For Whom the Bell Tolls book report

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For Whom the Bell Tolls
Ernest Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls is a narrative about a young combatant and expert dynamiter, Robert Jordan, fighting with the anti-fascists in Spain during the civil battles CITATION Hem02 l 1033 (Hemingway). Robert who combats against the fascist militaries is ordered to destroy a bridge with the help of local paramilitary soldiers to prevent the enemy forces from retaliating following a forthcoming attack. During his assignment, Robert meets Anselmo who is his guide to the secret guerrilla base camp and also intercessor between Robert and the rebel soldiers. His quest, however, clashes with the reluctance and aggression of the rebel leader Pablo to take on a mission that will imperil his troop. Furthermore, in the base camp, Robert comes across Maria, a Spaniard woman who has faced atrocities from the fascists. They are drawn to each other and acknowledge their love. Pilar, Pablo’s wife who does not agree with her husband stance on the operation, arrogates leadership and supports Robert’s mission. They gain more support from El Sordo, the leader of another rebel camp however they are later delimited and killed by fascist troops. Pablo still not committed to the operation steals bomb detonators and equipment dumping them to prevent fascist retaliation, however, he later returns to aid. Although the enemy is aware of the upcoming attack, Robert carries on the operation with an alternative strategy using grenades to detonate the dynamite and explode the bridge.

The operation which becomes considerably dangerous claims lives including Anselmo, and while escaping with horses, Robert’s is seriously injured too. The story concludes as he bids farewell to Maria and the guerrillas as he hopes to strike back at the enemy with his last breath as the rest escaped CITATION Hem02 p 502 l 1033 (Hemingway 502).
The main leitmotif explored in For Whom the Bell Tolls is mortality. The story which revolves around the violence of war explores mortality in different angles, but the central subject is each key character faces or comes to terms with their own death or others. In the book, Robert Jordan and other soldiers come to terms with their own deaths when planning for the dangerous operation to blow up the bridge. Furthermore, at the end of the book, Robert faces mortality by accepting his fate and sacrificing himself as he is waiting for the impending death CITATION Hem02 p 502 l 1033 (Hemingway 502). Pablo’s fear to put his life and his soldiers in danger is illustrated as he admits his fear of death to his wife Pilar and Anselmo also affirms, “He is very much afraid to die” CITATION Hem02 p 101 l 1033 (Hemingway 101). Later he, however, accepts the results of the operation despite the dreaded doom. Anselmo also feels remorse of the killings in the war while contemplating on atoning for his sins CITATION Hem02 p 218 l 1033 (Hemingway 218) Other characters such as El Sordo faces looming death after the attack, as he is dying the narrator states “…one’s demise is difficult to accept. El Sordo had acknowledged it…” CITATION Hem02 p 336 l 1033 (Hemingway 336).
The characters Pablo and Pilar are illustrated as contraries with Pablo being portrayed as weak, egotist, and unreliable while his wife as a trustworthy, outspoken, and fierce. As Pablo is reluctant to take on the operation, Pilar makes a stance and takes on the responsibility to participate in the mission regardless of the risk. When the proposal for the operation is aired Pablo retorts “I am for the good and the safety of all” CITATION Hem02 p 62 l 1033 (Hemingway 62) but Pilar dismisses “Safety…There is no such thing as safety” CITATION Hem02 p 62 l 1033 (Hemingway 62). Robert is portrayed in the beginning as being disenchanted with war and faces internal conflicts. He does not really believe in anything even the side he is fighting for in the war. However, by the end of the story, he resolves his internal conflicts and accepts himself as pragmatic rather than being reliant on abstract concepts.
The story is interesting and structurally profound in how it goes full circle with its themes and character arcs. The character arc especially of the main protagonist is clearly illustrated by his lack of motivation and passion about anything to his heroic act for the greater good. The John Donne’s quote that introduces the story interprets to that every man needs others and the brotherhood of society. The story illustrates the essence of the quote through the transition and arcs of a majority of the characters in the book from Robert Jordan to Pablo.
Work Cited
BIBLIOGRAPHY Hemingway, Ernest. For Whom the Bell Tolls. Kindle Edition. Scribner, 2002. Web. 15 January 2018.