Example research essay topic: Spanish Civil War Hemingway - 4,666 words

NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote

Ernest Hemingway's Code Hero In For Who Ernest Hemingway's Code Hero In For Who The Bell Tolls And A Farewell To Arms # They were American innocents negotiating the river of life wherever it took them: to Italy, to Spain, to Africa, to the Caribbean, wounded men laughing through the pain, sometimes risking their skins but never sacrificing their honor. It was a river into which countless writers would thrust their paddles. (Papa) Ernest Hemingway is arguably one of the most important writers in American history. Though this is disputed, Hemingway has undoubtedly had a major influence on contemporary American literature. One aspect of Hemingway?

s famous writing that shines in almost all of his works is the hero. Hemingway created the famous Hemingway code by which all of his heroes, often called code heroes, lived. One critic asserted that, ? Hemingway invented more than a style he invented the Hemingway hero. ? (Papa) Hemingway attempted to live by this code but did not enjoy the success of his fictional characters. In fact, critic Joseph De Falco states, ? The type of hero that can accomplish such a feat [living up to the Hemingway code] is rare in any area of life. ? (195) The code hero was not rare, however, in Hemingway writing.

Robert Jordan in For Whom The Bell Tolls and Frederic Henry in A Farewell To Arms are perfect examples of the Hemingway code hero. The Hemingway code is, ? a grace under pressure. It is made of the controls of honor and courage which in a life of tension and pain make a man a man and distinguish him from the people who follow random impulses. ? (Young 63) Additionally, this? grace under pressure? can be expressed as, ?

an ability to be in difficult situations without succumbing to either panic, enthusiasm, or indifference, is the hallmark of the hero. ? (Molesworth 96) In Hemingway? s novels contain many examples of this code hero. Robert Jordan, the code hero in Hemingway? s For Whom The Bell Tolls, is a vivid example of a character who exhibits this grace under pressure The novel is set in the mountains of Spain during the Spanish Civil War. Robert Jordan is an American volunteering for the Spanish Loyalist forces. He is a dynamiter and has been assigned to blow up a bridge that is nestled away in the mountains of Spain.

The bridge must be blown during a massive attack, at just the right time. This ultimately doomed Jordan? s chances of escape along with fascist knowledge of the attack. In order to blow up the bridge, Jordan would need help. Three days before the attack, an old man, Anselmo, led Jordan to a band of guerillas in the mountains. They were headed by Pablo.

Trouble arose between Pablo and Robert throughout his stay at the guerilla camp. At Pablo? s camp Jordan met Pilar, a forceful woman, Maria, the woman whom he would love, and others. Jordan also encountered El Sordo, who ran a similar camp and was also going to help with the attack. El Sordo was eliminated by the fascists before the attack.

The blowing up of the bridge was carried out despite few people able to assist Jordan. Jordan was able to blow up the bridge as planned but was unable to escape. As Jordan rode a horse, attempting to escape, a shell struck the horse. The horse crushed Jordan? s leg and the wound would cause his death. Throughout the text, Robert Jordan illustrates amazing characteristics typical of a code hero.

Robert Jordan resists random impulses under extreme pressure at many points throughout For Whom The Bell Tolls. A particular instance is when Jordan avoids confrontation with Pablo despite being provoked. The two had heated confrontations while in the camp three times throughout the novel. Pablo had insulted and denounced Jordan to the point where others thought it would be proper to kill him. In fact, his wife, Pilar said, ? Kill him.

I am for it now. ? (217) Moments earlier Pablo had made one of his most inflammatory statement referring to both Jordan and Pilar, who had emerged to lead the group. ? I have thought you are a group of illusion people, led by a woman with her brains between her thighs and a foreigner who comes to destroy you. ? (215) Pablo exited after this statement but the situation became tens again only hours later. During the ensuing conversation Jordan said to himself, ? Twice I have been on that wheel and twice it has gone around and come back to where it started and I am taking no more rides on it. ? (226) The two other? rides?

he is referring to are previous conversations with Pablo in which he provoked Jordan with insults to a point where all others present believed Jordan should have killed Pablo on the spot. Jordan refrained from doing so; this situation is a perfect example of his control of his actions in high pressure situations. This is not to mention Jordan? s ability to control himself in combat which is illustrated at the end of the novel.

Despite being in great pain and knowing of impending death, he thinks of Maria and the rest of Pablo? s band of people. He had been crushed by his horse, which was hit by a mortar shell. Jordan refused to endanger them by letting them try and save him. Instead Jordan vows to stay where he is and do his best to protect them. The following conversation took place immediately following Jordan?

s injury: ?' We will bind it up, ? Pilar said. 'Thou canst ride that. ? She pointed to one of the horses that was packed. 'Cut off the load. ? Robert Jordan saw Pablo shake his head.

and he nodded at him. 'Get along, ? he said. Then he said, 'Listen, Pablo. Come here Get along.

I am mucked, see? ? ? (461 - 462) In addition to the selflessness Jordan exhibited, he thought very clearly. His ability to keep himself and all of the others calm was remarkable. Keep in mind this man? s leg was totally crushed and he had virtually no hope of surviving. In a situation in which no one could be expected to think clearly, Jordan was able to maintain composure. Simply remaining composed however does not constitute a code hero.

The list of characteristics go on and on. Critic Charles Molesworth describes? the code in these summary terms: there must not be afraid to die or to kill, but must never delight in killing nor mistake it for anything but it is. ? (83) How characters deal with death is of major importance when considering the Hemingway code. The code hero kills only when forced to do so and when he kills the? mode of killing is clean and pure at a distance. ? (Rehberger 162) This is seen in Robert Jordan throughout Hemingway? s novel.

Robert Jordan did not like to kill, even when in battle with others. At the beginning of the novel, before arriving at Pablo? s camp he commented, ? We will leave them [killing the sentry] to those who enjoy it. ? (42) He did however kill his enemies when he believed it was necessary. Much later in the novel Jordan was forced to kill and did so as efficiently as possible. This is illustrated in a scene where Jordan was sleeping outside with Maria, his lover.

When he awoke he saw an enemy horseman. El Sordo, leader of the other band of guerillas had gone to steal horses for the impending attack. Cavalry forces had easily tracked him to the mountains because of snow that had fallen that night. As the cavalry searched the mountains one fell upon Jordan. ?

He had a young, hard face and at this moment he saw Robert Jordan. He reached his hand down toward the scabbard and as he swung low, turning and jerking at the scabbard, Robert Jordan saw the scarlet of the formalized device he wore on the left breast of his khaki blanket cape. Aiming at the center of his chest, a little lower than the device, Robert Jordan fired. ? (265) The one shot was clean and effective. Jordan went on to quickly organize a defensive position and the killing was over.

Jordan used no brutality and took no delight in the killing. This man was killed only because if Jordan did not take action himself and many others would have died. In fact, later, he ordered Pablo? s men to refrain from killing other cavalry units but rather hide themselves from sight.

One of Pablo? s men, Augustin said to Jordan, ? We could have killed all four [cavalry units]Jordan replied, ? Yes, but with the firing who knows what might have come. ? (282) This aversion to killing is evident in all true code heroes.

There are yet many more identifying characteristics for code heroes. ? Holding tight against pain is an exercise which was to become important to the Hemingway hero. ? (Young 56) Robert Jordan endured horrible pain at times. This is seen in graphic detail in the novel? s final scene final scene. The horse which Robert Jordan was riding was hit by an enemy shell. The horse fell on top of Jordan?

s leg, crushing it. He was not able to move from under the horse. His leg was described in the following passage: ? It was as though there was a new joint in it; not the hip joint but another when that went sideways, like a hinge he felt with his two hands of his thigh bone where the left leg lay flat against the ground and his hands both felt the sharp bone and where it pressed against the skin. ? (461) Jordan dealt with the ensuing pain extremely well.

Lying alone in the forest, he awaited the arrival of enemy soldiers. He hoped to slow these troops in their pursuit of Maria, Pablo, and the others in the band who had survived. As time went on this seemed less likely. Despite a delay in the pain after a few minutes, ? His leg was hurting very badly now. The pain had started suddenly with the swelling after he had moved. ? (469) Jordan fought unconsciousness and thoughts of suicide to remain alive until the enemies came into sight. ?' All right? , he said And he lay very quietly and tried to hold on to himself as you feel snow starting to slip sometimes on a mountain slope, and he said, now quietly, 'then let me last until they come. ? ? (470 - 471) He was successful in his struggle to remain conscious and the novel ends with Jordan waiting for a Lieutenant to reach just the right spot for execution.

Consumption of alcohol is also one of the traits of the code hero. Alcohol is largely present in For Whom The Bell Tolls. Robert Jordan is an avid drinker Throughout the book Jordan drinks from his flask and enjoys the wine and liquor of Pablo and El Sordo. A final reference to alcohol is made near the end of the novel. Jordan?

s horse had been hit by a shell while trying to escape after blowing up the bridge. The horse fell on top of Jordan, crushing his leg. As he lied in the forest he searches for the flask in his pocket. Perhaps the most surprising thing about this is that Jordan was not yet in extreme pain. ?

He touched the lower part of his leg and it was as though it were not part of his body. ? (467) The crushed nerve in his leg delayed the pain, yet Jordan searched for a drink anyway. The alcohol was not an antidote for pain but instead one of the hero? s indulgences. ? The flask was not there when he felt for it. Then he felt that much more alone because he knew there was not going to be even that.

I guess I? d counted on that he said. ? (467) There is no necessity for the inclusion of alcohol in the books dramatic final scene. According to Charles A. Norton however, ? There isn? t always an explanation for everything.

Nevertheless, what is certain is that attention to the alcoholic content of this work is important to a proper interpretation of its meaning in many of its finer points. ? (313) Yet another trait of the Hemingway code hero is alienation. (Bell 150) As an American serving for Loyalist forces, Robert Jordan is somewhat out of place. He finds it hard to gain respect of the Spanish guerillas because he is a foreigner. This only adds to the fact that he is a lone man from the military going to work with a guerilla unit. Keep in mind Jordan had no previous contact with the people whom he would be working with. One of the issues that brought Jordan?

s alienation to the forefront was how everyone would escape after blowing up the bridge. The guerilla unit was worried about their destination upon escaping. Specifically their escape from the mountains would be very difficult. When Jordan offered his opinion on this matter, Pilar became angered. ? Take thy little cropped-headed whore [Maria] and go back to the Republic but do not shut the door on others who are not foreigners and who loved the Republiwhen thou wert wiping thy mother? s milk off thy chin. ? (150) Being an outsider, Jordan had to make sure he stayed away from certain issues that might offend or anger the guerilla unit.

In addition, when Jordan first arrived at the guerilla camps, they talked to him differently. They assumed he did not know the finer points of the Spanish language, Spain? s culture, or even the geography of the country and surrounding areas. Finally, Robert Jordan had a relationship with a submissive woman, as all code hero? s must. ? The character of Maria is weak and drawn from sexist stereotypes. ? (Molesworth 85) Maria?

s primary task is to wait on the men throughout the book. For example, soon after the arrival of Jordan, Pilar is heard ordering Maria around: ? Maria, the woman of Pablo called. The girl put her head inside the blanket across the cave mouth.

Enter now and serve the supper. ? (57) Maria was especially obedient to Robert Jordan. As the ideal woman for a Hemingway code hero, Maria was at his constant beck and call. No wish or order was disobeyed throughout the novel. This is illustrated when Maria pleads to go with Jordan above the cave, where they will set up the gun.

This is soon after Jordan killed a soldier and cavalry units were wandering through the area. Maria begged to stay with Jordan but would not dare defy him. ? Dejamos. Get thee back.

One does not do that and love all at the same moment. ? She replied, ? Good. I go. And if thou dost not love me, I love thee enough for both. ? (270) In many other circumstances Maria waited on Jordan and accommodated all his wishes. She would leave when asked to and not complain at all.

Another of Ernest Hemingway? s novels, A Farewell To Arms, also contains a Hemingway code hero. This character shares many of the same characteristics as Robert Jordan in For Whom The Bell Tolls. Lieutenant Frederic Henry, like Jordan, is a code hero.

Henry is an ambulance driver in the Italian ambulance corps during World War I. He is also an American. During the course of the novel Henry falls in love wit Catherine Barkley, an English nurse. Henry is injured while serving at the battle lines. His injury is horrible but it enables him to get away from the front and, as his luck will have it, spend time with Catherine. When Henry is finally healthy he is returned to duty.

The Italians have had little success and a massive retreat follows. Thousand of soldiers jammed roads trying to pull back; high ranking officers were executed for leaving their troops and troops searched for foreign impostors. Henry was in grave danger. Officials would think he was a German impostor because he spoke accented Italian.

This caused him to flee. Henry was fortunate enough to find Catherine. The two were forced to flee to Switzerland, a neutral country, because the military police had located Henry. The two lived happily in Switzerland until Catherine became pregnant. Her baby was a stillborn and Catherine died from hemorrhages which started after the birth.

Henry showed little emotion through the ordeal, keeping to himself throughout the event. Through the plot of this novel, Henry exhibited the same basic characteristics that Robert Jordan did in his role as a code hero in For Whom The Bell Tolls. Frederic Henry showed the ability to keep his cool under high pressure situations. This is illustrated after the massive Italian retreat. Henry was condemned to be shot by soldiers executing the higher ranking (majors and above) military officials who were not with their troops. Henry?

s rank was not high enough to warrant execution but the soldiers were also looking for Germans disguised as Italian soldiers. As an American Henry had an accent when he spoke Italian. He would, no doubt, be considered a German impostor. As the officials were being executed, Henry described his actions in the following passage: ? I ducked down, pushed between two men, and ran for the river, my head down. I tripped at the edge and went in with a splash.

The water was very cold and I stayed under as long as I could When I came up the second time I saw a piece of timber ahead of me and reached it and held on # with one hand There were shots when I ran and shots when I came up the first time there were no shots now. ? (225) This quick thinking action saved Henry? s life. Were it not for his escape, he surely would have been executed. Henry? s skillful decision making continued to help him afterwards as he avoided being apprehended in the future. Henry again showed great composure in escaping to Switzerland just before he was about to be apprehended.

The barman at the hotel which they were staying at warned Henry of the danger late one night. Henry and Barkley immediately left for Switzerland. On their journey they had to be extremely cautious as not be caught by military officials. During the journey Henry once said, ?

I pulled out into the lake. If we were that close to the border [of Switzerland] I did not want to be hailed by a sentry along the road. I stayed out where I could just see the shore and rowed on for three quarters of an hour in the rain. ? (276) Henry kept calm and in control throughout the trip despite horrible weather, the threat of the military and physical pain. After the hours of travel Henry remarked, ? I rowed all night.

Finally my hands were so soar I could hardly close them over the oars. ? (271) This amazing self control under high pressure situations was just one of the many exceptional attributes of Frederic Henry. Frederic Henry never kills a man throughout A Farewell To Arms. He does carry a pistol and does not appear afraid to take action if necessary. However he is never forced into the act. As an ambulance driver it is obvious that he does not enjoy the act of killing. Henry is never truly tested in this aspect of the code but, judging from his brave actions throughout the novel, Henry would be able to deal with any situation presented to him.

Despite not having to kill, Henry was definitely tested in regards to his tolerance for pain. Frederic Henry exhibited an amazing tolerance for pain after being hit by an enemy trench mortar shell. After being hit by the shell, Henry was carried tried hospital. On the way he was dropped twice, only aggravating an already painful injury.

When a doctor came to attend to him, Henry said, ? I? d rather wait. There are much worse wounded than me.

I? m all right. ? The doctor would not hear of it responding, ? Come, come, don?

t be a bloody hero. Lift him very carefully about the legs. His legs are very painful. ? (58) It was later learned that over two hundred pieces of shrapnel had been lodged in Henry? s leg. During the horrible injury, Henry maintained composure and did not let the immense pain get the best of him. Henry also exhibits his tolerance for pain in a section mentioned above; when he and Barkley were forced to flee to Switzerland.

Henry rowed through the night in horrible weather despite excruciating pain in his arms and hands. The distance he rowed that night was astronomical. Besides the great feats of the code hero, Frederic Henry shares other characteristics of the code hero. In A Farewell To Arms there is some type of reference to alcoholic beverages in 104 of the 342 pages. (Norton 309) Henry often drinks liquor and after being wounded is caught with it in his hospital room. Henry eventually loses his leave from service because the head nurse reports that Henry intentionally induced jaundice by drinking alcohol. Also?

we may note how Hemingway sharply divides between those Lt. Henry considers to be friendly and those he would distrust by allowing the former to be willing to share a drink and by having the latter refuse to drink. ? (Norton 313) Finally it may be noted that the barman is the one who saves Henry from certain capture after escaping the military. Henry would not have been in this situation in the first place were it not for his status as a foreigner. Frederic Henry experiences a sense of alienation at many times throughout the novel.

In fact, an unnamed scholar stated that Henry? s sense of alienation, ? gradually escalates to intolerable proportions. ? (Bidding) The same critic goes on to comment, ? Frederic sees then, that he must leave the war. ? (Bidding) This statement refers t suspicion Henry undergoes that he is an enemy posing as an Italian.

This suspicion is brought upon him simply because he speaks accented Italian. As an American in the Italian ambulance corps, Henry undergoes many of the same situations Robert Jordan experiences as an American fighting in the Spanish Civil War. Near the beginning of the novel Henry states, ? I would not be killed. Not in this war.

It did not have anything to do with me. ? (37) This sense of being an outsider is evident throughout the novel. It is a major factor in Henry leaving the ambulance corps. As earlier described, Henry was forced to flee because there would be suspicion he was a German. It is also evident when he is sent to the field hospital after being wounded.

Henry was being bandaged by a doctor who said to him, ? Vive la France. ? After being told Henry was an American the doctor replied, ? I thought you said he was a Frenchman.

He talks French. I? ve known him before. I always thought he was French. ? (60) The doctor is a kind figure and does no harm but this is just one example of Henry? s constant separation from the regular Italians.

Finally, as all code heroes must, Frederic Henry has a close female partner. Henry? s relationship with Catherine Barkley is typical of a code hero. Barkley is willing to do anything for Henry, including give up her life as she knows it. Barkley was submissive at all times, not once defying Henry. She constantly pleaded with Henry to always love her. ?

There isn? t any me. I? m you. Don?

t make up a separate me. ? (115) It became Barkley? s life goal to please Henry. ? I? m certainly yours, ? (153) she said at one point. She offered to do manual labor at times. For example, when Henry was rowing, attempting to get to Switzerland she took over when he was in extreme pain.

After Henry refused to let her row, Barkley replied, ? Nonsense. Rowing in moderation is very good for the pregnant lady. ? (275) Eventually Henry was the only reason for Barkley to live. ? I don? t want to die and leave you, but I get so tired of it and I feel I?

m going to die. ? (323) Clearly Barkley is a stereotypical, weak woman who is solely devoted to the onl thing important in her life, her man. Scholar William Dow wrote the following: ? If people bring so much courage to this world the world has to kill them to break them, so of course it kills them. The world breaks everyone and afterwards many are strong at the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. ? (Dow) The Hemingway code heroes, as seen through Robert Jordan and Frederic Henry are some of the few souls that Dow is referring to when he comments on those the world cannot break. One of the most obvious examples of this type of man comes from another of Hemingway?

s novels, The Old Man And The Sea. Santiago, an old, worn out fisherman experiences his last hurrah by catching a giant marlin. The world, in the form of sharks, the sea, the sun and every other possible foe at sea set out to make war on Santiago. The world can never break Santiago. He goes on to die soon after returning from the fishing trip. Despite this he had gained honor and respect by holding steadfastly against all challenges.

This can also be seen in the characters of Robert Jordan and Frederic Henry. These two code heroes retrained their honor and pride by not surrendering under any circumstances. It is this basic courage and pride which the Hemingway code is built around. The world may have broken Hemingway (who took his own life) and just about everyone he knew, but the world could never break the ironclad code hero. Bell, Millicent. ? Pseudoautobiography and Personal Metaphor. ?

Critical Essays on Ernest Hemingway? s A Farewell to Arms. Ed. George Monteiro.

New York: Macmillan Publishing, 1994. 145 - 160. ? Bidding Goodbye to the Plumed Troop and the Big Wars: The presence of Othello in A Farewell To Arms, ? Hemingway Review: Spring 1996, Vol. 15: Issue 2. Mas Full Text Premiere. De Falco, Joseph. The Hero in Hemingway?

s Short Stories. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1963. Dow, William. ? Hemingway? s A Farewell To Arms, ? Explicator: Summer 1997, Vol. 55: Issue 4.

Mas Full Text Premiere. Hemingway, Ernest. A Farewell To Arms. New York: Scribner Paperback Fiction, 1929. Hemingway, Ernest. For Whom The Bell Tolls.

New York: Scribner Paperback Fiction, 1940. Molesworth, Charles. ? Hemingway? s Code: The Spanish Civil War and World Power. ? Blowing the Bridge. Ed.

Rena Sanderson. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1992. 83 - 97. Norton, Charles A. ? The Alcoholic Content of A Farewell to Arms. ? Hemingway in Italy and Other Essays.

Ed. Robert W. Lewis. New York: Praeger Publishing, 1990. 309 - 313. ? Papa and All His Children, ?

U. S. News &# 038; World Report: 1 Jun. 1998, Vol. 124: Issue 2. Mas Full Text Premiere.

Rehberger, Dean. ? I Don? t Know Buffalo Bill? s; or Hemingway and the Rhetoric of the Western. ? Blowing the Bridge.

Ed. Rena Sanderson. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1992. 159 - 184. Young, Phillip. Ernest Hemingway: A Reconsideration. University Park: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1966.

Research essay sample on Spanish Civil War Hemingway