Introducing For Whom the Bell Tolls

Ernest Hemingway's Novel of Love and Death in the Spanish Civil War

Jul 14, 2008

In his fifth novel, Hemingway immerses the reader in the grim world of the Spanish Civil war, providing a glimpse into the common struggle that binds all of humanity.

For Whom the Bell Tolls follows Robert Jordan, an American professor who has enrolled himself in Spain’s International Brigades, fighting on the side of the Republic during the Civil War of the 1930s.

As part of a crucial plan to recapture the area around Madrid and Segovia, Jordan has been ordered to demolish a certain bridge. As a means of doing so, he has also been instructed to enlist the help of local guerilleros, or backcountry partisan fighters. From the very beginning, the leader of the small band of fighters, Pablo, is suspicious of Jordan and his orders. Jordan not only earns the trust of the rest of the group, but he wins the love of Maria, a refugee that the guerilleros rescued from a train they had raided at the beginning of the war. Tensions build, doubt grows and tides change as the novel builds up to the final confrontation at the bridge.

The Factual Background of Hemingway’s Novel

The book, published in 1940, is largely based on Hemingway’s own experiences as a journalist in the Spanish Civil War in 1937 and 1938. The plan to demolish the bridge is similar to several real operations he would have known of, and Robert Jordan was probably inspired by Robert Merriman, an American volunteer in the International Brigades who spent some time with Hemingway.

Themes

Borrowed from this quote by the metaphysical poet Donne, the title is a constant reminder to the reader that death, and the impact of death, is the central theme of this novel. The third paragraph of Donne’s meditation, printed at the start of the book, begins with the equally well known line, “No man is an island,” signifying the second theme that Hemingway draws upon in his novel: human beings cannot act alone. That is to say, not only do all of our decisions have an impact on others, but everything that affects others affects us as well -- we are all in this together.

The fact that Hemingway can weave these abstract and far-reaching topics into a detailed, gripping account of a small demolition operation in the middle of a war, is a testament to his skill in finding the beautiful and universal in the gritty and specific.

Setting and Style

Rather than giving a sweeping panorama of the events, as in, say, War and Peace, the action in For Whom the Bell Tolls is mostly confined to a three day period within a single valley outside Madrid. As is Hemingway’s preference, the vast majority of the novel is told from the perspective of the protagonist, who is fond of lengthy stream-of-consciousness meditations on his past, the impending battle, the war, his love for Maria, the overbearing memories of his grandfather and father, and his feelings towards the guerilleros he has to work with.

As the novel progresses, however, the perspective becomes more omniscient, as we gradually peer into the head of Republican and Fascist alike. This compassionate form of storytelling and breadth of perspective flares up most during moments of danger and disaster, giving us a first hand look at the characters’ experience of death, the horrors of war, love and the ties that bind people. The pace is slow compared to Hemingway’s other books, but if the reader takes the time to follow the author into the fieldwork of recording human experience, as intended, For Whom the Bell Tolls is guaranteed to resonate deeply.

The copyright of the article Introducing For Whom the Bell Tolls in American Fiction is owned by Joseph Hay. Permission to republish Introducing For Whom the Bell Tolls in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.