Historical Analysis of For Whom The Bell Tolls

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For Whom The Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway takes place during the Spanish Civil War, which devastated the nation of Spain from 1936 to 1939. The conflict started after an attempted coup d'état by a group of Spanish generals against the regime of the Second Spanish Republic, under the leadership of Manuel Azaña. The Nationalist coup was supported by the conservative Spanish Confederation of the Autonomous Right, Carlist monarchists, and the Fascist Falange. The events of the story center around Robert Jordan, an American volunteer for the Republican guerilla band. Jordan and the guerilla band attempt to defend Spain from the nationalist coup and preserve their way of life. However, the Republicans are unsuccessful because the Nationalists achieve victory, overthrow the government, and General Francisco Franco becomes dictator of Spain. The actions of people like Robert Jordan reveal that Spain was worth the overwhelming price to fight because the guerillas want to preserve and protect their ideals and way of life.

During the course of the story, most of the action occurs just north of Nationalist-occupied Madrid in the Guadarrama Range, where the Republican guerilla band remains in hiding. The setting is very symbolic because the camp is a calming refuge for safety, while the rest of Spain is under considerable turmoil. The hideout also offers temporary safety to Maria, a young woman in the guerilla band, after she was raped and imprisoned by the Nationalists. The refuge allows Maria the opportunity to recover physical and mentally from the trauma that she experienced. Robert Jordan then has the opportunity to ponder about the reasons for participating in the war and realizes that he is in love with Maria. Jordan is also ...

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... The Spanish Civil War brought out many of the true qualities and attributes of the Republican guerilla band because they were willing to risk everything to preserve and protect their way of life. The band is surrounded by enemy troops at the bottom of the mountain and enemy aircraft above them, which indicates that the group faces almost certain death on a daily basis. However, the guerilla band is still courageous enough to plan an offensive deep into enemy lines against the Nationalists, even when they are backed into a corner of war. The Republican guerillas are willing to pay the ultimate price to preserve and protect their nation and way of life.

Works Cited
Hemingway, Ernest. For Whom The Bell Tolls. New York: Scribner, 1996.

Kagan, Donald, Steven Ozment, and Frank M. Turner. The Western Heritage. 9th ed. Vol. A. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2006.

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