For Whom the Bell Tolls

Part 1 sets up the political and strategic elements of the narrative, bringing Robert together with the guerrilleros, whom he hopes will help him, and hinting at the amassing of fascists troops in preparation for a Republican attack. The plot is set, and glimpses of the outcome are foreshadowed through the planes and Pilar’s reading of Robert’s hand. The relational elements of the plot are also set in place: Robert and Pilar have an immediate respect for one another that makes their speech more open and presents them as equals and comrades, Robert and Maria experience a love connection from their first meeting, and Pablo’s cowardice is introduced and his possible betrayal foreshadowed.

The Brutality of War reveals itself early in the novel in subtle ways, echoing through the words of the characters. No direct violence reveals itself in this first section, but the characters have already adapted to the killing they have seen and perpetrated; they may be seen as the righteous side of the war, but they must kill in their fight against the fascists. Robert has developed habits of posture, sleep, and general self-defense based on his experiences with the violence, and sometimes treachery, of war. He sleeps with his gun tied to his wrist by a string, and when he worries Pablo will cause a problem, he postures, placing his hand near his gun and readying himself to kill Pablo if need be. In the aftermath of that confrontation, Rafael demands to know why Robert did not kill Pablo, claiming that everyone else wished him to and revealing the brutality that is bred among people when they must consider whether one of their own might betray them. In a climate of war, brutality becomes a form of survival, however painful this act is. Indeed, survival overrides kinship and structures of leadership, as many would rather be rid of Pablo than risk his betrayal, and their loyalties transfer quickly to Pilar when she shows a greater capacity to lead. The brutality of the fascists is also referenced in Maria’s admission that her captors raped her.

The characters confront the question of Cowardice Versus Heroism head-on through their criticisms of Pablo. Pilar reveals the depth of the group’s commitment to nearly blind idealism and their idea of heroism when she disparages Pablo’s desire to keep them and their home base safe:

You and your safety! Did I live nine years with three of the worst paid matadors in the world not to learn about fear and about safety? Speak to me of anything but safety. And thee. What illusions I put in thee and how they have turned out! From one year of war thou has become lazy, a drunkard and a coward (55).

In the face of Pilar’s dedication to the cause at all costs and Pablo’s perceived cowardice, the guerrilleros transfer their loyalty from Pablo to Pilar, revealing how deep their prejudices against cowardice go—they would rather follow a woman in a time when women were usually not seen as leaders. Pilar draws admiration from those who staunchly support furthering the cause, even if it leads to their deaths.

Hemingway utilizes foreshadowing often in For Whom the Bell Tolls; the first instance of this is Pilar’s palm reading for Robert. When he reaches his hand out to her, despite his disbelief of the practice, she “rubbed her thumb over it and looked at it, carefully, then dropped it. She stood up. He got up too and she looked at him without smiling” (35). She denies seeing anything in it for the rest of their time together, and Robert continuously denies there being any truth in it, but the concept haunts both of them for the duration of the novel. The next instance of foreshadowing occurs the next morning when a large number of planes fly low overhead. Pilar and Pablo tell Robert that they do not usually see planes, especially so many and so low: “Here is a concentration of planes which means something very bad” (70). The ominous feeling about the planes stays with Robert, and it is the impetus for him sending Anselmo to observe everything that passes on the road by the bridge.

Robert and Maria demonstrate the theme of Living for the Present, as they are immediately drawn to each other, quickly fall in love, but establish that war is not a time for love. Still, they make love, enjoying what they can of each other in the present moment. After both having seen the horrors of war, they are able to find comfort in each other and, for a time, be purely present with each other. Further, Maria is an entirely different female character when compared to Pilar; she has been rescued at Pilar’s insistence, but she is not a part of the war planning or the resistance itself. Pilar asks Robert to take Maria somewhere safe when their operation is complete, which gives Robert and Maria something to hope for.