“For Whom The Bell Tolls” as a Modern Tragedy

“For Whom The Bell Tolls” is a modern tragedy, as it depicts the conflict, struggle, tension and frustration of a modern man.

A modern tragedy is quite different from classical standards. 

According to Aristotle, tragedy

is a story of conspicuous man who fall from prosperity to adversity because of his error

judgment, i.e., hamartia, his death is not essential, but his fall arises a sense of pity and fear

for him, in us. 

But in a modern world, there are no kings and princes, who could be regarded

as “conspicuous”, therefore, modern tragedy is the story of a common man who falls from prosperity to adversity, because of his error of judgment, i.e., his hamartia, but his death is not essential, but his fall arises a sense of pity and fear, in us. Secondly,
 now a modern man is not confronted with the supernatural forces of his surroundings and society. Thus a modern tragedy is different from a classical tragedy.
Hemingway writes in an effort to reduce the harms done by the two world wars. He presents a picture of the post war scenario, when the atomic weapons shattered all the dream of global peace. There was a big generation gap in the society and a sense of lost ness. Hemingway portrays in his novels, a microcosm of that larger universe, and gives a lesson of constant and untiring struggle.
Robert Jordan is a typical Hemingway protagonist. He is an American volunteer. He is very sensitive and intellectual man who wishes for the global peace. He believes that liberty diminished at one place means some liberty lost everywhere. Because of his this belief, he is fighting Spain for republican he is not only fighting the war of the freedom of Spain, he is also fighting a mental and psychological war of self-realization and self-assessment. He has been assigned the duty of blowing a supply line bridge up, of Fascists and through this duty; he wants to judge his mental and physical usefulness for the world.

Hemingway’s hero is usually a disillusioned but a reluctant man. He is aware of the futility ofaction but tries to avoid this awareness by indulging into sensual pleasure. Robert Jordan alsotries to avoid his thoughts and seeks refuge in Maria’s arms and intoxication. But being an intellectual he cannot escape from his thoughts. He knows that his action of blasting the bridge would not help the Republicans and the Fascists would not be stopped; yet he continuous his work. The reason is the accomplishment of duty, which has been assigned to him, and an inner satisfaction that at least he has done what he could do. He feels that he is fighting for his love of Spain, for his love of Maria and for his love of freedom as he says:

“You believe in life, liberty 

and the pursuit of Happiness”

But this is a kind of self-deception and false justification of his useless act and this proves
his flaw, which leads to his tragedy. However, it is a preoccupation of a Hemingway Hero, which he goes too far in the accomplishment of his duty, regardless of any danger. Hemingway adopts this trait to achieve his moral end, and this gives a new dimension to tragedy. He has moralized the tragedy,

“despite Hemingway’s preoccupation with physical contests, his heroes are almost always

defeated physically, nervously, practically; their victories are moral ones”. 

As we see that Jordan remains stick to his duty. He says: 

“You can do nothing for yourself but perhaps you can do something for another”.

This belief keeps him firm, even when Pablo betrays him and leaves with the blasting

material. This is the moment of his moral uplift.There is a sure fear of his death, but he goes on. Though life is dear to him, but dearer than life is the justification of his courage, which his father lacked. He also hints this in his saying:

“May be I have lived all my 

life in these seventy hours”.

Jordan successfully blows up the bridge but, while moving away from the scene, he falls from his horse and breaks his leg. This is the most pathetic and tragic situation, when a man achieves success at one moment and loses everything at the other. The reader feels extreme pity for Jordan at this stage.
The ending moments of the novel are the most convincing and magnificent ones, when Jordan is lying on the ground waiting for fascists to come. So that he may be able to prove his courage and strength by fighting till the end. He repeated utterance:
 “I wish is not made for defeat”.
I create a moving effect. The dramatic ending of the novel gives a message, a lesson and alsohope to the reader that:

 “Man is not made for defeat”.

 Jordan proves that: 

“A man can be

destroyed but not defeated”.

Jordan fights till end and sacrifices his life for duty. He dies not only for Spain, not only to
save the girl, Maria, whom he loves, but also for his own sake and in fulfilment of a moral
duty. So his only reward is the consciousness of duty done. And again:

 “Winner takes

nothing”.

But it seems that Hemingway had found something to die for, and he seems to imply that ifyou die as Anselmo or Jordan died, then physical death means nothing, death has no sting for the dying man rather he dies victoriously and his death is a moral victory.
Thus we can conclude that “For Whom the Bell Toll” is a modern tragedy in which an
ordinary hero –an American volunteer falls from prosperity of adversity because of his
hamartia, i.e., his extreme sense of duty. He dies a physical death but wins a moral victory.
His sufferings arise a sense of pity and fear in us.