For whom the bell tolls Hemingway - Essay Example

He takes sides with the natives of Spain fighting against the Nationalist Generalissimo Francisco Franco. Robert Jordan leaves the comforts of his home and the safety of his career to face the challenges of guerilla life. The “pine needle floor of the forest” (1) is what he chooses when he leaves America, and all the dangers involved with guerilla warfare. A strong sense of duty compels him to make this choice. It is the result of his realization that the suffering of others is not something one can watch from the safety of one’s own home.

Instead, it is a call for action to help alleviate the suffering if it is within one’s power. Every suffering individual is not someone different from each one of us, but we ourselves. This is the driving force that brings all the members of this guerilla band together. The intense comradeship felt among the guerillas is remarkable. This feeling reinforces the conviction of the individuals involved that no man is an I-land. The self does not come into concern. It is the others, the common cause that is of vital significance.

The sense of belonging to the larger humanity than to a narrow, small group of people is the pervading feeling that binds the people together. The lack of modern machinery and the versatility, power and speed that comes with it are absent among the guerillas. Against the modern, well-equipped, powerful enemies, all that the guerilla group has is quite limited. A comparatively smaller number of people with real commitment, a few horses and some explosives – these are their only strongholds. But what gives them real strength is the intense companionship – the feeling that they are all one entity – for that matter all those in the whole world who are sympathetic towards them.

The readiness to let go of themselves for the sake of the common cause, for the sake of others is the hallmark of the guerilla band. Robert Jordan and his elderly guide Auselmo are all geared to face