The Evolution of the Hemingway Hero: Robert Jordan from ‘For Whom The Bell Tolls’ (Assignment 108)

The Evolution of the Hemingway Hero: Robert Jordan from ‘For Whom The Bell Tolls’

Table of contents 

• Personal Information 
• Assignment Details 
• Abstract 
• Keywords 
• Introduction of Earnest Hemingway 
• Understanding ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’ 
• Characteristics of Hemingway Hero 
• Robert Jordan: Regeneration of Hemingway Hero 
• Conclusion 
• References 

Personal Information 

Name - Bhumiba Gohil 

Batch - M.A. Sem 2 (2023-2025)

Enrollment Number - 5108230016

Email Address - bhumibagohil333@gmail.com 

Roll Number - 4

 

Assignment Details 

Topic - The Evolution of the Hemingway Hero: Robert Jordan from “For Whom The Bell Tolls”

Paper - The American Literature

Paper Number - 108

Subject Code - 22401

Submitted to - Smt. S.B. Gardi Department of English M.K.B.U.

Date of Submission - 26 April 2024

Abstract 

This assignment delves into the character of Robert Jordan in Ernest Hemingway’s novel “For Whom the Bell Tolls” through the lens of the Hemingway hero archetype. Robert Jordan embodies many of the characteristics commonly associated with Hemingway’s protagonists, including stoicism, bravery, and a sense of duty. In here, we will explore how Jordan exemplifies the traits of the Hemingway hero while also challenging and expanding upon the archetype.

Keywords 

Hemingway Hero, Robert Jordan, For Whom The Bell Tolls, Earnest Hemingway.

Introduction of Earnest Hemingway 

Ernest Hemingway is one of the most iconic American writers of the 20th century. He is known for his iceberg theory writing style and exploration of themes such as masculinity and war. Born in 1899 in Oak Park, Illinois, he began his writing career as a journalist before transitioning to fiction. Hemingway's writing is characterized by its focus on the experiences of ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances. He often drew on his own life experiences, including his time as an ambulance driver during World War I and his adventures as a big-game hunter and fisherman, to inform his fiction.

His most famous works include "The Old Man and the Sea," "A Farewell to Arms," "For Whom the Bell Tolls," and "The Sun Also Rises." Hemingway's writing style revolutionized American literature, and he won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954 for his "mastery of the art of narrative" and his "influence on contemporary style." Despite his literary success, Hemingway struggled with personal demons throughout his life, including alcoholism, depression, and a series of failed marriages. He tragically took his own life in 1961, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire writers and readers around the world.

(Young)

“As a writer, you should not judge, you should understand.” 

- Hemingway 

Understanding ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’  

“For Whom the Bell Tolls” is a novel by Ernest Hemingway, first published in 1940. Set during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), it tells the story of Robert Jordan, an American dynamiter who is attached to a Republican guerrilla unit fighting against the fascist forces of General Francisco Franco. The title of the novel is taken from a line by the English poet John Donne, which reflects the novel's themes of interconnectedness and the universal impact of human suffering.

The novel unfolds over the course of four days as Jordan is tasked with blowing up a bridge to disrupt enemy supply lines. Along the way, he becomes deeply involved with the members of his guerrilla unit, including the young and idealistic Maria, with whom he develops a passionate romance. As Jordan prepares for the mission, he grapples with questions of duty, honor, and the nature of sacrifice. Hemingway's portrayal of the Spanish Civil War is gritty and realistic, drawing on his own experiences as a war correspondent during the conflict. Through vivid prose and sharp dialogue, he captures the brutality of war and the complex motivations of its participants. 

“For Whom the Bell Tolls” is considered one of Hemingway's masterpieces, praised for its powerful storytelling, rich character development, and evocative depiction of the human spirit in the face of adversity. It remains a classic of 20th-century literature, exploring timeless themes of love, loyalty, and the search for meaning in a chaotic world.

(Hemingway)

Characteristics of Hemingway Hero 

“But man is not made for defeat… A man can be destroyed but not defeated.” 

- Hemingway 

The Hemingway hero is a recurring type of protagonist that appears across many of Ernest Hemingway's novels and stories. These heroes share several defining traits and tendencies that came to represent Hemingway's idealized vision of masculinity. At their core, Hemingway heroes are wounded, both physically and psychologically, often bearing the scars of war or some other trauma. Despite their wounds, they exhibit a stoic resolve and grace under pressure. Heroes like Jake Barnes in ‘The Sun Also Rises’, Frederic Henry in ‘A Farewell to Arms’, and Robert Jordan in ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’ all carry visible or internal wounds that they struggle to overcome.

Hemingway's heroes are also portrayed as searchers and wanderers, alienated from conventional society. They frequently find themselves as expatriates or drifters, forming small circles with others who have similarly separated themselves from the mainstream. This alienation and restlessness is tied to the heroes' quests to forge their own code of behavior and derive meaning from authentic experience rather than inherited dogmas. Pragmatism, empiricism, and living by a self-imposed code of honor, courage, and endurance are chief characteristics of the Hemingway hero. They eschew abstract intellectualism in favor of visceral experiences that put their commitment to these virtues to the test. The ideal Hemingway hero is "a man of action" - skilled, resilient, and devoted to taking life's challenges head-on despite the odds.

In embodying these masculine ideals through his recurring hero archetype, Hemingway sought to define a new model for facing the harsh realities of the modern age with rugged individualism and an unflinching ethical code.

(Savitha)

Robert Jordan: Regeneration of Hemingway Hero 

In his novel ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’, Ernest Hemingway presents a significant evolution in his portrayal of the heroic character. While previous Hemingway protagonists like Frederic Henry and Jake Barnes displayed cynicism, disillusionment and a lack of purpose beyond self-interest, the character of Robert Jordan represents a regeneration of the Hemingway hero. Jordan is a man who has rediscovered meaning, commitment to a greater cause, and an alternative secular "religion" to provide direction in life.

Like Hemingway's earlier protagonists, Jordan has experienced the horrors of war and violence, carrying physical and psychological scars. He is initially portrayed as jaded about religion, recalling his cowardly religious father with disdain. Jordan is a pragmatic former instructor who fights not out of ideological fervor but because he "believed in the Republic and that if it were destroyed life would be unbearable for all those who believed in it." His struggle is not overtly political but humanitarian in nature. However, Jordan displays a steadfast dedication to performing his mission of blowing up a bridge for the Republican forces that borders on religious devotion. He repeatedly reinforces to himself the primacy of this duty, vowing not to let distractions or temptations derail him from his purpose. While Hemingway's previous heroes became isolated and alienated, Jordan is committed to the collective Republican cause, seeing himself as part of a broader "team effort." His mission has become his raison d'etre.

Jordan's commitment is tested by several obstacles - superstitious omens from the gypsy woman Pilar, his repugnance towards senseless killing, his mixed feelings about the Republic's political allies, and most poignantly, his blossoming love for the young woman Maria. Yet in each instance, Jordan consciously rejects allowing these potent temptations and personal desires to cloud his judgment or divert him from his principal objective of destroying the bridge in service of the greater Republican mission. His dedication only grows stronger, revealing his new-found purpose and "religion" of duty to a cause beyond himself.

In portraying Jordan's steadfast discipline, Hemingway presents a heroic character who has undergone a transformative experience. While earlier protagonists were adrift, Jordan has embraced an existential code of focusing on the task and responsibility at hand. His commitment to the real, practical test before him takes on metaphysical, religious significance as he fends off numerous distractions and doubts to maintain fidelity to his mission. Jordan has rediscovered the ability to believe in and devote himself to something transcendent.

At the same time, Hemingway does not provide a clean, complete regeneration of religious faith in Jordan, who remains skeptical of traditional notions of the afterlife and God. On the verge of death, Jordan briefly wonders if those with religion have an easier time facing mortality, suggesting his secular "religion" of duty may leave something unresolved. But Jordan dies fulfilled, having held firm to his newfound purpose and commitment to the Republican cause until the end. With Robert Jordan, Hemingway revitalizes the concept of the heroic character that was deconstructed in his earlier works. Jordan represents a figure who has rediscovered the ability to wholeheartedly devote himself to a higher purpose beyond the self. His secular "religion" of duty reinvigorates the notion of the heroic code and marks Hemingway's progression towards presenting a regenerated hero capable of belief and meaning in the modern world.

(Elliott)

Conclusion 

In conclusion, Robert Jordan emerges as a pivotal regeneration of the Hemingway hero archetype. While earlier protagonists like Frederic Henry and Jake Barnes embodied the disillusionment that Hemingway saw in modern life, Jordan represents the rediscovery of heroic commitment to a higher calling. Jordan's ability to reject doubts in steadfast service of this adopted life's purpose marks a revitalization of the Hemingway code of honor. His recommitment echoes the heroic values and sense of meaning earlier protagonists lost in the chaos and violence of the modern world. Yet Jordan remains a distinctly 20th century figure, having outgrown the need for conventional religious belief in forging his new secular creed of duty to the Republican collective cause.

References 

ELLIOTT, GARY D. “‘FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS’: REGENERATION OF THE HEMINGWAY HERO.” CEA Critic, vol. 38, no. 4, 1976, pp. 24–28. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/44375989. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.

Hemingway, Ernest. For Whom the Bell Tolls. Arrow Books, 1993.

Savitha, R. “CHARACTERISTICS OF HEMINGWAY’S HEROES IN HIS NOVELS.” International Journal of Research in Humanities, Arts and Literature, vol. 5, no. 10, 2017, p. 6, https://oaji.net/articles/2017/488-1511868460.pdf. Accessed 26 April 2024.

Young, Philip. "Ernest Hemingway". Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Mar. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ernest-Hemingway. Accessed 26 April 2024.

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