For whom the Bell Tolls

                        ' Thinking Activity '

        ' For whom the Bell Tolls'

Welcome readers! Here I am going to write down one another blog. This blog is inspired by Yesha Ma'am - Department of English -  Bhavnagar University. This blog is a part of thinking activity. In this particular blog of mine I am going to deal with one question which is - ' In what ways the use of the technique of Flashback Proved useful in the novel ? ' 

     But , Before going further first it is very much necessary to know about a brief overview of the writer and about the novel.

                   ' Ernest Hemingway :-' 

     Ernest Hemingway in full Ernest Miller Hemingway ( 1899 - 1961 ) was an American novelist , Short story writer and Journalist. He was noted both for the intense masculinity of his writing and for his adventurous and widely Publicized life. His Succinct and lucid Prose style exerted a powerful influence on American and British fiction in the 20th century.

    Ernest Hemingway was also an accomplished Journalist and war Correspondent. He Produced most of his works between the mid 1920s and the mid 1950s. He was awarded the ' 1954 Nobel prize in literature. ' Many of his works are considered classics of  ' American literature.' 

             ' The Iceberg Theory :- ' 

The Iceberg theory also known as the theory of omission is a style of writing coined by American writer - Ernest Hemingway. 

   Alternatively Speaking, Ernest Hemingway's Iceberg theory is his Strategy of fiction writing in which most of the story is hidden, much like an iceberg underneath the ocean. The largest portion of an iceberg is Underwater and it subsequently the Strongest Part of the iceberg. In the same way, the strongest part of a Hemingway' s stories are hidden from the reader and if applicable revealed later. 

  Hemingway believed that the application of an iceberg theory created the perfect short story. The more details the writer strips away, the more powerful the story is. 

 So, we can say that the Iceberg theory relates to Ernest Hemingway and his style of writing.

           ' For whom the Bell Tolls ' :- 

' For whom the Bell tolls ' is a novel written by American writer Ernest Hemingway. This novel Originally Published on 21st October in the year 1940. 

  

It tells the story of Robert Jordan - a young American volunteer and Protagonist or we can say main hero of this novel,  who was attached to a Republican guerrilla unit during the Spanish civil war. As a dynamiter he is assigned to blow up a bridge during an attack on the city of Segovia. 

 This novel published just after the end of the Spanish civil war - ( 1936 - 1939 ). It is regarded as one of Hemingway's best Works. This novel graphically describes the brutality of the Spanish civil war and is told primarily through the thoughts and experiences of the Protagonist Robert Jordan. 

   It draws on Hemingway's own experiences in Spanish civil war as a reporter for the North American newspaper Alliance. 

   Question - 1 :- In what ways the use of the  technique of  Flashback Proved useful  in ' For Whom the Bell tolls ' ? 

Answer :- Ernest Hemingway used Flashbacks and Flashforward technique in this novel. Hemingway employed this technique to enhance thematic focus. If we talk about the characters of the novel - Pillar's stories of struggle and heroism make their mission all the more Piognant and Place it in an historical context. Robert Jordan 's flashback to a time when his ideals were not tempered by the reality of war highlight his growing sense of disillusionment. His dreams of a future with Maria in Madrid add a bittersweet touch to his Present Predicament and his final death scene in the end.

Moreover, Robert Jordan ruminates on the orders that had been given him by General Golz through a flashback. As a reader we also learns from Pilar about Pablo's past and the changes that have taken place in him. In addition it is through the narrative technique of Flashback that the reader learns about Robert Jordan 's father and Maria' s traumatic experiences. 

  

  Although the novel is essentially told in chronological order, taking place in only a few day, much Background information is also given through flashbacks. In spite of the many flashbacks, the story is easy to follow for it is told in a very simple, straightforward style and is tightly unified by time, character and place. 

  One of the character from the novel - Pillar who spends an extended portion of the story detailing executions in her village during the era of the Spanish civil war. It is one of the most famous examples of flashbacks in literature and a harrowing retelling of the war. 

  Although the stories don't have immediate relevance to the present narrative, Hemingway used these Flashbacks to establish both character and historical context. Through them , we learn more about the setting and the ideals up to which the main character - Robert Jordan believes he has to live. 

   Ernest Hemingway used Flashback technique in this particular novel named :- ' For Whom the Bell tolls. ' The Primary reason for using this technique is because of We can come to know about the Past of the characters. So let's understand this technique from this point of view also. 

   Anselmo :- 

                                       Anselmo is the first member of the Republic guerrillas Robert Jordan meets. He is a thoughtful, highly principled older man who supports Robert Jordan 's offensive on the bridge. Due to his Catholic faith , Anselmo is firmly opposed to killing Fascists. Anselmo has nothing left to lose in his fight for the Republicans. His wife is also dead. Fighting gives him nothing to live and strive for. In short, One can understand that Anselmo helped Robert Jordan to blow up the bridge. 

 

  

   Pilar :- 

                          Pilar is the gypsy and wife of Pablo. She has been with him for several years , and on of the Purposes she serves in the novel is to give the reader  background information. It is through the character of her that we see the beginning of the movement and the way life before the war and the courage of pablo before he went bad. Pilar plays a vital role in the novel. 

Pilar believes that; 

     " Killing is a thing of Ugliness but also a necessity to do during the war." 

At that time she recalls that she was sickened by the violence of the mob and decided to walk away from the square. So we can Clearly Understand that when she recalls everything we come to know about her past also. 

      Maria :- 

                                   The young gentle Maria catches Robert Jordan 's eye from the moment he meets her. She exudes a natural, glowing beauty despite the fact that she has recently suffered a traumatic rape and has had most of her hair shorn off. Ernest Hemingway frequently uses earth Imagery to describe Maria, Comparing her hair to the ' Golden brown of a grain field. ' 

 The Fascists shot both of Maria ' s parents against a wall. Maria's father was the mayor of their town and his last words for the Republicans. Not Only this But Through the technique of Flashback As a reader we can come to know about the rape of Maria, how she lost her parents and about her traumatized situations and experiences.

 Robert Jordan :- 

                                                   As we all know that Robert Jordan is the main hero or we can say Protagonist of the novel - ' For Whom the Bell tolls.' Robert Jordan is very good at what he does and never lets his emotion interference with his work. He is conflicted about his role within the war and within the larger World. Interior dialogues in which he argues with himself  about these conflicts constitute a significant part of the novel. 

Conclusion :- To conclude my answer I would like to say that Ernest Hemingway used the technique of Flashback to know about the insight of Character ' s past. We have also seen some of the Characters from the novel that what happened with them in the Past and how it affecting their present. So Flashbacks technique proved useful in this novel.

I hope that this blog will be useful to you..

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