For Whom the Bell Tolls

Hemingway took as the subject the Spanish Civil War of 1936—1939. He saw the struggle with his own eyes as a war-correspondent, and was firmly on the side of the Republicans, against whom General Franco and his fascist army revolted.

The action of the novel is concentrated on seventy hours during which a special operation is planned behind fascist lines.

Robert Jordan, an American volunteer fight­ing for the Republicans, is told to destroy a bridge and to stop the march of fascist troops.

The cause Jordan was fighting for was in Hemingway’s tragic vision already lost. But the loser must not lose heart . He may die, but he must not be defeated. He must continue to do his duty by fighting for freedom.

Hemingway’s own words and deeds were always a good example of this. He even bought some ambulances in the USA and presented them to Republican Spain.

During World War II he hunted for nazi submarines on board his own fishing-boat in the Caribbean Sea.

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Here are the titles of some of Ernest Hemingway’s works with their Russian translations.

“In Our Time” (1925) — “В наше время”

“A Farewell to Arms”(1929) — “Прощай, оружие!”

“Death in the Afternoon” (1932) — “Смерть после полудня”

“Green Hills of Africa” (1935) — “Зеленые холмы Африки”

“For Whom the Bell Tolls” (1940) — «По ком звонят колокола”

“The Old Man and the Sea” (1952) — “Старик и море”.

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Vocabulary

to lose heart — терять мужество; приуныть

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