For Whom the Bell Tolls

Injury and damage are two things that can be seen the most clearly in ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls' and in war in general. In chapter 43 of this Ernest Hemingway's famous novel, the writer exploits the last situation in which Robert Jordan with heavily wound insists on staying behind to hold back the enemy's attack. Through this action, his sacrifice, bravery, and strong determination are revealed.

Robert Jordan ‘s high sense of sacrifice is highlighted by the inner struggle in his mind when he fight alone to hold back the enemy. His sacrifice clearly comes from his dignity. Although his own struggle begins when his wife Maria and his friends are out of sight long; and Robert Jordan tries to console himself ‘I'm as well this way as any'. When death nearly comes, while it won't be fearful, it won't be easy either, because he realizes how much there is for him to miss ‘he felt empty and drained and exhausted from all of it and from them going and his mouth tasted of bile'. He's grown much more attached to the world, and especially a few people in it, over the course of a few days. His chief comfort in dying doesn't turn out to be that his mission has succeeded. He is satisfactory to complete the duty of ‘everyone has to do this, one day or another'; then he wins in the inner struggle of himself ‘Stay with what you believe now', ‘there was no problem. However all of it had been and however all of it would ever be now, for him, no longer was there any problem'. It is no doubt that the dignity and optimism make him successful in his inner struggle.

His bravery could be seen through what he did in the chapter. Although he is heavily wounded, he decides to stay behind in order to avoid a burden for others and hold back the enemy's attack. It is at this point that he truly proves that he is a Hemingway ‘ideal hero'. Knowing that he has no chance of keeping up with the others, he insists upon being left behind with a rifle. Rather, it's that he's helped his friends, and that they'll continue to