Imagery In Ernest Hemingway's For Whom The Bell Tolls

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How does an author create a piece of good literature that is enjoyable to the reader? Every single detail that the author writes must have some connection to everything that follows, and this is especially true for Ernest Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls.
To write a good novel the author needs imagery. Every detail means something and could be foreshadowing the future. Each character written about needs their own identity. You need the hero of the story, the comic relief, and the bad guy to really bring the story to life. There has to be conflict, a reason that the main character is on this quest or whatever journey they are going on during the novel. the novel needs to have a theme a reason why the author is writing the story, is it teaching you something or just about a general subject? Some authors even use events that they have went through in their life time to help portray what it is that is going on in the story.
The most popular theme in for whom the bell tolls is the loss of innocence in war. Which happens at least once to all the characters in the book. Hemingway writes about normal men who are corrupted by their values and the values of their enemies. Dignity, a characteristic that comes in short supply in for whom the bell tolls separates the main character and hero Jordan. It is with dignity, that Jordan is able to overcome his conflict, even though this means he will die. Yet another symbol that Hemingway employs is the motif of technology. Mankind's loss of dignity, and the frequent event of death all help Hemingway show the reader mankind's true nature.

Hemingway uses his personal experiences to portray the true meaning of this book. Ernest Hemingway lived an eccentric life full of wars and marriages and...

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...shiny with a wisp of mist over it.” (Hemingway p.431). Hemingway also used imagery to portray love so the reader could understand the deep love Robert Jordan and Maria had for each other. Robert Jordan states, "with the sun shining on her hair, tawny as wheat, and on her throat he bent her head back and held her to him and kissed her.” (Hemingway p.158). This represents the romance that was involved in Robert Jordan’s description of his love for her. The usage of imagery in this novel enriches the literature and is capable of creating a sense of passion, beauty, or even terror. The various themes of this story describe Hemingway’s political views on war and outlook on the morals of life. In conclusion, the qualities that Ernest Hemingway possesses in his writing skills are truly remarkable and they are evidently depicted in this amazing piece of classic literature.

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