering the war in Spain, Hemingway stayed at the Hotel

Florida when in Madrid. But he frequently called at Gaylord`s, the

Soviet center. He came and went freely there, although in many ways he

disliked the place. Jordan`s reactions to Gaylord`s are basically

Hemingway`s: he felt it boasted too many luxuries, including gourmet

food and drink, while the common people (on whose behalf they were

supposed to be fighting) suffered. Nevertheless, he visited

Gaylord`s often in hope of gaining information about the war. There he

frequently conversed with Mikhail Koltsov, a young Soviet journalist

who appears in the book as Karkov.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

CHAPTER_19

CHAPTER 19

-

This is one of the few chapters that deals almost exclusively with

only one theme. Here the theme is mysticism- knowledge gained by

extraordinary, subjective means. It`s been hinted at several times

before, beginning with Pilar`s reading of Jordan`s palm.

The occasion of the theme is Kashkin, the demolition expert who

preceded Jordan. Pilar claims she could foresee his impending doom.

Jordan maintains that Kashkin simply lost his nerve and was afraid,

and that it showed on his face.

Pilar then goes beyond appearances and says her gypsy nature could

smell the death that was about to happen to Kashkin. Notice the

components that Pilar says make up the smell of death. Her list is

morbid and repugnant.

Jordan is distantly respectful of her lore. Comments from members of

the band, however, suggest that this is a bit too much for them to

accept, and Pilar seems to feel insulted.

There`s nothing mystic about the danger to El Sordo, which Robert

Jordan notes at the end of this chapter. The snow has stopped. But

it`s cold; the snow will stay on the ground. If El Sordo and his men

have been out stealing horses for the retreat, they`ll be easy to

track down.

CHAPTER_20

CHAPTER 20

-

But Robert Jordan and Maria aren`t even trying to cover their traces

on this second night since Jordan arrived at the scene of his

assignment. Maria simply leaves the cave and goes outside to

Jordan`s robe-sleeping bag, even though the others are still awake.

Jordan has prepared a bed of pine boughs under the robe. Again

they make love.

It`s not the same as it was that afternoon- no earthquakes, no

stirrings that shake the center of their beings. Yet Maria says she

loved it more. "One does not need to die," she tells Jordan. He

doesn`t seem to have regrets either.

Is there something to learn here about the nature of human

experience? Is it that we need only one intense experience to give

meaning to all similar ones?

Jordan feels that Maria`s body next to his is an alliance against

death. What is the significance of this phrase? How can they

together defeat death? Think in terms of the meaning, quality, and

value of experience as Hemingway sees it, regardless of the calendar

years (or even clock hours) a particular experience may comprise.

And yet, does this brave theory make Jordan any more willing to

relinquish Maria, because they`ve shared an intense, "worth a

lifetime" experience? He holds her "as though she were all of life and

it was being taken from him." But he makes sure his pistol is handy.

CHAPTER_21

CHAPTER 21

-

This extremely brief chapter abruptly jolts Robert Jordan from his

lover/philosopher role and returns him to being a man of action.

His third day in the mountains begins early and dramatically.

While still in the sleeping robe with Maria, he hears a horseman

approaching. He waits. When the man comes into view, Jordan sees

from his uniform that he`s an enemy soldier and fires at him.

The slain cavalryman is probably part of a random patrol, but this

means the enemy is in the area. Everyone is aroused instantly.

Now, perhaps predictably, the old Jordan takes over. Maria has "no

place in his life now." He is once again the trained, efficient,

deadly partizan, fighting for... what? This is a good place for you to

attempt an answer. Answer first for yourself; then answer as Jordan

might have at this point in the story. But keep in mind that a few

hours ago Maria was "all of life" to Robert Jordan, instead of

having no place in it. Now when she wants to be with him, he orders

her back. Robert Jordan is pure soldier at this point. He takes

charge, orders the submachine gun to be set up on the hill, and

gives instructions on its correct positioning and use. If the

cavalryman is missed and if others follow his horse tracks (there`s

still enough snow on the ground), the guerrillas may have to make a

stand. If this happens, it will likely ruin the bridge operation

before it gets started. The enemy isn`t supposed to know they`re in

the area until after the bridge has been destroyed.

CHAPTER_22

CHAPTER 22

-

Chapter 22 resumes the action of the previous chapter without a

moment`s lapse or even a slight change of location. Jordan, Primitivo,

and Augustin are installing the machine gun.

Into the midst of this situation comes a grinning Rafael, the gypsy,

who has just killed two rabbits. He`s proud of his accomplishment.

That`s not all bad: the band does need food, assuming they can

escape from this situation. The upsetting part is that the enemy

cavalryman came through the post Rafael was supposed to be watching.

And the enemy might have heard the gypsy`s gun shot.

The incident has symbolic significance. Before Rafael followed and

killed them, the two rabbits were mating- "making love," if that

term can be applied to rabbits. A few moments afterwards, they are

dead. The foreshadowing is obvious if you remember that Jordan`s

nickname for Maria is "rabbit."

Robert Jordan knows the pure mechanics of killing and instructs

his comrades. Shoot an officer first. Aim at the knees of a dismounted

man if he is below you. Aim at the belly of a man if he is on a horse.

Primitivo is ready for some real action. He wants a massacre of

the enemy. Jordan can`t afford to condone Primitivo`s bloodthirsty

urges at this point, for fear of jeopardizing the bridge operation. So

he appeases Primitivo with a simple message: Have patience... we`ll

have a massacre tomorrow at the sawmill and the roadmender`s hut.

CHAPTER_23

CHAPTER 23

-

Primitivo is above, at the lookout point; Agustin is by Jordan`s

side at the machine gun. Four enemy cavalrymen ride out of the timber,

perfect targets. It`s a rare chance to kill them with no chance of

return fire- not from these four men anyway. Nevertheless, Jordan

restrains himself: "But let it not happen."

Why not? Is it purely a judgment that gunfire would be foolhardy

since others may be in the area? Or is his restraint mixed with some

other motive?

Whatever the reason, it`s a good professional move. Twenty more

soldiers ride into and then out of view. If the first four had been

killed, the twenty would have had to be dealt with.

A mild, comic-relief dialogue takes place between Jordan and Anselmo

about the placement of their official papers. It`s necessary to

carry official clearance papers for both sides when moving back and

forth through the lines. In case of capture, the wrong ones must be

swallowed.

To prevent a mixup, Jordan carries the Republican papers in his left

breast pocket and the fascist papers in his right breast pocket.

Agustin, still a radical revolutionary (or still "illusioned," to

use Pablo`s viewpoint), complains that the Republic moves more to

the "right" all the time. As evidence, he cites the fact that many

Republicans are reinstating "Senor" and "Senora" to replace the

equalizing term, "Comrade."

Agustin, Anselmo, and Robert Jordan present us with a variety of

attitudes toward killing.

Agustin positively relishes the idea. He can`t wait to get to it.

Anselmo, as we`ve seen, has killed because it was "necessary," but

he regrets his actions. He openly opposes Agustin and maintains that

none of the enemy should be shot. They should be reformed by work

but not killed. He gives his position a philosophical backing: "Thus

we will never have a Republic." By this expression, he seems to mean

that killing simply for the satisfaction of wiping out the enemy

will violate the very principles of individual human worth that the

Republicans are supposed to stand for.

Jordan, by his own admission, is more like Agustin than Anselmo.

He reflects, "We do it coldly but they do not," meaning that the

partizans kill methodically, without emotion, but the Spanish have

inherited their hot blood for killing. When they accepted

Christianity, this urge was only suppressed, not wiped out. He even

describes it as their "extra sacrament."

-

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NOTE: In Roman Catholic theology, a sacrament is an action or

event in which a believer encounters God. Baptism is the prime

example. In this meeting, the believer`s life is changed, enriched,

made more meaningful. Hemingway`s description of killing as "their

extra sacrament" (the Catholic faith observes seven) is both

eloquent and (to a Spanish Catholic) sacrilegious.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

-

Then Jordan admits to himself that he likes to kill. Hemingway

raises an important issue when he has Jordan say "...admit that you

have liked to kill as all who are soldiers by choice have enjoyed it

at some time whether they lie about it or not." Many readers point

to such statements as proof that Hemingway endorsed warfare by talking

of the "enjoyment" of it. Others contend that he is simply being frank

about a reaction to war that has been well documented. How do you feel

about Jordan`s thoughts? Does Hemingway make war attractive in any way

in For Whom the Bell Tolls? Or is it a frightening picture, made all

the more terrible by the leading character admitting that there is

pleasure to be had in taking the life of another?

Jordan cautions himself not to think of Anselmo as a typical

Spaniard because Anselmo is a Christian, "something very rare in

Catholic countries." This is a slight and/or sly jab at religion and

particularly at Catholicism in Spain.

Again Hemingway is criticizing something he himself belonged to or

supported. Previously, you`ve seen him present the Republic

unfavorably in several instances. Now he does the same with the

Catholic faith of which he was at least technically a member.

(Hemingway was baptized a Catholic in Italy after sustaining such

severe wounds in World War I that it seemed he might not survive. He

remained nominally Catholic throughout his life and was buried in a

Catholic ceremony at Ketchum, Idaho.)

CHAPTER_24

CHAPTER 24

-

The enemy soldiers have gone; they didn`t even know they were

being watched. Now the band is having breakfast. There`s a cheerful,

lighthearted atmosphere, and the meal features such unlikely breakfast

foods as wine and onions.

The breakfast scene at the guerrilla hideout seems like the scene at

the campaign headquarters of a candidate who knows he or she is likely

to lose. The defeat hasn`t officially occurred yet, so the

participants decide to make the best of their situation.

Then from a distance comes the sound of automatic rifle fire. They

all realize what this means. El Sordo and his men have been detected

and are defending themselves. Agustin wants to go to their aid

immediately. Jordan says no: "We stay here."

CHAPTER_25

CHAPTER 25

-

In Chapter 25, Hemingway hints even more strongly- through the

characters themselves- at the probability of death for the band.

Primitivo can curse. That`s nothing new to you by now. Most of the

characters in this novel are blessed with very earthy, colorful

tongues. But Primitivo`s present cursing is not the nonchalant foul

mouth of a man who disagrees with somebody.

His cursing is deliberate, serious, directed at the enemy. The group

can hear the battle sounds of El Sordo`s band being massacred. And

so Primitivo curses and cries. Pilar is more hardened. She talks to

Primitivo with contempt for such feelings and for wanting to go to

El Sordo`s aid. And then she says that Primitivo will die soon

enough here with his own band- why make an unnecessary trip to die

with others?

But Pilar comes down from her pedestal when an enemy plane roars

overhead. Fearfully, she refers to it as the "bad luck bird." "For

each one there is something," she says. "For me it is those." Do you

also have a weak spot- a sight or a sound that automatically brings

a pang of fear or at least uneasiness?

It`s time to prepare the noon meal. The hares would taste better

if they were cooked tomorrow or the next day, but Pilar says they

might as well eat them today. And Jordan agrees. It`s clear that

they are aware of the possibility that none of them will still be

around tomorrow.

CHAPTER_26

CHAPTER 26

-

This chapter opens with a powerful consideration of the theme of

killing and in so doing illustrates Robert Jordan`s change in

attitude.

That morning, Jordan had killed a young Nationalist cavalryman, an

insignificant incident in military terms, and to Jordan, involving

simply another one of the enemy.

But now Jordan is looking through the young man`s papers. There`s

a letter from his sister, with news of his parents and his village.

A second letter is from the soldier`s fiance, frantic with worry about

his safety.

Suddenly Robert Jordan doesn`t want to read any more of the man`s

letters. They`re painful proof that this was not just another one of

the faceless "them." This was a man- with a mother, a father, a

sister, and a girl he loved.

Jordan reflects, in a line characteristic of Hemingway`s irony, that

you never kill anyone you want to kill in a war.

The dead soldier`s letters lead Jordan into a lengthy interior

monologue. Does he have a right to kill? Of course not. But he "must"-

"necessary evil" again.

He has killed more than twenty people so far. Only two of them

were fascists, so far as he knows. Thus, he concludes, he has actually

been killing the very people he likes and wants to help: ordinary

Spanish citizens.

But they oppose the cause. The cause is right. So he must kill in

order to prevent something worse from happening. That bit of theory

doesn`t relieve his mounting guilt either. He tells himself to stop

this train of thought. It`s going to keep him from being a coldly

efficient soldier.

What does Robert Jordan believe in? Not all the things he claims

to believe, so that he can justify being here in this war, killing

people. He finally admits this to himself.

Is Robert Jordan, the idealistic liberal and highly educated

American partizan, really Robert Jordan, the hypocrite? Not too long

ago, he reflected that secretly he enjoyed killing.

Then he says that above all else, love is the most important thing

to a human being, whether it lasts for a long life or for just a

day. Does he really believe that- or is he trying to make himself feel

better about the next twenty-four hours?

CHAPTER_27

CHAPTER 27

-

Up to this point scenes in which Robert Jordan is present have

dominated the novel. The few exceptions include the scene in which

Pablo talks to his horses at the end of Chapter 5 and the chapter in

which Anselmo reflects on the enemy soldiers in the mill followed by a

brief look inside the mill itself to listen to them. But Chapter 27

belongs completely to El Sordo.

This other guerrilla leader, so unlike Pablo, went to steal horses

for the retreat after the bridge is blown up. The snow enabled the

Nationalists to follow the guerrillas, and now they`ve been forced

to make a defense on a hill.

There are five men left on the hilltop. Four are wounded,

including El Sordo himself. They`re in pain, and El Sordo ironically

refers to death as an aspirin. He has shot to death one of the wounded

horses and used the body to plug the gap between two rocks so that

he can fire over it at the enemy.

Joaquin, the youngest in the group and the only remaining

idealist, parrots the Communist slogan: "Hold out and fortify and

you will win." The slogan evokes an expletive from one of his less

"illusioned" comrades.

Joaquin tries another, "It is better to die on your feet than to

live on your knees," but gets the same response.

-

---------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE: LA PASIONARIA Joaquin is quoting Dolores Ibarruri, a

Communist heroine known as La Pasionaria. Always dressed in black, she

made passionate pro-Republic speeches in Madrid, urging the people

to resist Nationalist attempts to capture the city. "It is better to

die..." began one of her most famous exhortations. She was greatly

admired by the Loyalists. Yet the theme of hypocrisy emerges here when

one of the guerrillas maintains that her own son is safely away in the

Soviet Union.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

-

El Sordo`s men have killed some of the Nationalists who foolishly

tried to storm the hill, but the guerrillas are doomed and know it.

They can hold out for a while; however, the enemy needs only to

bring a trench mortar (a short cannon for firing shells at a high

angle) or send planes, and the battle will be over quickly.

Hemingway gives us an earthy image of the hill on which El Sordo and

his men have been forced to make a defense. To El Sordo it looks

like a chancre (an ulcer caused by syphilis) with themselves as the

pus.

Dying is easy to El Sordo. He does not fear it. He can accept it.

But he hates it. He has no glorious sacrificial view of death. Perhaps

such a view can come only from those engaged in the theory of

revolution- not from those engaged in the devastating details of

waging such a war.

El Sordo tricks the enemy into thinking the men on the hill have

committed suicide. The Nationalist soldiers try to determine if this

is the case by baiting them with increasingly gross insults. Their

captain (Hemingway lets us know he is not quite rational) stands

atop a boulder in the open and dares someone to kill him.

No response.

The captain then strides up the hill. El Sordo is sad that only

one enemy soldier will be killed by his ploy, but at least it`s a

major officer. Referring to his enemy as Comrade Voyager (on the

journey to death), El Sordo shoots him. The Nationalists resume firing

on the hill. But now the planes come too, and El Sordo begins his last

stand. Hemingway`s description makes it one of the most powerful

episodes in the novel. Along with the rest of this chapter, it

overflows with the themes of For Whom the Bell Tolls.

The droning of the planes has weakened the young Joaquin`s

idealistic bravado, but he still recites the slogans of La Pasionaria-

until the planes get close.

Then Joaquin, the officially atheistic Communist, switches to the

Hail Mary! When the planes are actually overhead, he interrupts his

Hail Mary and begins the Act of Contrition, a prayer expressing sorrow

for sin.

But the machine gun is roaring over his head and the enemy planes

are roaring over the hill and Joaquin cannot remember the Act of

Contrition. All he can remember is the final phrase of the Hail

Mary: "...and at the hour of our death." Many readers see Joaquin`s

plight as one of the most moving in the entire novel. He is a

classic victim of the Spanish Civil War, loyal to the Republican cause

but still tied to his Catholic roots.

The planes do their job well. Very quickly there is no one left

alive on the hill except an unconscious Joaquin. With the captain

dead, Lieutenant Berrendo is in charge of the Nationalist troops on

the hill. Within a few paragraphs, Berrendo displays a conflicting

spectrum of conduct ranging from decency to butchery.

Finding Joaquin still alive, Berrendo makes the sign of the cross

and "gently" shoots him. This may be seen as a humane act by the

Lieutenant. But then he orders his men to cut the heads from the

dead bodies and put them in a poncho to bring back for purposes of

"proof and identification."

He prays for the soul of one of his own soldiers before leaving

the scene because he doesn`t want to see the beheading he himself

has ordered.

CHAPTER_28

CHAPTER 28

-

This short chapter stands as an epilogue to the previous one. It`s

the aftermath of El Sordo`s doomed stand. Hemingway gives you a chance

to think about it.

The Nationalist cavalry pass in front of Robert Jordan`s eyes again.

Jordan sees a long poncho "bulging as a pod bulges with peas." We know

what`s in there although Jordan doesn`t yet.

Hemingway gives us another insight into the complex character of

Lieutenant Berrendo. He feels distaste for what`s just happened, yet

he basically enjoys military maneuvers. He says a prayer to the Virgin

Mary for his dead friend Julian.

Anselmo, returning from his duty of tallying vehicle movement,

passes the hill where El Sordo made his final stand and sees the

headless bodies. And now Anselmo prays, for the first time since the

start of the movement; it is the same prayer Lieutenant Berrendo

just said!

CHAPTER_29

CHAPTER 29

-

This chapter introduces one of the final strands in the latter

part of the novel: the mission of Andres to deliver Jordan`s letter to

Golz.

Jordan and Pablo are sitting across a table from each other.

Jordan is making notes; Pablo is getting drunk. It looks like business

as usual.

But these aren`t ordinary notes. Jordan is writing to Golz to inform

him that the fascists know of the upcoming offensive. He feels it will

not succeed or will not be worth the price. But he doesn`t want to

lose face. Golz must know that Jordan`s reservations about the

attack do not come from cowardice or timidity. We realize again that

Jordan himself doesn`t know what the overall plan is- and that it`s

possible the plan isn`t even meant to succeed.

Andres is selected to carry Jordan`s communication across enemy

lines to the Republican headquarters.

-

---------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE: The Military Information Service, represented by the S.I.M.

seal that Jordan puts on his letter, was not a particularly

admirable arm of the Republic. Organized to investigate deserters

and opponents of the Republic, it became controlled by communists. Its

success relied greatly on secret prisons and torture chambers.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

CHAPTER_30

CHAPTER 30

-

The buildup to the final action is interrupted in Chapter 30,

which is devoted primarily to Robert Jordan`s personal history.

Andres has been gone three hours. Now we learn why Jordan has sent

the message to Golz: Anselmo had brought information about a massive

buildup of enemy equipment that was not supposed to be in the area

at all.

Jordan greatly admires his grandfather, an excellent soldier who had

fought in the U.S. Civil War. In fact, the grandfather is his

masculine "father image." His own father committed suicide with the

officer`s pistol that belonged to Jordan`s grandfather. Thus the

weapon went, in Jordan`s opinion, from noble to cowardly use.

Afterwards, Jordan dropped it in a deep lake.

Jordan sees his father as a coward, first for being henpecked by

Jordan`s mother, but primarily for having committed suicide. In his

thoughts he refers to his father as "that one" and "that other one

that misused the gun."

Remember that Hemingway`s own father committed suicide with a

firearm. His father was suffering from both physical and financial

problems, and at the time Hemingway did not display any condemnation

or disgust at his father`s action (although later he spoke of his

father`s "cowardice" as "the worst luck any man could have").

In an earthy reflection that might have come from one of the Spanish

peasants he`s working with, Jordan speculates that "the good juice"

came through to him only after passing through his father. Then he

cautions himself to count on good juice only if he`s proved it by

the end of tomorrow.

Even Jordan can see some irony in his situation. He admires his

grandfather, who was so conservative that he never associated with

Democrats- yet Jordan himself has been offered a chance to study at

the Lenin Institute in Moscow!

CHAPTER_31

CHAPTER 31

-

On this third night, Maria is unable to make love. She feels pain,

which she attributes to "the things [that] were done" by her

Nationalist captors. Instead of making love, they make plans to go

to Madrid. They spin elaborately whimsical dreams of how they`ll spend

a month in a hotel room.

Many people have done what Maria and Robert Jordan are doing:

planning things that will never happen. Can you remember a time when

you`ve done the same thing- talked with somebody about a future that

was either impossible or very unlikely?

At first Jordan enjoys the fantasizing. Then he realizes he`s simply

lying. He continues for Maria`s sake, but it`s no longer enjoyable.

Pilar has been fantasizing too, whether for her own sake or Maria`s,

by preparing Maria for her marriage role when she and Jordan return to

the United States to live.

-

---------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE: MALE/FEMALE ROLES Are men dominant in For Whom the Bell

Tolls? Some readers argue that Pilar disproves this. Others feel

that she is only a rare exception. She leads only because Pablo has

relinquished his natural dominance by drunkenness and cowardice. Yet

this same strong, unmistakably-in-charge Pilar instructs Maria in

wifely duties that many readers find subservient.

Although Jordan generally does not act in an excessively

male-dominant manner, at times he is certainly condescending and talks

down to Maria as though she were a child.

How does Jordan`s behavior strike you? If you`re female, does such

behavior by a man bother you or do you accept it as simply part of the

culture and the times? If you`re male, do you find yourself wishing

that man-woman relationships were like Jordan and Maria`s- with the

man dominant- or is it better when both partners are more equal?

---------------------------------------------------------------------

-

Maria`s father had been a Republican and the mayor of their village.

Maria describes the execution of her parents by the Nationalists and

her subsequent capture and rape. The story angers Jordan, and he`s

glad they`ll be killing tomorrow.

And then he indulges in strange reasoning: when the Nationalists,

the "flowers of Spanish chivalry," raped Maria, they knew better but

acted deliberately and on purpose. His side has done very bad things

too... but out of ignorance (or so he claims).

Is this the thinking of a mature college professor or of a little

child? ("I couldn`t help it, but he did it on purpose!") Is Robert

Jordan a mixture of both?

Then he decides that being killed tomorrow doesn`t matter as long as

the bridge gets blown properly. Maybe he has experienced all of his

life in these last three days.

CHAPTER_

CHAPTER 32

-

For the second time, Hemingway presents a complete chapter without

Robert Jordan. The scene is Gaylord`s, the Madrid hotel occupied by

communist partizans and people of similar beliefs. These are the

people who preach a classless society with no special advantages to

any privileged group. They`ve come to Spain to help bring power and

complete equality to the common people. Do they look and act like

austere, dedicated freedom fighters? Not exactly. They eat well, drink

well, and do not lack for sexual diversion. Living in the midst of a

besieged capital city, they`re enjoying parties. The contrast with the

situation of people like Jordan and Maria is striking.

News of their Loyalist offensive scheduled for the following morning

has spread throughout the area. The reaction at Gaylord`s to this

inexcusable, potentially fatal leak in security is laughter!

Once again we have to wonder why Hemingway painted his own side so

bleakly. Remember that he was writing after the war had been lost by

the Republicans, whom he favored. Perhaps he wanted to show that a

noble cause died at the hands of less-than-noble leaders. In any case,

here he describes one of the Republican inner circles as a group of

overstuffed, self-important oafs who throw parties in a time of

peril and use unfounded rumors to buoy their confidence.

An exception is the Soviet journalist Karkov, who may represent

Hemingway`s own feelings. After talking with a few people at this

pre-attack celebration, he retires to his room at Gaylord`s,

disgusted.

CHAPTER_33

CHAPTER 33

-

It`s 2:00 A.M., the middle of Jordan`s third night. Pilar wakes

him with bad news. Pablo has gone, deserted. That in itself isn`t so

bad; maybe they`ll be better off without him. But Pablo took the

detonation devices that Jordan needs to blow up the bridge. That is

disastrous. Pilar is apologetic and guilt-ridden. She feels she has

failed Jordan and the Republic miserably.

You learn something about Pilar here. Pablo may have discarded

illusions about the cause long ago. And Jordan may be swiftly moving

in the direction of losing his. But to Pilar, the ideal of the

Republic is still very real. At first Jordan is upset with her. Then

he realizes that he cannot afford "the luxury of being bitter." He

says he`ll find other ways to detonate the explosives. "It is

nothing."

He has to improvise the detonation of a major demolition with

makeshift materials, and he has to come up with the ideas for it

within a few hours. Considering the situation, Jordan`s remarkably

calm.

CHAPTER_34

CHAPTER 34

-

Suspense builds in this chapter as Jordan prepares to carry off

his mission with improvised explosive devices and Andres moves to warn

General Golz.

On his way to deliver Jordan`s message to Golz, Andres looks at

haystacks in a field, there since the beginning of the fighting. The

hay is worthless now. Are the stacks symbolic of normal life in

Spain right now, left to rot by the fighting? Being a true Republican,

of course, Andres blames it on the Nationalists with the ingrained

slogan: "What barbarians they are!"

A partridge whirring at his feet prompts thoughts of what life could

be like if there were no war: he could get the eggs and hatch

partridges. His brother Eladio and he could gather crayfish. Life

could be good without the war.

His pastoral musings turn more philosophical. Why is he on this side

in the war? Because his father was. If his father`s political views

had been different, he and Eladio would be fascists!

-

---------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE: INHERITED LOYALTIES VS. INDEPENDENT THINKING Have you

inherited any loyalties? For example, do you favor one political party

or another basically because your parents did? Unthinking acceptance

of anything and everything simply because Mom or Dad said so is not

the hallmark of an independent adult. But should parents

deliberately not try to transmit values they consider important?

That hardly seems right either. The reflections of Andres can help

us think about this ever-present dilemma. How far should parents go in

trying to instill values in children?

---------------------------------------------------------------------

CHAPTER_35

CHAPTER 35

-

Maria is asleep. Jordan is furious with himself for not

remembering to be on guard when he saw Pablo`s friendliness, the

sign of imminent betrayal. The exploder and the detonators will be

hard to replace with improvised materials. In fact, the whole

operation may now be impossible. Jordan flies into a rage in which

he attacks everything, particularly Spain and Spaniards.

But after realizing he is being unjust, his anger fades. He says

to a still-sleeping Maria that he`s figured out how to improvise the

detonation. And then he echoes Pilar by saying, "We`ll be killed but

we`ll blow the bridge." He considers Maria as his wife, and his

wedding present is that she has been able to sleep this night

without worrying.

The chapter ends with Robert Jordan the soldier counting the minutes

until the offensive begins, while Robert Jordan the lover holds

Maria close to him.

CHAPTER_36

CHAPTER 36

-

Andres is having his problems- but not with the enemy. He made it

through their lines with ease. His problem is with Republican soldiers

at their checkpoint.

He can`t convince them that he`s on their side and that he`s

carrying an important message for General Golz. Of course, they

can`t be blamed for being skeptical, for enforcing a sensible degree

of security. But that`s not what they`re really doing. One soldier

suggests tossing a bomb at him as "the soundest way to deal with the

whole thing."

Andres has encountered some of the radical anarchists fighting for

the Republic. In a sense they`re little boys playing at war. As long

as they destroy something or somebody (it makes little difference

what), they feel they`ve accomplished something.

By mouthing some anarchist slogans, Andres manages to get to them

without being shot. The bomb advocate then becomes maudlin, embraces

Andres, and says he`s "very content" that nothing happened to his

"brother."

After more bumbling scrutiny, the officer agrees to lead the way

to the commander. After Andres has been walking behind him in the dark

for several minutes, the officer belatedly decides it might be a

good idea to take the gun from Andres, whom he still doesn`t

completely trust. With such soldiers on the side of the Republic, no

wonder Jordan is depressed.

CHAPTER_37

CHAPTER 37

-

In Chapter 37, Jordan and Maria share an episode of lovemaking

that touches each of them to the center of their being.

Examine the paragraph that begins, "Then they were together..." Some

readers think it tries to parallel the rise and fall of intensity

during lovemaking itself. Beyond question, it lyrically enforces

Hemingway`s idea of the meaning and value of the present moment.

Jordan displays a humility you may find surprising. He thanks Maria,

not just for their lovemaking but for having taught him so much.

Jordan, the college professor, admits that he really didn`t know

much about life until he came here. Now at least he has learned a

few things.

CHAPTER_38

CHAPTER 38

-

This chapter offers several surprises. We see Jordan in an unusual

mood, and the expedition to blow up the bridge gets a strange boost

from- of all people Pablo.

It`s 2:50 A.M. on his fourth day when Robert Jordan enters the cave.

Pilar is attending to breakfast, and the men are generally

irritable. Jordan is too, now that the time has come. Looking over his

resources, he doesn`t think the operation can work. There aren`t

enough men to take both the posts at the bridge. He`s angry with

many things, including himself for having spent the night with Maria

instead of scouring the countryside for additional volunteers.

Pilar tries to reassure him that all will go well, and adds, "It

is for this that we are born." Joaquin, you will remember, was

saying similar things up until his last moments.

Then Pablo enters the cave. His explanation for leaving? He had

had a moment of weakness but couldn`t stand the loneliness of being

a deserter. With him he`s brought five volunteers and their horses.

Unfortunately, he hasn`t brought the exploder and the detonators. He

threw them into the river during his moment of weakness.

Pilar alternately welcomes him and compares him to Judas. As for

Pablo, he doesn`t grovel; he doesn`t even ask for forgiveness. He

does, of course, ask for a drink.

They`re ready to begin the operation.

CHAPTER_39

CHAPTER 39

-

The band is on its way. Pablo seems worried about two things: the

horses needed for the retreat and the fact that the men he`s recruited

think he is in charge. Jordan humors him on both counts.

-

---------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE: Jordan makes two religious allusions (to conversion and

canonizing) in reference to Pablo`s return. He compares it to the

conversion of Paul on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-9). (Hemingway

incorrectly cites Tarsus, Paul`s birthplace, as the destination when

the conversion occurred.) Canonization is the process in the Roman

Catholic church by which a deceased person is declared a saint.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

-

On the way to the bridge, Jordan muses on the idea that he himself

is nothing, death is nothing. On the other hand, he has now learned

that he plus another person could be everything.

But that`s the exception, he tells himself. And even though the

exception has happened, he can`t afford to think about it now. The

qualities of Jordan the lover- gentleness and sentimentality, for

instance- apparently will not serve the needs of Jordan the soldier.

CHAPTER_40

CHAPTER 40

-

This chapter is another installment in the story of Andres as he

is hampered by his own people. You will remember he had made swift

progress through enemy territory. It`s his own people who still

continue to slow him down.

Again, if one of Hemingway`s goals in For Whom the Bell Tolls was to

show that a noble cause died at the hands of self-interested

leaders, this chapter is one of his most successful, devastating

efforts. The scene is populated by selfish and short-sighted

military men.

First there`s the pompous, suspicious company commander who

escorts Andres to battalion headquarters. Then there`s the

self-important Gomez, a former barber now a battalion commander, who

insists on personally driving Andres to brigade headquarters. Finally,

there`s Lieutenant-Colonel Miranda, whose only ambition is to finish

the war with the same rank. He is supported in this vital role by

whiskey, sodium bicarbonate, cigarettes, and a pregnant mistress.

Miranda issues official clearance papers for Andres and asks Gomez

to take Andres on his motorcycle to General Golz.

CHAPTER_41

CHAPTER 41

-

The operation begins in the dark of early morning. The band has

arrived at the bridge and is about to break up into various details.

As they shake hands in parting, Pablo`s hand feels strangely good to

Jordan, as though he were a real comrade.

With Pilar, Jordan trades some genial insults.

With Maria, the good-bye is awkward. As Jordan bends to give her a

final kiss, his pack filled with war materials bumps the back of his

head and makes his forehead bump hers. Other than that, their farewell

is pared to the bone: "Good-bye, rabbit." "Good-bye, my Roberto."

Pablo and his five men have assumed the job El Sordo`s band would

have done. They leave to take care of the post on the other side of

the bridge. As Jordan, Agustin and Anselmo start down the hill, they

review their plans. Anselmo will go to the other side of the bridge to

set the detonation assembly there. Jordan will shoot the sentry at

this end of the bridge. Anselmo is then to do the same at his end.

Agustin is to cover them both. Jordan again gives Anselmo instructions

at what part of the man`s body to aim, depending upon the man`s

position.

To remove some of Anselmo`s guilt about killing, Jordan makes it

clear that he is ordering it. Thus Anselmo can say to himself that

he was only following orders. The orders came from a leader of the

cause; the cause is right and good. Therefore, Anselmo did not do a

bad thing; at least he cannot be held responsible. Jordan`s

sensitivity to the old man`s plight is a further indication that his

understanding of those around him has increased considerably in the

course of the novel.

CHAPTER_42

CHAPTER 42

-

This second-to-last chapter drives home the incompetence and

futility that have characterized the cause for which Robert Jordan

is risking his life and his newly discovered future with Maria.

The Republican offensive is moving through the night in one

direction as Gomez carries Andres on his motorcycle in the other

direction toward headquarters. Hemingway paints a scene like a

slapstick sequence from an old silent movie. One truck rams into the

rear of another at a control point, creating a massive bottleneck.

Truck after truck in the convoy pulls up and stops so close to the one

in front of it that none can move, and the smashed vehicle in the

original accident can`t be removed from the road. An officer tries

to run to the end of the line to tell the last truck to back up- but

trucks keep arriving faster than he can run, and the end of the line

moves farther away from him.

The mighty Republican army is on the move, so to speak. Its big

top-secret offensive is getting in gear!

But Andres rides past this ridiculous confusion in childlike hero

worship. "Look at the army that has been builded!" he thinks

exultantly to himself.

Finally, after some more delays, they arrive at headquarters. Just

then a staff car pulls up and out of it steps a man whom Gomez

recognizes: the famous Andre Marty! This legendary leader will

certainly get the message through to Golz without any more red tape.

So Gomez thinks as Marty reads the dispatch.

Instead, Marty has them arrested.

What Gomez doesn`t know is that the great Comrade Marty has become

an incompetent shell of a leader. He is inclined to execute people

he thinks are traitors. Even the corporal refers to Andre Marty as

"the crazy."

Hemingway gives us a brilliant picture of the tortured reasoning

in what`s left of Andre Marty`s mind. Marty decides from their story

that Golz is a traitor and that this is really a fascist

communication.

We learn later that Marty often doesn`t even understand the war maps

he "studies." He simply points a finger and gives directions. His

puppets agree and dispatch troops to their death carrying out his

militarily absurd orders.

-

---------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE: ANDRE MARTY Marty was a real historical character, a French

communist who commanded the International Brigades in the Spanish

Civil War. Hemingway felt contempt for him in real life and paints him

as uncomplimentarily as possible in For Whom the Bell Tolls.

Many people agreed with Hemingway`s opinion of Marty. But not all.

After For Whom the Bell Tolls was published, an open letter to

Hemingway bearing several signatures accused him of libeling Marty

(and La Pasionaria). It didn`t, of course, change Hemingway`s opinion.

He wrote a particularly bitter reply to one of the signers saying,

"You have your Marty [Andre Marty] and I`ve married my Marty [Martha

Gellhorn, his third wife and a noted writer] and we`ll see who does

the most for the world in the end."

---------------------------------------------------------------------

-

Karkov, the Soviet journalist, shows up (through the efforts of

the corporal) to save Gomez and Andre. There`s a dramatic battle of

words (and relative status) between Karkov and Marty, but the Soviet

is one of the few people not intimidated by the supposedly legendary

figure.

Karkov wins. Gomez and Andres are released. It`s nearing daybreak

now.

Jordan`s dispatch goes to Duval, Golz`s chief of staff, but he

doesn`t have sufficient authority or information to cancel the attack.

However, he doesn`t want to send men to their death if the offensive

is expected by the enemy. Finally, he is able to contact Golz and

transmit Jordan`s message. Now you learn the truth. The attack is

not a holding action. It`s the real thing.

But the huge offensive the Republic has mounted will find no

targets. The enemy won`t be where they were supposed to be. They`ve

heard. They`ve gone from the slopes and the ridges. Instead they`ll be

waiting for the attackers.

But nothing can stop the orders. There will be tragedy... and many

dead Loyalist soldiers.

Golz, in the very moment he receives the news, looks up at his

planes beginning the unstoppable, futile, destined-to-be disastrous

attack. He sees his thundering, silvery-gleaming power streaking

across the sky, and he`s proud of how it could and should have been.

Hemingway has spent a great deal of time leading up to the

following, final chapter. In it, Robert Jordan and a makeshift band of

peasant volunteers will attempt to blow up a bridge behind enemy

lines.

Before you read or reread this final chapter, think of how Hemingway

has prepared you for it. How is it different from the climax of

other war and/or adventure stories you have read? What`s at stake in

this story besides the victory in a test of military expertise?

Are you resentful that Jordan has to do this at all? Do you wish you

could call out to him and say, "Stop! It isn`t worth it!"? Are you

angry that Jordan is still doggedly pursuing his "duty," even though

it now seems a waste? Or do you feel that he put himself in the

situation, so it`s his problem and he must accept whatever happens? In

either case, do you see his actions as noble and honorable?

CHAPTER_43

CHAPTER 43

-

The final, lengthy chapter of For Whom the Bell Tolls is devoted

almost exclusively to action. Hemingway has completed his

philosophizing. He now leaves it to you to gather the thematic threads

and weave them into the story`s final scenes as you learn the fate

of the bridge, of the guerrilla band, and of Robert Jordan.

As Jordan sets out to blow up the bridge, he knows that the

Republican offensive is unlikely to be successful. Subconsciously,

he`s known that for quite some time, and he now admits it. He admits

that victory for the cause is several years away. It can`t be expected

with this bridge, this offensive. It`ll take better equipment for

one thing. Portable short-wave radios would have helped in this

particular operation, he muses. But he`s going to give this

operation his all anyway, since what will happen in the future can

depend on what is done today. How do you feel about his attitude?

You might compare your feelings going into an activity that you were

virtually positive would not be successful. Did you try your best to

succeed despite the odds? Or did you simply try to avoid getting

hurt or totally disgraced- and then wait for "next time?"

Jordan watches the changing of the sentries at each end of the

bridge. He sees the new sentry at his end, sleepy and rolling a

cigarette. Jordan decides he won`t look at him again.

Even here, Hemingway raises the theme of the individual person.

Why won`t Jordan look again at the sentry? Maybe he doesn`t care to

see the man as a man like himself, not simply as "one of them." That

would be extremely uncomfortable. It might make him hesitate. At

this point, Jordan the soldier cannot afford to hesitate.

He hears the bombs- the signal for him to begin.

The sentry hears them too, stands up, and comes out of his sentry

box. It`s the last thing he does; Jordan is a very good shot. Anselmo,

at the other end of the bridge, has done his job too, although not

quite as coldly. The big difference, when they meet at the center,

is that Anselmo has tears for what he`s done. Jordan doesn`t, but

notices Anselmo`s tears and remarks to himself, "Goddam good face."

The old man is left to comfort himself very briefly with, "We have

to kill them."

It`s time for Jordan the demolition expert to prove his stuff. And

he does. Remember he has to improvise, because Pablo threw out the

detonation devices.

But what does he think of while he`s hanging on the bridge,

improvising a way to blow it up and bring victory to the great

cause? His mind leaps from one subject to the next- Anselmo`s

killing of the enemy soldier, a trout in the water below, the colors

of the hillside. He even plays word games as he associates his name

with that of the Jordan River and the old hymn, "Roll, Jordan roll."

He cautions himself to "pull yourself together." Hemingway captures

very well the intense pressure Jordan must be undergoing as he waits

for whatever will happen next.

In the meantime, two of the band will not see the hillside turn

completely green. Eladio has been shot in the head. Fernando is

lying fatally wounded on the hillside. Hemingway paints a moving

picture of Fernando`s loyalty and willingness to serve even to the

death.

Pilar is becoming impatient with Jordan`s slowness in bringing about

the actual demolition. Jordan himself isn`t too happy with its

progress and wishes there were more time. He`s playing out more wire

toward the opposite end of the bridge when he hears firing from that

end.

He wishes it were Pablo, but it isn`t. It`s the Nationalists. Jordan

is desperate for time now. He needs only a few more seconds. He

hears the truck coming; then he sees it; then he shouts to Anselmo,

"Blow her!"

"...and then it commenced to rain pieces of steel."

The aftermath: the center section of the bridge is gone. So is

Anselmo, killed by a piece of steel from the blast. Fernando on the

nearby hillside is unconscious, with little life left.

Pilar congratulates Jordan, but he is in no mood for

congratulations. Hemingway has an explanation for this: "In him,

too, was despair from the sorrow that soldiers turn to hatred in order

that they may continue to be soldiers." Sorrow to despair to hatred...

so that the cycle can continue.

Then the scene shifts to Maria, as she holds the horses for the

retreat. She follows the pattern of Joaquin and Anselmo: when danger

is imminent (in this case, as she sees it, more to Jordan than to

herself), she prays- "automatically," Hemingway tells us.

It`s the type of prayer sometimes called a bartering with God. She

promises (in this case the Virgin Mary) she`ll do "anything thou

sayest ever" as long as Jordan returns safe from the bridge.

And then the bridge explodes.

Pilar shouts to her that her "Ingles" is all right.

Watching the planes in the sky, Jordan knows that things are going

wrong, and he feels a sense of unreality. Four days ago everything was

okay. He was the American partizan, here to do a demolition for the

sake of the Republicans just as he had done several times before.

Now he almost can`t comprehend what he`s become involved in.

Look at the line "It was as though you had thrown a stone and the

stone made a ripple and the ripple returned roaring and toppling as

a tidal wave." This image, and those that immediately follow- the

echo, the striking of one man- emphasize Hemingway`s theme of

interdependency. Just as one act on Jordan`s part has resulted in a

number of other acts that affect all those around him, so the

actions of everyone affect many other people. What may seem minor

can have a monumental impact.

Pablo reappears, scrambling across the bridgeless gorge. There

will be plenty of horses now, he announces. All of his recently

recruited volunteers are dead. He has killed them for their horses

so that his original band of guerrillas can escape. His

justification for shooting? "They were not of our band."

Jordan and Maria share a limited but intense reunion at the scene of

the horses Maria had been watching.

It`s time for the escape. Pablo has the plan: they will ride down

the slope to the road and cross it one at a time. Crossing the road

will be dangerous because they`ll be within range of the enemy tank up

by the bridge. But it`s the only way. After they have crossed the road

and ridden up into the timber of the opposite slope, they can head for

the Gredos Mountains and safety.

Pablo and the others, including Maria, make the crossing. They

draw fire but make it safely. Jordan makes it across the road too.

Then, as his horse is laboring up the slope, there`s "a banging

acrid smelling clang like a boiler being ripped apart."

The enemy tank has had a lucky shot. Aiming into the timber, it

has found a target- but not Robert Jordan. His horse has been hit

and has fallen on him. In the fall, Jordan`s thigh is so badly

broken that the leg swivels in all directions like a piece of loose

string. The broken edge of the bone is nearly through the skin.

Primitivo and Agustin drag him further up to safety. Pilar assures

him that they can bind up the injury and he can ride one of the pack

horses. But Pablo shakes his head- meaning it won`t work. Jordan can`t

ride the horse and make it. Jordan nods agreement.

Pablo is a realist now. Has he, in fact, been the realist all along?

In spite of his weakness for wine, horses, and a relatively

comfortable life at the hideout, has he seen some things more

clearly than the other people have?

Jordan and Pablo converse briefly. Both are aware of the crucial

shortage of time. Both know that Jordan and Maria must say a final

good-bye. But Maria will not want to leave her man behind. Jordan

instructs Pablo on how to handle her.

"We will not be going to Madrid," he tells Maria.

Of course they won`t. But how long have you known or suspected

that Jordan and Maria`s "storybook" romance would not be a "lived

happily ever after" tale of a college professor and his lovely Spanish

wife?

Maria will not leave until he commands her to do so. He explains

that he will live on in her, that he will go on to Madrid in her:

"Thou art all there will be of me."

Pilar and Pablo take her away. A final time, just before she

disappears from sight, she begs to stay, and again he repeats, "I am

with thee... We are both there."

The last of the band to say good-bye is Agustin. Even this hardened,

foul-mouthed peasant is crying. He asks if Jordan wants to be shot.

Jordan declines. He will stay there on the hillside with the one small

machine gun and try to be useful.

-

---------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE: As he lies there, Jordan`s mind wanders through a variety of

subjects: the past three days, his life in general, his grandfather,

the fate of his comrades now fleeing to another retreat. As he tries

to endure the increasing pain, he even allows a bit of humor to

enter his thoughts, as he wishes briefly that he had brought a spare

leg.

Throughout the interior monologue, the central theme that emerges is

"No man is an island." Jordan has chosen to stay behind and serve as a

temporary obstacle to the approaching enemy in order to help the

others, especially Maria. At one point he says to himself, "You can do

nothing for yourself, but perhaps you can do something for another."

In that simple statement, Jordan reveals that he has moved from

thinking mainly about the Republican cause to thinking about the

well-being of another individual.

The cause is still important, to be sure, but it now shares a

place in his heart and his consciousness with the realization that

human beings are equally as important. The fate of one man is

interlocked with the fate of others.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

-

With immense effort, Jordan manages to turn his body over and around

so that he`s lying on his belly, facing downhill, in a position to

be "useful" with his machine gun when the enemy appears on the road

below.

The broken leg, which had been almost numb at first, now begins to

pain Jordan terribly and brings the prospect of suicide to mind. He

weighs the reasons for and against it. Basically, it seems cowardly

and reminds him of his father.

But several times he feels himself losing consciousness from the

pain. If enemy soldiers find him unconscious, they will revive him and

probably torture him to gain information. That possibility seems to

make suicide the lesser of two evils.

Again and again he changes his mind. Suicide would be

acceptable... then, no it wouldn`t- not as long as there`s something

left that you can do.

He keeps hanging on and hoping the enemy will come soon. And they

do. Hemingway says that Robert Jordan`s luck held very good. The

Nationalist soldiers are on the trail of Pablo and his band. Holding

them up or causing confusion by killing the officer is one final thing

Jordan can do. But this time it`s not so much to aid the Republic.

It`s to buy time for Maria and the others.

The officer comes into view. In a final piece of irony, it`s

Lieutenant Berrendo- the man who didn`t climb El Sordo`s hill

because he was positive someone was alive up there. He will pass

within twenty yards of Robert Jordan.

Robert Jordan lies, just as he did in the opening scene of the

story, on the pine-needled forest floor of the Spanish mountains.

-

---------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE: At first, Hemingway was somewhat dissatisfied with the

ending of the book at Chapter 43, and wrote an epilogue of two short

chapters. One featured a meeting between Karkov and Golz in which they

discussed, among other things, Jordan`s blowing up the bridge and

his disappearance. The other described Andres returning to the

former hideout of Pablo`s band, where he gazes down at the wrecked

bridge. Later Hemingway decided these chapters were unnecessary.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

TESTS_AND_ANSWERS

A STEP BEYOND

TESTS AND ANSWERS (HFORTEST)

-

TESTS

-

TEST 1

-

_____ 1. Robert Jordan became involved in the Spanish Civil War

because of his

-

A. inborn sense of adventure

B. philosophical and political views

C. need to find meaning in a superficial lifestyle

-

_____ 2. One of the powerful themes of For Whom the Bell Tolls is

-

A. the importance of the individual

B. the triumph of fascism

C. readiness is all

-

_____ 3. In Robert Jordan`s opinion, the most trustworthy of

Pablo`s band was

-

A. Rafael

B. Primitivo

C. Anselmo

-

_____ 4. Robert Jordan`s growth and character change stem from

-

A. his interaction with people

B. different philosophical viewpoints he encounters

C. disappointment with his previous life

-

_____ 5. Robert Jordan feels

-

A. admiration for the Spanish people

B. disgust for the Spanish people

C. at different times, each of the above

-

_____ 6. The reactions of Joaquin, Anselmo, and Maria, when

confronted with the strong possibility of death, show that

-

A. they are superficial, hypocritical people

B. the atheism of the Republicans has not really destroyed

their faith

C. they believe that sincere religion will win the war for

the Republic

-

_____ 7. At the beginning of For Whom the Bell Tolls, Robert Jordan

sees blowing up the bridge as

-

A. simply another operation to be accomplished

B. the crowning glory of his career with the Republicans

C. an omen of bad things to come

-

_____ 8. Which of the following relationships began with distrust

but ended with mutual confidence?

-

A. Jordan and General Golz

B. Jordan and Maria

C. Jordan and Pablo

-

9. How is Robert Jordan`s relationship with Maria different from the

relationships he has had with other women?

-

10. Sketch the change in Robert Jordan`s views about the Republicans

and fighting for them.

-

11. Is Pablos a villain or hero in For Whom the Bell Tolls?

-

TEST 2

-

_____ 1. The attempt of Andres to deliver Jordan`s letter to Golz

brings out the

-

A. dedication of the Loyalist peasants

B. unfeeling cruelty of both sides in the war

C. incompetence of the Republican military

-

_____ 2. The character associated with mysticism and fatalism is

-

A. Pilar

B. Maria

C. Pablo

-

_____ 3. Which of the following is a key moral issue in For Whom

the Bell Tolls?

-

A. How can something be necessary and evil at the same

time?

B. Is it possible to love one`s enemies?

C. Should love of a single person be stronger than love of

all people?

-

_____ 4. The Republican attempt to take Segovia fails mainly

because

-

A. Jordan`s bridge demolition was badly timed

B. key supplies did not reach the forces in time

C. Nationalist forces had learned of the planned attack

-

_____ 5. El Sordo and his band were killed

-

A. because they tried to take the bridge demolition into

their own hands

B. in an attempt to help Jordan and Pablo`s band

C. through the deceit and treachery of Pablo

-

_____ 6. At one point, Pablo`s band decide he should be killed

because

-

A. they could not tolerate his cruel dictatorship

B. his current emotional state was dangerous to the band`s

operations

C. it was obvious he was about to sell out to the enemy

-

_____ 7. Jordan tries to reconcile Maria to their final parting by

-

A. promising to meet her in Madrid

B. deliberately being cold and unfeeling so she will

resent rather than miss him

C. telling her that he will live on in her and her life

-

_____ 8. At the end of For Whom the Bell Tolls, Robert Jordan is

-

A. bitter about the way his life is about to end

B. relatively content with how things have turned out

C. so confused he does not know what to think

-

9. Is For Whom the Bell Tolls an antiwar novel?

-

10. Cite instances of irony in For Whom the Bell Tolls.

-

11. Explain the significance of the novel`s title.

-

ANSWERS

-

TEST 1

-

1. B 2. A 3. C 4. A 5. C 6. B 7. A 8. C

-

9. It`s obvious that Robert Jordan`s relationship with Maria is more

meaningful to him than relationships he`s had with other women. But

this extends beyond his enjoyment of sex or even small talk. We`re

given only a shallow description- just a line or two- of his

previous relationships. Perhaps that indicates they were

insignificant.

Maria, however, is very special. She makes him think; she helps

him grow. Maria causes him to see people, not just ideas, politics,

and ideology. We get the impression that previous women in his life

were more like objects that he didn`t always have time for in spite of

their attractiveness. But he appreciates Maria as a person, not merely

as an object. Consequently, he is able to see himself as a person- not

merely as a warrior on behalf of a political idea.

-

10. It`s possible to defend two different but not completely

opposite positions on this matter. On the one hand, Jordan has

admitted by his own words that he no longer completely believes in the

theories that originally brought him to the war- and hasn`t for some

time. Toward the end he says that love is all that really counts. He

seems to discredit what he previously knew in favor of what he`s

learned. Thus he seems to have done a complete turnaround.

But you may find some passages, even toward the end, which don`t

support the complete turnaround idea. For example, if he had truly

abandoned his loyalty to the Republic in favor of loyalty to Maria,

wouldn`t he have found a safe way to leave and take her with him? Long

after Maria and others have made an impression on him, he`s

concerned about being the kind of soldier that would make his

grandfather proud. Thus it could be argued that he has changed his

priorities intellectually, but in practice he`s not ready to abandon

everything he previously championed.

-

11. Pablo is perhaps the most complex character in For Whom the Bell

Tolls, so you can make a case for either hero or villain. Perhaps your

choice will depend upon how you see him at the end.

Certainly his brief desertion caused harm. Jordan says that

Anselmo would still be alive if the makeshift exploders hadn`t

required him to be so close to the bridge. Throughout the operation,

Pablo`s instability is a constant source of tension and worry. He`s

frequently drunk or nearly so. Even before he "went bad," one of his

glories was the engineering of an incredibly brutal mass execution.

Yet, Pablo did return after leaving with the detonator and the

exploders. For many people, this would not have been easy. He worked

out an escape plan and seems to be in charge again as the group

leave Jordan on the hillside. Many readers feel that under Pablo`s

renewed leadership the band will make it to safety. (Of course, they

have enough horses to do so because Pablo murdered his five newly

recruited peasant volunteers.)

-

TEST 2

-

1. C 2. A 3. A 4. C 5. B 6. B 7. C 8. B

-

9. Beyond question, Hemingway presents one human tragedy after

another in For Whom the Bell Tolls. Think of all the things that could

be described as a waste. The loss of life, including Jordan`s, is

wasted in the sense that the deaths do nothing to advance the cause.

Even the demolition of the bridge, the central event of the story,

turns out to be wasted effort. The common people, on whose behalf

the war is supposed to be waged, do not really want it and seem

unlikely to benefit from it. You should have no trouble finding things

that are wasted as a result of the war.

Yet these things concern a particular war, so you may find it

questionable that the book is an attack on war in general.

Furthermore, it could be argued that some good things do come from it.

The war brings Jordan and Maria together. The war brings Jordan in

contact with all the people who change his life and foster his

growth as a person.

-

10. Skimming through the story should provide you with many

instances of irony, which is a situation or an outcome of events

opposite to what might logically be expected. It`s ironic in a general

sense that the "good guys" (the Loyalist forces) in the conflict are

also often incompetent fools. Also, the most competent Loyalist

leaders in this "civil" war are foreigners.

The prayers of Anselmo, Joaquin, and Maria are ironic against the

background of the movement`s official atheism. Anselmo and

Lieutenant Berrendo`s uttering of the very same prayer is a telling

example. The horse that was Jordan`s means of escape prevents his

escape when it falls on him. And the war itself, which ultimately

killed Robert Jordan, was also the occasion of his truly

appreciating life and other people.

-

11. The title is taken from John Donne`s well-known poem,

published in 1624, which begins, "No man is an Iland...." The poem

itself makes the point that all human life is interconnected, and

whatever happens to even one person affects all humanity. Thus with

each individual`s death, a little bit of every other person "dies."

When you hear the tolling of the church bell, therefore, don`t send to

ask for whom the bell tolls- it tolls for thee.

You may or may not agree with this idea, but look for examples of it

in the novel. Certainly Jordan`s parting words to Maria- that he

will live on in her- are a direct illustration. And certainly a part

of her will die because of Jordan`s death and their separation.

El Sordo refers to the Nationalist captain he kills as Comrade

Voyager. Each will have caused the other`s death, either directly or

indirectly, and they are journeying to death together.

Still another example comes from Anselmo`s reflections that the

fascist soldiers they "have to" kill are individual men just like

himself. A little bit of his own principles is destroyed each time

he kills.

TERM_PAPER_IDEAS

TERM PAPER IDEAS AND OTHER TOPICS FOR WRITING (HFORTERM)

-

ROBERT JORDAN

-

1. Does Jordan`s death- shortly after he`s discovered so much to

live for- make him a genuinely tragic figure? Has he in some way

contributed to his own death?

-

2. "Jordan`s involvement in the war is due merely to his infatuation

with an ideology." Tell why you agree or disagree with that statement.

-

3. How is Robert Jordan a genuinely better person as a result of his

rather brief experience with the resistance band?

-

OTHER CHARACTERS

-

1. Pablo is sometimes called the most complex of the characters in

the novel. What supports this view?

-

2. Some readers feel that Maria is not a developed character in

the novel but a cardboard figure or a symbol of women in general. True

or false?

-

3. Which character does Hemingway portray the most

sympathetically? which the most unsympathetically?

-

4. Does Pilar herself believe in palm reading? Is she completely

honest when she says she reads palms just to get attention? Do her

actions give evidence for one interpretation more than the other?

-

WAR

-

1. Is war by itself wrong? When is it justified?

-

2. Do foreign countries have the right to aid one side or another in

a civil war? Is there any similarity between the situation of the

Spanish Civil War and the situation in Indochina after 1954?

-

IDEALISM

-

1. What were the ideals of the Spanish Republic, and were these

ideals sufficient to justify a terrible war?

-

2. Is idealism always naive? Try to cite some examples where

"pure" idealism has been immensely practical- or try to show that this

is seldom or never the case.

-

INTEGRITY/HYPOCRISY

-

1. Did Jordan`s political idealism cause him to compromise his

honesty and self-respect? Which of his actions, if any, could be

called hypocritical?

-

2. Anselmo kills against his will and feels tremendous guilt. Does

this make him a hypocrite? How is he, in spite of that, an example

of integrity?

-

RELIGION

-

1. Were there any truly atheistic characters in the book? Which

ones?

-

2. For Whom the Bell Tolls has been called "a mockery of faith and

religion." Write in support of, or against, this viewpoint.

CRITICS

THE CRITICS (HFORCRIT)

-

A NEGATIVE VIEW

Hemingway`s novel is Tolstoyan in scope but rarely in achievement.

But it has many merits, and even its defects are generally

interesting... Yet the novel falls considerably short of greatness. To

some extent, Hemingway`s failure in his longest, most densely

populated novel is stylistic, but far more serious are his distortions

of the experience he describes. Together these technical and

thematic flaws confuse and mislead the reader and, at last, diminish

the novel.

-Arthur Waldhorn, A Reader`s Guide

to Hemingway, 1972

-

A POSITIVE VIEW

The result is a novel that is complex, meaningful, and as close to

aesthetic perfection as Hemingway could make it. For Whom the Bell

Tolls... stands somewhat in relation to Hemingway`s other works as

Moby Dick does to the rest of Melville`s work. And, like Moby Dick, it

is true enough to stand continued reinterpretation....

The skill with which this novel was for the most part written

demonstrated that Hemingway`s talent was once again intact and

formidable. None of his books had evoked more richly the life of the

senses, had shown a truer sense of plotting, or provided more fully

living secondary characters, or livelier dialog.

-Delbert E. Wylder, Hemingway`s Heroes, 1969

-

ON THE BRIDGE IN FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS

The brilliance of execution becomes apparent when the reader

stands in imagination on the flooring of the bridge and looks in any

direction. He will see his horizons lifting by degrees towards a

circumference far beyond the Guadarrama mountains. For the guerrillas`

central task, the blowing of the bridge, is only one phase of a larger

operation which Hemingway once called "the greatest holding action

in history." Since the battle strategy which requires the bridge to be

destroyed is early made available to the reader, he has no

difficulty in seeing its relation to the next circle outside, where

a republican division under General Golz prepares for an attack. The

general`s attack, in turn, is enough to suggest the outlines of the

whole civil war, while the Heinkel bombers and Fiat pursuit planes

which cut across the circle- foreign shadows over the Spanish earth-

extend our grasp one more circle outwards to the trans-European aspect

of the struggle. The outermost ring of the circle is nothing less than

the great globe itself. Once the Spanish holding operation is over,

the wheel of fire will encompass the earth. The bridge, therefore-

such is the structural achievement of this novel- becomes the hub on

which the "future of the human race can turn."

-Carlos Baker, Hemingway: The Writer as Artist, 1963

-

ON SEX AND LOVE IN THE NOVEL

It is not surprising that sex becomes more dominant the deeper one

gets beneath the outer political surface of the novel, since it is the

sexual experience with Maria that is the basis of Jordan`s mystical

experience.

-Delbert E. Wylder, Hemingway`s Heroes, 1969

-

The nadir [of For Whom the Bell Tolls] is the love scenes.

Possibly it is these that set up initial hostility to the book in some

critics. These scenes fail because Hemingway not only breaks but

reverses a principle that served him so well in earlier works: to

undercut anything to do with romantic love so sharply that even the

possibility of sentimentality is extinguished.

-Wirt Williams, The Tragic Art

of Ernest Hemingway, 1981

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ON THE NOVEL AND THE SPANISH PEOPLE

Devoted to the Loyalist cause, Hemingway remains sufficiently the

objective artist to delineate the human faults of what the left-wing

propagandists wished to see presented as an incorrupt and shining

chivalry. For Whom the Bell Tolls is not propaganda but art, and

like all art it promotes a complex, even ambivalent, attachment to its

subject. The book taught thousands to love or hate Spain, but it could

not leave them indifferent to the land, its people, its history.

-Anthony Burgess, Ernest Hemingway and His World, 1978

-

I myself was fascinated by the book and felt it to be honest in so

far as it renders Hemingway`s real vision. And yet I find myself

awkwardly alone in the conviction that, as a novel about Spaniards and

their war, it is unreal and, in the last analysis, deeply untruthful.

-Arturo Barea (Spanish novelist) in Horizon, 1941

ADVISORY_BOARD

ADVISORY BOARD (HFORADVB)

-

We wish to thank the following educators who helped us focus our

Book Notes series to meet student needs and critiqued our

manuscripts to provide quality materials.

-

Sandra Dunn, English Teacher

Hempstead High School, Hempstead, New York

-

Lawrence J. Epstein, Associate Professor of English

Suffolk County Community College, Selden, New York

-

Leonard Gardner, Lecturer, English Department

State University of New York at Stony Brook

-

Beverly A. Haley, Member, Advisory Committee

National Council of Teachers of English Student Guide Series

Fort Morgan, Colorado

-

Elaine C. Johnson, English Teacher

Tamalpais Union High School District

Mill Valley, California

-

Marvin J. LaHood, Professor of English

State University of New York College at Buffalo

-

Robert Lecker, Associate Professor of English

McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

-

David E. Manly, Professor of Educational Studies

State University of New York College at Geneseo

-

Bruce Miller, Associate Professor of Education

State University of New York at Buffalo

-

Frank O`Hare, Professor of English and Director of Writing

Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio

-

Faith Z. Schullstrom, Member of Executive Committee

National Council of Teachers of English

Director of Curriculum and Instruction

Guilderland Central School District, New York

-

Mattie C. Williams, Director, Bureau of Language Arts

Chicago Public Schools, Chicago, Illinois

-

-

THE END OF BARRON`S BOOK NOTES

ERNEST HEMINGWAY`S FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS

BIBLIOGRAPHY (HFORBIBL)

FOR_WHOM_THE_BELL_TOLLS

FURTHER READING

-

CRITICAL WORKS

-

Astro, Richard, and Jackson Benson. Hemingway in Our Time.

Corvallis: Oregon State University Press, 1974.

-

Baker, Carlos. Ernest Hemingway: A Life Story. New York: Scribner`s,

1969. Generally considered the definitive biography of Hemingway.

-

_____. Hemingway: The Writer as Artist. 3d ed. Princeton:

Princeton University Press, 1963.

-

Burgess, Anthony. Ernest Hemingway and His World. New York:

Scribner`s, 1978.

-

Griffin, Peter. Along With Youth: Hemingway, the Early Years. New

York: Oxford University Press, 1985. Biography; also includes five

previously unpublished early short stories by Hemingway.

-

Hotchner, A. E. Papa Hemingway: The Ecstasy and Sorrow. New York:

William Morrow, 1983.

-

Laurence, Frank M. Hemingway and the Movies. Jackson: University

Press of Mississippi, 1981.

-

Meyers, Jeffrey. Hemingway: A Biography. New York: Harper & Row,

1985.

-

_____. Hemingway: The Critical Heritage. London: Routledge and Kegan

Paul, 1982.

-

Nagel, James, ed. Ernest Hemingway: The Writer in Context.

Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1984.

-

Noble, Donald R., ed. Hemingway: A Revaluation. Troy, N.Y.:

Whitson Publishing Company, 1983.

-

Rao, E. Nageswara. Ernest Hemingway: A Study of His Rhetoric.

Atlantic Highlands, N.J.: Humanities Press, 1983.

-

Rovit, Earl. Ernest Hemingway. New York: Twayne, 1963.

-

Weeks, Robert P., ed. Hemingway: A Collection of Critical Essays.

Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1972.

-

Williams, Wirt. The Tragic Art of Ernest Hemingway. Baton Rouge:

Louisiana State University Press, 1981.

-

Wylder, Delbert E. Hemingway`s Heroes. Albuquerque: University of

New Mexico Press, 1969.

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AUTHOR`S OTHER MAJOR WORKS

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1925 In Our Time

1926 The Torrents of Spring

1926 The Sun Also Rises

1927 Men Without Women

1929 A Farewell to Arms

1932 Death in the Afternoon

1933 Winner Take Nothing

1935 Green Hills of Africa

1937 To Have and Have Not

1938 The Fifth Column, and The First Forty-Nine Stories

1942 Men at War

1950 Across the River and Into the Trees

1952 The Old Man and the Sea

1962 A Moveable Feast

1972 Islands in the Stream

1972 The Nick Adams Stories

1985 The Dangerous Summer

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THE END OF THE BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR BARRON`S BOOK NOTES

ERNEST HEMINGWAY`S FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS

800 BC

HOMER`S

THE ILIAD

by George Loutro

SERIES EDITOR

Michael Spring, Editor

Literary Cavalcade, Scholastic Inc.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We would like to acknowledge the many painstaking hours of work

Holly Hughes and Thomas F. Hirsch have devoted to making the

Book Notes series a success.

(C) Copyright 1984 by Barron`s Educational Series, Inc.

Electronically Enhanced Text (C) Copyright 1993, World Library, Inc.

CONTENTS

CONTENTS

SECTION.......................... SEARCH ON

THE AUTHOR AND HIS TIMES................. HILIAUTH

THE POEM

A Comparison of Translations............. HILITRAN

The Plot................................. HILIPLOT

The Characters........................... HILICHAR

Other Elements

Setting............................. HILISETT

Themes.............................. HILITHEM

Style and Structure................. HILISTYL

THE STORY................................ HILISTOR

A STEP BEYOND

Tests and Answers........................ HILITEST

Term Paper Ideas......................... HILITERM

Glossary................................. HILIGLOS

The Critics.............................. HILICRIT

Advisory Board........................... HILIADVB

Bibliography............................. HILIBIBL

AUTHOR_AND_HIS_TIMES

THE AUTHOR AND HIS TIMES (HILIAUTH)

-

Homer`s Iliad originated at the beginnings of Western

civilization. Its power is so timeless that it has been read

continuously for more than 2500 years. Yet its origin lies shrouded in

mystery, tangled in mythology, religion, and ancient tribal history.

Aside from these elements, the real excitement of the Iliad lies in

its brilliant poetry, which is sustained for more than 15,000 lines,

bringing an age of heroes and their exploits to life with clarity,

complexity, and depth of feeling.

Homer has been known since classical Greek times as the author of

the Odyssey and the Iliad- and that is about all that can be said

for certain about him. The ancients regarded him as practically a god,

equal to the muses (who were the divine inspiration for all arts).

Facts about Homer the man have long been the subject of hot debate

among scholars. Perhaps Homer also wrote a group of long poems,

still called the Homeric Hymns. Perhaps Homer didn`t actually write

the two great epic poems but merely pieced together small sections

written by many different poets over centuries. Perhaps there was no

Homer at all, and the poems were a kind of oral history, written and

recited by numerous poets and much later collected into the books we

now know. Each of these theories has been offered as true, and each

remains unproven.

What is certain is that the ancient Greek scholars and

commentators were convinced that Homer was real and lived in the 9th

or 8th century B.C. Modern scholars generally agree that the Iliad was

composed around 725 B.C. (the earliest written versions we have are

hundreds of years later than that, so there`s plenty of room for

conjecture). But though we don`t have the earliest texts, the

ancient Greeks did, and Homer was written about, discussed, and

analyzed throughout the classical Greek period.

One of the key controversies among Homeric critics is whether

Homer composed his poems orally or whether he actually wrote them

down. We do know that Homer`s poems were recited in later days, at

festivals and ceremonial occasions, by professional singers called

rhapsodes, who beat out the measure with rhythm staffs. (There is a

similar poet/singer in the Odyssey who sings a poem about the Trojan

War. He is an old man, and blind; that may be the source behind the

legend that Homer himself was blind.) Whether or not Homer actually

wrote down his poems, it now seems certain that the Iliad and the

Odyssey are part of an ancient literary tradition of oral composition.

The stories on which they are based had probably been sung aloud for

hundreds of years, and recited and memorized by one generation of

poets after another before Homer took them in hand. After all, in

Homer`s time, writing was used mostly for inventories and business

transactions. Recitation was the accepted means of relating myth and

history.

The Iliad was part of a group of ancient poems known as the Epic

Cycle, which dealt with the history of the Trojan War and the events

surrounding it. Homer probably had at his fingertips most of these

stories and characters, ready-made. His genius lay in choosing to

focus on the story of Achilleus and in bringing a tragic depth to

the story of the battle for Troy. Homer was writing about events

that took place four or five hundred years before his own time, events

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Electronically Enhanced Text (C) Copyright 1991 - 1993 World Library, Inc.