Line #35 Literature/ForWhomTheBellTolls


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/for_whom_the_bell_tolls.jpg]]
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3	->''"No man is an ''Iland'', intire of it selfe; every man is a peece of the ''Continent'', a part of the ''maine''; if a ''Clod'' bee washed away by the ''Sea'', ''Europe'' is the lesse, as well as if a ''Promontorie'' were, as well as if a ''Mannor'' of thy ''friends'' or of ''thine'' ''owne '' were; any mans ''death'' diminishes ''me'', because I am involved in ''Mankinde''; And therefore never send to know for whom the ''bell'' tolls; It tolls for ''thee''."''
4	-->-- '''Creator/JohnDonne''', quoted in the {{epigraph}}
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6	''For Whom the Bell Tolls'' is a novel by Creator/ErnestHemingway, first published in 1940, and was inspired by [[WriteWhatYouKnow his experience]] as a journalist during the UsefulNotes/SpanishCivilWar. It is one of his most famous and beloved works, and is generally considered ''the'' book written about that war.
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8	The story, which plays out over four days and three nights, is centered around Robert Jordan - no, not [[Literature/TheWheelOfTime that]] Robert Jordan - an American member of the [[EagleSquadron International Brigades]] who joined to fight for the Republic. His mission is to blow up a bridge in preparation for an offensive against the Nationalists, and to this purpose he enlists the help of a [[LaResistance small band of partisans]] in the hills nearby. He [[LoveAtFirstSight quickly]] begins an affair and falls in love with a girl called Maria, who has been freed from the captivity of the Fascists a few months prior.
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10	In the days before he carries out this task, we get to know many of the other characters that he meets. Pablo is the leader of the band, but the relationship between him and his men is strained to say the least, and his reliability is repeatedly called into question. His wife Pilar is TheHeart of the group, and acknowledged as the de facto leader. An [[CoolOldGuy elderly man]] named Anselmo is Robert Jordan's guide, and while he is [[MartialPacifist averse to killing]] out of principle, his loyalty and local knowledge make him a valuable asset. And finally Agustin, a particularly [[ClusterFBomb foul mouthed]] guerrilla who Robert Jordan develops a VitriolicBestBuds relationship with. A number of Pablo's men and other characters are also introduced and make a lasting impression.
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12	Over the short time in the company of these people, Jordan makes his preparations for the demolition (which can only be carried out at the last minute), has some skirmishes with the Nationalist forces and gets much of his companions' backstory in the form of flashbacks. The general themes of the novel, derived both from the main storyline and the flashbacks, include the [[WarIsHell horrors of war]], but also the nature of love and companionship.
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14	The novel was adapted into a film in 1943, starring Creator/GaryCooper as Robert Jordan and Creator/IngridBergman as Maria. It also inspired the eponymous FilkSong by Music/{{Metallica}}. It also inspired the graphic novel ''Sordo'' (or ''The (Silent) War'' [[note]] No not [[ComicBook/TheInhumans that]] [[ComicBook/SilentWar one.]] [[/note]] in English-speaking countries); which got a [[TheFilmOfTheBook film adaptation]] on Netflix in 2020. See also the [[Characters/ForWhomTheBellTolls character page]].
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16	----
17	!!This novel provides examples of:
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19	* BadassBoast: Pablo has some but even he knows he isn't the man he was.
20	* BadOmenAnecdote: Pilar tells a story of part of her backstory as a demonstration of how she can smell death.
21	* BeastlyBloodsports: It's Hemingway, it's in Spain, there will be bulls.
22	* BilingualBonus: Most of the dialogue is supposed to be in Spanish (which Hemingway translates into a SeparatedByACommonLanguage form of English, with phrases like "he has forty-eight years" and "what passes that"), but the TranslationConvention is not entirely consistent, as some phrases are left untranslated. Especially vulgar ones, which become "I ''obscenity'' in the milk of thy tiredness" and "''mucking'' around" (Hemingway was a journalist and NarrativeProfanityFilter was customary back in 1940).
23	* BloodKnight: Several throughout the story, although how it's treated varies depending on the character. Rafael and the anarchists, where this is essentially their dominant trait, are generally depicted in a very negative light. They enjoy the war and don't care for what reason it's being fought. This is in contrast to characters like El Sordo, where the enjoyment is still there but tempered by a belief in the ideals of the Republic.
24	* BolivianArmyEnding
25	* BrokenAce: Robert Jordan is a badass DemolitionsExpert and [[LaResistance partisan]] in the UsefulNotes/SpanishCivilWar, but has also led an entirely empty and lonely life since his father [[DrivenToSuicide killed himself]]. He doesn't even realize the depths of his loneliness until he's dragged out of it by the new family he finds amongst the partisans he's sent to work with. [[spoiler: But the same work that sent him to the partisans is eventually what gets him killed.]]
26	* ChangedMyMindKid: [[spoiler: Pablo]]. Possibly also counts as a DangerousDeserter. He's certainly not trusted by everyone afterwards.
27	* CheckpointCharlie: Several types of this during the dispatch run.
28	* CompleteTheQuoteTitle: The title is part of a line from a devotional writing by Creator/JohnDonne. In this case, it's the previous line that is most thematically appropriate: "Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind" (the novel is largely an exploration of the nature of [[TrueCompanions companionship]] in a time of war and death). However, completing the line that the title is taken from also makes it into a SpoilerTitle: "And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."
29	* TheConspiracy: Robert Jordan muses on how "the Fascists" have a plan to TakeOverTheWorld, and just [[HeroicSacrifice fighting the war in Spain slows them down for years and does not allow them to attack other countries]]. [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII Historical reality had proven a bit different]].
30	* DeathByAdaptation: A couple of characters in the 1959 Playhouse 19 TV film, including [[spoiler: Rafael and Anselmo.]]
31	* DidTheEarthMoveForYouToo: TropeNamer and TropeCodifier.
32	* DoubleMeaning: When Jordan first meets the guerrilla band, he mentions that his father is a Republican, which the latter takes to mean that he comes from a family sympathetic to their cause since their own side is also called "Republicans." Of course, in American politics, Republicans (especially in 1930s) were the anti-communist, pro-business, and isolationist party who were about the most hostile to the left-wing Spanish guerrilas. It also implies that Jordan is a sort of RebelPrince from a wealthy family who ran away from his father to find something meaningful.
33	* DwindlingParty: Characters are killed off gradually during the battle.
34	* DyingMomentOfAwesome: [[spoiler: El Sordo and his men, inflicting heavy casualties on the Carlists attacking them and even taking out their highest-ranking officer]].
35	* EagleSquadron: The many foreigners who come to fight on both sides in the Civil War, Robert Jordan being one of them.
36	* FaceDeathWithDignity: [[spoiler: In the final chapters, Jordan, now knowing what Pilar saw when she read his palm, quietly accepts the fact that he is going to die. As the battle goes on, Jordan calmly reassures himself that he's lucky to have lived such an eventful life and that he now regards the guerrillas as his family and friends]].
37	* FourthDateMarriage: Robert Jordan plans to marry Maria after only knowing her for a few days, and vice versa.
38	* FullNameBasis: Robert Jordan is almost always referred to by his full name by the narrator.
39	* GoOnWithoutMe: [[spoiler: Robert Jordan]], after being immobilized, decides to stay and [[TakingYouWithMe kill as many enemies as he can]].
40	** In the Playhouse 90 TV movie, a mortally wounded [[spoiler: Rafael]] insists that everyone go on without him so that "he and the bridge can die together".
41	* GreyAndGreyMorality: While the Republicans are generally portrayed more sympathetically, neither side is generally shown in a very positive light, especially when it comes to the leadership. Atrocities are committed by both sides. Some of the individual soldiers in the Nationalist army are shown to be just regular people rather than villainous lackeys, particularly the Carlist cavalrymen and Lieutenant Berrendo, who is shown to be very pious and respectful to his enemies.
42	* HeroOfAnotherStory: El Sordo and his band are acknowledged to be very good partisans. [[spoiler: This doesn't save them from the Carlist cavalry who come after them, although they do get to make a heroic last stand]].
43	* HitAndRunTactics: The only way such small guerrilla bands can operate, producing some hard choices about whether to help other bands.
44	* HistoricalVillainUpgrade:
45	** Actually [[AvertedTrope averted]]. Yes, André Marty actually was [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/André_Marty a real person]], and yes, he actually was that paranoid and batshit insane. He was sent by the [[UsefulNotes/SovietRussiaUkraineAndSoOn Comintern]] to Spain when the war started and was appointed as the political leader of the International Brigades. Supposedly about one tenth of all Republican Brigaders who died during the war were executed by him.
46	** [[VoiceOfTheResistance La Pasionaria]], who was also [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolores_Ibárruri a real person]]. Judging by one of Sordo's guerrillas ridicule of her [[spoiler: when they're digging in for a LastStand on the hill]], it's pretty safe to say that Hemingway himself was not terribly fond of her.
47	-->[[spoiler:Pasionaria says it is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.]]
48	-->[[spoiler:''Mierda'' again. We're on our bellies, not our knees.]]
49	* HoldingHands: An inversion as Maria and Robert Jordan get together before they get to do the more romantic stuff. There isn't much time.
50	* InterplayOfSexAndViolence: Done in the usual Hemingway fashion, à la ''Literature/TheSunAlsoRises''. The simple language and run on sentences used to describe Roberto and Maria's lovemaking is quite similar to how Finito and Andres' bullfighting is described.
51	* IShallTauntYou: Tried by Captain Mora when surrounding El Sordo and his men. Including standing up away from cover and screaming filth while his officers angrily cringe at his idiocy. [[spoiler: El Sordo's men ignore him until he starts to walk over to their position. Then they shoot him.]]
52	* LiteraryAllusionTitle: The title is derived from a Creator/JohnDonne quote, namely the famous "no man is an island" passage in ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devotions_upon_Emergent_Occasions Devotions upon Emergent Occasions]]''.
53	* LoveAtFirstSight: Robert Jordan's relationship with Maria can [[DownplayedTrope arguably]] be described this way: They certainly fall in lust at a very early stage, although whether it is true love (yet) is unclear.
54	* LoweredRecruitingStandards: At first they want the best men in the area, then a certain amount of men, eventually anyone they can find will do.
55	* MeaningfulName: TheHeart of the group's name is Pilar. Also, El Sordo's nickname literally means "The Deaf One."
56	* MercyKill: [[spoiler: Augustin offers one to Robert Jordan as he lays dying. Robert declines]]. [[spoiler: Earlier on, Lieutenant Berrendo gives one to Joachim, not wanting the boy to bleed out.]]
57	* MistakenNationality: Robert Jordan is usually called "Inglés" (English) by his comrades, though he's American.
58	* NarrativeProfanityFilter: The partisans [[ClusterFBomb curse like sailors]], but the reader is inevitably given a sanitized version of the relevant words and phrases, like "muck", "unnameable" or "obscenity". Between this and the nature of Spanish swearing, we get {{Unusual Euphemism}}s that range from the offbeat to the surrealistic -- like "I obscenity in the milk of their airplanes." There are also some [[BilingualBonus untranslated]] Spanish swear words left in the text.
59	* OnlyAFleshWound: Averted mostly as Hemingway knew what battle injuries were really like. Averted at the end in a ICanStillFight situation.
60	* TheNeidermeyer: Captain Mora, ''holy shit''. Commanding the Carlist cavalry attacking El Sordo, he launches [[AwesomeButImpractical a spectacular but incredibly costly]] offensive at their hideout to try and wipe them out in one blow, letting Sordo escape with five of his men and their light machine gun. Then against all common sense, Mora gets up to check if they're really dead...''[[ViolationOfCommonSense by standing out in the open and trying to goad them into shooting him.]]'' [[spoiler: He's practically begging to get shot, and El Sordo happily obliges him]].
61	* PlanningForTheFutureBeforeTheEnd
62	** Robert and Maria get up to this the night before they blow the bridge, making plans to go to Madrid and talking about what their life will be like together once it's all over. Robert knows how delusional he's being, but decides that he doesn't care. [[spoiler: This receives a rather sad CallBack at the end, after he gets immobilized.]]
63	--->[[spoiler: "''Guapa'', listen. We will not being going to Madrid..."]]
64	** Maria mentions that Pilar was essentially doing this on the last day as well, where she took the time to give lessons to Maria on how to be a proper, traditional wife.
65	* PoliticalOfficer: Well, General Massart didn't get his job through competency. Several of these are mentioned throughout the book - General Enrique Lister in particular is very fond of using them to keep order at the front.
66	* RealMenDontCry: Thoroughly averted towards the end. Anselmo cries after killing the sentry on the bridge, although it doesn't stop him from helping Robert rig the explosives. He is rather ashamed of himself for doing so afterwards though. Averted even further at the very end by [[spoiler:Agustin and narrowly played straight by Robert.]]
67	* SayYourPrayers: [[spoiler:Joaquin, one of El Sordo's men, starts praying when he sees the planes that are coming to kill them, even though he's a Communist]].
68	* ShootTheMessenger: [[spoiler: Very nearly]]. See Struggling Together below.
69	* SnowMeansDeath: Specifically, the unexpected snowfall means that certain characters end up being tracked by the footprints they leave, with deadly consequences.
70	* SuicideMission: Robert Jordan's mission to blow up the bridge is essentially this. Pablo, Pilar, and El Sordo are the only other characters who seem to fully grasp this, and how they deal with it play a big role in the narrative. [[spoiler: Robert Jordan, Pilar and El Sordo are all willing to do it in service to the Republic. Pablo, not so much, although he changes his mind.]]
71	* TakeCareOfTheKids: A variation. [[spoiler: Robert's last request to Agustin is for him to take care of Maria for him, turning down Agustin's offer of a MercyKill.]]
72	* TheTalk: Pilar tries this with Robert Jordan, with varying effects.
73	* TankGoodness: Only a little one - an Italian Fiat tankette with two machine guns - but it causes a lot of problems for the partisans. Another, much larger tank - implied to be a Nationalist [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-26 T-26]] - shows up later and proceeds to [[spoiler: shell the group, killing the gypsy and smashing Robert's leg]].
74	* TeamMom: Pilar.
75	* TraumaticHaircut: The fascists, specifically a Falangist militia, executed Maria's parents, raped her and shaved her head.
76	* TryingNotToCry: Not outright stated, as usual for Hemingway, but it's heavily implied [[spoiler: that Robert is trying hard to play this straight when he's sending his companions away after getting shot by the tank. This is a pretty significant part of his CharacterDevelopment since it's established prior that he never felt much emotion from his companions before this. He had no problem shooting Kashkin.]]
77	* WarIsHell: Agustin almost cites this trope by name at the end. [[spoiler: Coming from a self admitted BloodKnight, it certainly makes an impact.]]
78	* WeAreStrugglingTogether: The general impression one gets of the loose alliance that is the Republican side. A case of TruthInTelevision.

Context Literature / ForWhomTheBellTolls