Ernest Hemingway – 5

Hemingway‘s novel "For Whom the Bell Tolls”, is devoted to the Civil War in Spain. When the Civil War broke out, Hemingway went to Spain and took an active part in the fight against fascism. His experience in Spain helped him to write the play "The Fifth Column”, some short stories and the novel "For Whom the Bell Tolls”. The hero of the novel is Robert Jordan, an American, who has become a soldier in the Republican army fighting against the fascists. Hemingway describes the last three days in the life of his hero. Robert Jordan is to blow up a bridge and thus help the Republicans to begin their attack on the fascists.  A small partisan group lead by a Spanish peasant Pablo and his wife Pilar is to help him. In the group there is a young girl, called Maria. Maria and Robert Jordan fall in love with each other and are very happy. Robert calls Maria guapa, which is Spanish for "beautiful”. The day of the operation comes, the bridge is blown up and the partisans are moving away under the enemy fire. Robert Jordan’s horse is killed under him and his left leg is badly injured. Robert realizes that he can’t move any further and decides to stay in the hills not far from the road to hold up the fascists. He wants to speak to his comrades.

They were all gone now and he was alone with his back against a tree. He looked down at the ruined bridge, and across the bridge and at the road. "They will be coming soon now”, he thought. He looked around again and he thought: "I hate to leave it. I hate to leave it very much and I hope I have done some good in it. I have fought for what I believed in. If we win here, we will win everywhere. The world is a fine place and worth fighting for.”

Just then he saw the fascist cavalry ride out of the forest and cross the road. He watched them coming closer and closer. He looked at the road and the bridge. Then he looked up at the sky. There were big white clouds in it. He took a good long look at everything.

Robert Jordan dies the death of a hero. He demonstrates moral strength and courage. During the war in Spain, Hemingway was among the soldiers of International brigade who, together with the common people of Spain, fought against fascists.