THE VISION OF LIFE AND DEATH IN FOR
WHOM THE BELL TOLLS BY ERNEST HEMINGWAY

The influence of john

 Donne to Hemingway Remarkably, Hemingway has been influenced by the metaphysic, humanist English poet John Donne. This is at first illustrated by the fact that Ernest Hemingway has decided to take John Donne’s poetry For Whom the Bell Tolls as a the appropriate title for his book on the Spanish civil war For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940) by doing this, Hemingway has made into practice the famous quotation of Donne which is “No Man is a peece of the continent intire of itself. Any Man’s death diminishes me because I am involved in mankind so do not ask for whom the bell tolls it tolls for thee’’. This human interest for John Donne to put death as a matter of everybody which we should view as something collective rather than individual does not miss to reveal his sense of humanity. In the same regard, it gives the opportunity of Ernest Hemingway to show his concern for humanity and his real commitment to the Spanish civil war by demonstrating it through his support for the republicans or loyalists stereotyping this value in his hero and main protagonist of the book Robert Jordan ; despite he is not concerned with this war because of his American nationality, considers fascism as a threat and crime against humanity that doctrine and ideas should not spread . That is why his reaction is vital even though Robert Jordan is able to put an end to his own life if it is necessary killing of the dissidents of republicans and sympathisants of the fascist cause. In other words, Ernest Hemingway, in For Whom the Bell Tolls immerses in the interconnectedness of humanity as the English poet who has a metaphysic and religious understanding of death. As far as Donne is concerned in the catholic tradition , all human being are connected in the body of the Christ and we all are equal before God in the afterlife and there is no more masculine or female Jews or Greeks . Since to John Donne the bible states “we are many part but we are all part one body 10 in Christ” 7 John Donne has largely devoted his works especially his contain of religious squirt. In this, he differs from virgina Woolf who considers death as an insect in his novel entitled “Death of Moth”8 that give a particular impression of death and the strangeness of life. Despite, they both examine the same view about the unavoibility of death fundamentally arrive to different denouement over the completion of human life. To Donne through death, we remember our interconnectedness of human life and connection to God while Woolf considers death as a sad as a threat and a fate against our common interest. In For Whom the Bell Tolls, death is also connected to novel’s major theme of interdependency. From the beginning of the novel, the issue of death takes place through the character of kashkin. Indeed kashkin, who is considered by the guerilla band as an excellent train exploder, has surprised through his death which affects Robert Jordan and almost all the members of the guerilla band then, it is illustrated by El sordo’s death that is considered as heavy and fatal to the side the guerilla band. Indeed, this is the fact that Hemingway, while writing for Whom The Bell Tolls wants to show his concern for the events of the Spanish civil war. So he cannot remain untouched by that situation that lived long in Spain whom, who is the eye witnessed of all that. Then, he is obliged to do something for the recourse of the loyalists who were being destroyed by the cruel and tyrannical fascists. And he artistically tries to transform this experience in his works especially in For Whom the Bell Toll that is inspired from the metaphysic and humanist English writer John Donne. With regard to this, Hemingway states “no I make a list of titles after I have finished the story or the book some time as many as one hundred. Then I start eliminating all of them.” The title refers to Devotions upon Emergent occasions and particularly on a funeral Bell. Since John Donne argues to the preface to his works that ‘‘No Man is a lland entire itself. Every Man is a peece of the continent, a part of the Maine. And goes to say that any man’s death diminishes me because I am involved in Mankinde. And then never send to know for whom the bell tolls it tolls for thee.’’ Ernest Hemingway involves that the main theme of the work is the interconnectedness of humanity as the English poet who has the metaphysical and religious aspect of death who according to John Donne, in the traditional catholic all human beings are connected in the body 7 John Donne, “For Whom the Bell Tolls”  of the Christ and we all are equal before god in the afterlife and there is no more female, Jews or Greeks. ‘‘We are many parts, but we are all part of one body in Christ. And there should be no schism in the body’’9 . John Donne has largely devoted to his works especially to his poems. Death is frequent image in John Donne’s works. In additional, on his meditation on death, John Donne attests that every human death is loss for humanity, that is why he is concerned every time he hears the church ringing a funeral. According to john, we are all relied by the suffering of the other in order to learn how to live better and to be ready for our death which is according to John Donne as a way to get the inner world. This is illustrated by John Donne’s famous quotation on ‘‘meditation’’ ‘‘no man is an island. And ask not for whom the bell tolls it tolls for thee’’ by referring to this assertion Donne examines some aspect of life by including all Christians and humanity for all. In the same paragraph of meditation, John Donne thinks that the ringing of the Bell is linked with his present illness by asking for if the bell rings and the ringing of the bell is for him because to him, his sickness is spiritual not only for him but also for also for every human being because of the universality of the church. Since to John Donne every human’s actions concerns all humanity. To John Donne the universality is divine meaning and God is responsible for the transmission between the visible world (the earthy one), the inner world and the spiritual existence of death. Furthermore, he considers that the church’s ring that calls the congregation and worshippers to reject the material things of life for the spiritual one. In other words, Donne uses an image which is ‘‘God is the cause of every person and every death’’ 10all making is one of the author turn out of the book, but translated into a better language and every chapter must be so translated’’11 . Whether a Man dies of old age in battle from disease or accident, even through the state of dispensing its idea of justice, God has in a sense decided the terms of each death. As universal author, God Donne deals with the disagreements of various religions that should have the privilege of urging the early bell calling for the prayer of each body.

The link Between 

Death and Violence Violence is something that seems to fascinate Hemingway. This violence is the consequences of war with its mass of destruction and death. Then, ErnestHemingway who is always known as a writer that is really, psychologically moved by violence even in his physical appearance. In fact, in by war and any king of violence, Nick Adams who is the main protagonist of In Our Time and soldier’s Home experiences physical and psychological violence. That is the case of Jack Barnes in the Sun Also Rises, Frederick Henry in A farewell to Arms and colonel Cantwell In across the river and into the trees have all experienced wound and sufferance. That is why, they all get hurry in wish to make a “separated peace”. Then, they turn themselves to the individualistic approach to get themselves. In the universe of Hemingway, people go with the feeling that when “God” is overthrown and the world is without values then, the rebel must set up his own law and moral codes. That is why; they advance such motto which isbetter to die on our feet than to live on our knees, better to live one day as a lion than hundred years as a sheep. In other words, despite Hemingway mostly publishes about death and violence, his rule towards these themesalter as far as he gets old and mature. His last novels place in the expansive social groups that belong to individualism. Hemingway deals with violence because he was very concerned with it. A Farewell To Arms and For Whom The Bell Tolls are the novels that violence which is associated with war. These scenes both demonstrate the intense feeling of action. The tragic destruction of innocence existing between the richer and deeper exploration of knowledge and refinement that make the novels exalting the embodiment of the modern times. In A Farewell to Arms, Frederick Henry and Catherine Berkley are always taken by the war that greatly haunt with madness, the disastrous pain and the unrealistic aspects of war. This is an overview of individual capacity and conscious to kill, which is to Hemingway meaningless. Hemingway is not in this kind of killing which pushes him to turn to the ritual killing such as fishing bullfighting. And this allows him to find his like of actions and violence and provide him in his manhood and virility. 19 In addition, birth is linked with life but death is also in Our Time birth is presented asspirituality allowing to renew life but the risk is the danger of death. Indian camp illustrates the emotional impact of it in the way of fear and terror repression and in The Island in the Stream; Hemingway shows his concern with obsession of death. Death and violence are very present in Ernest Hemingway’s especially in For Whom the Bell Tolls. Indeed, Robert Jordan assigning the mission that is to blow the bridge is right from the beginning conscious and his own death. In addition, Pablo knows well that this will lead them to their death “El sordo” which his name means the death one predictably prepare him at any moment. At least, a large number of the groups gate at their own death. They are psychologically ready for their fate and this is attached to their nobility for their death. Another important thing is its link with violence if we remember that the publication of the book marks the coincidence with terrible wars that characterize the world. Then, violence is very present in the book; ForWhomTheBellTolls with the death of kashkin that Robert Jordan substitutes the death of Maria’s parents Joachim and the massacre of Pablo’s village characterize. Robert Jordan prospects death with the sensation of his heat beating a floor of the Spanish land at the end. Since the war has physically affected the lives of people especially Maria who traumatically moves her. She is able to lose her physical innocence when she was repeatedly raped by the fascist soldiers’. The permanent way of killing people at anytime radically changes brings him to kill human being. In this way, Hemingway wants to show how war transforms the life of humanity and innocence in the American society. Hemingway gets artistic achievement and experimental study which allows him to have access in the prestigious world of literature. Indeed, as a modern writer, he exploits death with a recurrent preoccupation and consciousness. The Twentieth century is the age of materialism and conformity. And Hemingway takes into account these influences to prevent from that prevailing environment. Then, he commits himself to denounce and stop the furtive movement of evil that dominate in literature during that period. From his art, Hemingway searches to find reconciliation that exist between human beings, his investigation of reality and illusion. In other words, Hemingway’s reputation comes from the experience between death and love. In this sense, death kobecomes the field of reality. Critics argue that to 20 overcome Hemingway from the experience of study of death in his writings in literature is difficult because he coherently depicts it with involvement of many details such as the grasshoppers, fish and soldiers in some places of the world such as Italy ,in Cuba, Africa and Spain from the childbirth death and suicide. Death possesses significance in Hemingway’s works. It has a different issue with life. This is due by the fact life gets its meaning when it is contrasted with death. That is why; the themes of death and violence are one of the most recurrent idea and motif in at most all of Hemingway’s works. The theme Death and violence are used by him to draw the attention to human life and awareness. Hemingway uses a repetitive experience of death in his works. In addition, he keeps maintaining the tension to prevent the protagonist from being only a spectator but an actor. To Hemingway, the awareness of death destroys the dull ordinaries by involving and humanizing death. Man is able to bring an apparent neglect of its influence under human being and his freedom. In his search of the meaning of death, falls in the objective depiction of human suffering coming from the concept of nada in his spiritual theme of death and the embodiment of the great nada that he has codified in his heroes and his concept. Otherwise, the hero will be able to follow his courage and discipline to confront the threat of physical and spiritual death. Then, in Hemingway heroes are well integrated with the recognition and his obligation toward the code of honor and its application for the others. Hemingway arguably defends the thesis that Man cannot be silent in the consciousness of death. Hemingway is basically persuaded by the fact that the affirmation of life is man’s conscious with death. The experience of any man is the combination of all dangers, moral decisions and act of faith between Man and action. Any Hemingway’s commitment is the accomplishment in his energies, his awareness to his personal possibility. In Hemingway, the consciousness of death intensively evacuates life. It reveals Hemingway’s view as liberation of human abilities by showing the no importance and meaning. To state the matter differently, for Hemingway whereas the common people considers death as something that completely lays him out. The courageous man on the contrary will try to face the consciousness of death as an act of liberation. The brave man quickly tries to find an escape for anguish. 21 In For Whom The Bell Tolls , Robert Jordan embodies philosophical views of death and life. In his coming, he is aware to the field of violence that he gets entered. Indeed, he has been the actor of many violent and deadly scenes with the violent destruction of the train by kashkin that makes many dead persons. In addition, Robert Jordan uses violence as legal to reach his goal with the using of dynamite that leads to the destruction that has caused a heavy loss to the rank of nationalists. However, in the short story The Killers 19and To Have and Have20not are full of the theme of death and violence. The first one develops how violence has corrupted the American society so far with the indifference that characterizes the main protagonist Olan Anderson who despite being warned about probable death does not make any effort to avoid it.To Have and To Havenot is the following development of the Killers which put afford the permanent violence and killing between people to get profit and maintain the corruption for the gain of materialism. Harry Morgan for example uses violence and killing for his own survival to provide his family’s necessities. Hemingway’s awareness of death destroys the dull ordinariness by involving and humanizing death, Man is able to bring an apparent neglect of its influence under human and his freedom. 

The existentialist features in Ernest Hemingway

 It is evident that if we refer to some critics of the nineteen twenty century (1920) two great writer of “the lost generation” such as Ernest Hemingway and Francis scot Fitzgerald set the basis of a philosophy that is reputed to be close to the existentialism advocated by Heidegger 21Sartre 22and Camus. Their writers seem to develop the pessimistic and nihilistic views but they do not manage to find a concept or philosophy that is suitable to their works. All they do is to focus on the influences of their time. 19 Ernest Hemingway, killers New York : Charles Scribner’s sons 1927 20 Ernest Hemingway, To Have and Have Not New York: Charles Scribner’s sons 1937. 21 Martin Heidegger (26 September 1889- May 26 1976) is a German philosopher. He is the author of Being and Time 22 Jean Paul Sartre, L’Existentialisme est un humanisme France :éditions Gallimard 1946 22 As john killinger attests “God is dead in our time and the traditional ethics invalid and the only valid response is the founding of the self through aesthetic and ethical experiences”23Then, one can assert that Hemingway develops ideas of existentialist philosophies that are close to Heidegger, the existential values of Hemingway heavily reposes on the theme of death and these are applied in his two novels in A Farewell to Arms and The Old and The Sea especially that of Jaspers views of hero which is a tragic notion. The perspective of Camus’s The myth of Sisyphus can be a reliable explanation. Many critics have put forward the usual aspects with a quick description of general existential framework. Other important things are the parallel views of 1920 novelists. In fact, Camus lucidly develops his own anxiety of everything of human activities. The nihilist no legal force functions as a generator that cannot escape from absurdity. It deals with human views and aspirations by revealing its pointless and meaninglessness. He considers the only defensive response that can face this act of absurdity of rebellion. Born in Europe, the existentialism is a doctrine that gets fame in the twenties centuries especially aftermath the World War II. Existentialism is a thought developed by some scholars such as the French Jean Paul Sartre and Albert Camus, the Russian Dostoevsky and the Danish Soren Kierkegaard. However, it is important to consider that there are some divergences inside the movement above all between the religious and the atheist ones Ernest Hemingway has a meeting with the main leader of the existentialism movement in December1944 a year before the end of the Second World War in Paris. According to some sources they met again in 1949 when Jean Paul Sartre was having his lunch. There are reported that the two writers have had a discussion in great secrecy. To some biographers Hemingway’s ideas go with the influence of the Frenchman. Some critics argue that Jean Paul Sartre has not discussed his existentialism with Ernest Hemingway. In other words, beforehand Sartre has produced many articles on American literature that was becoming widespread in France with the appearance of some American works especially with novelists such as Faulkner, Hemingway, 23 Dr John Killinger is an English teacher at George town Kentucky. He wroteHemingway and The Dead God.kentuky: Kentucky University Press1960 23 Dos Passos and Steinbeck. However, there is a discussion on the fact Hemingway has influenced Jean Paul Sartre’s disciples such as Albert Camus, Nietzsche. John killinger has organized a wide discussion on Hemingway and the doctrine of existentialism through his link and relationship with some scholars. But however he does manage to the conclusion it might come through Hemingway’s own experiences influence and environment. But however, this understanding may be found prominent and outstanding because as we know Hemingway was from the ‘‘lost generation’’ a time when the germ of irrational feeling and actions of destruction and chaos that made everybody aware about his own responsibility to get of the ‘separate peace’. This time corresponds the period when he begins to be the sensible in a world of chaos. Then, one cannot consider as surprising the fact that a writer like Ernest Hemingway should have some connotations with the existentialism but nevertheless one cannot consider Hemingway as a existentialist in its real conception and meaning but we can presume by reading Hemingway’s works , one feels a taste of existentialism and many of his stories get an existential end.