Abstract This paper examines how Ernest Hemingway's 1940 novel, "For Whom The Bell Tolls", is a long and powerful look at the themes of courage, fear, idealism, and disenchantment in the face of war, in this case the Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939. Considered by many critics as Hemingway's best work, it is now widely accepted as one of the greatest examples of fiction in the 20th century. It individually analyzes the themes of idealism and courage for each of the characters, Robert Jordan, Pablo, and Anselmo.
From the Paper "Though he considers himself a soldier and has been a part of the Communist/Loyalist uprising against the Fascist government since early on, Anselmo is also a compassionate person who has yet to actually kill a man. Even when he looks at the enemy, who would kill him given the slightest chance, he sees people more like himself than different. To him, the Spanish people are still basically one group divided by an artificial line of separation called politics. It is his hope that he will not be forced to kill, and when there is talk of what to do with captured Fascists, his vote is to allow them to live and therefore have the opportunity to reject the harsh rule of Fascism and rejoin the "natural" course of life."
Tags: communism, loyalism, fascism, anselmo, pablo, robert, jordan
