Ernest Hemingway’s For Whom The Bell Tolls is a war novel about life, love, lost and ultimately death. Robert Jordan lives to fight with the republican guerrillas and he dies fighting alongside them. He lived a life that meant more to him than living in American suburbia with his wife and two children and a dog, while working a nine-to-five job. That wouldn’t be Robert Jordan, or Ernest Hemingway. Thus the book cover above reflect the idea of life and death and its delicacy in war.
Hemingway’s minimalist writing reflects the pristine snow trails and pine forests, which reflect loneliness and death but also love and hope. Like a full moon reflected in a still lake. A poetry of war and camaraderie, where the violence of the writing would only temper the tragedy of lost. To experience these feelings is to experience the beauty of Hemingway’s writing. For a war novel, there aren’t many battle scenes. But we get to feel Robert Jordan’s subdued emotions against the violence of war. The power of his love for Maria is that it couldn’t be consummated. In the end, he chooses the only path consistent with his other choices: to fight to the end and risk capture and torture rather than have his comrades shoot him.
Change your mindset. Educate yourself. Stay positive. Cut shitty people off. Eat healthy. Focus on your goals. Spend some time alone. Read books. Drink more water. Take care of your skin.
