For Whom the Bell Tolls

El Sordo’s storyline, and that of the cavalry who neared Pablo’s camp, comes to its climax and partial conclusion in Part 4. This conclusion—the death of El Sordo and his men—creates more conflict for Robert Jordan and Pablo’s band of guerrilleros; Robert needed El Sordo’s men, and without them, his plan may not work. Pablo behaves as if he will no longer provide conflict for Robert, but he will continue to do so that night.

Robert addresses the question of Cowardice Versus Heroism more directly in his reminiscences about his grandfather and father. His grandfather, who fought in the American Civil War, is the epitome of heroism in Robert’s eyes, whereas his father, in Robert’s eyes, is the epitome of cowardice for committing suicide. He thinks to himself, “I’ll never forget how sick it made me the first time I knew he was a cobarde. Go on, say it in English. Coward” (247), setting the stage for Robert’s difficulty facing the possibility of having to kill himself to avoid capture at the end of the novel.

Robert also covers up his own fears with bravado; when he hears of the beheading of El Sordo and his men and he briefly hopes his message about troop movements might get to Golz in time to stop the attack, he calls himself back to reality by reminding himself of his duty to blow up the bridge. As much as he might want to give in to fear or even fantasy, he will honor his duty and follow his orders. Robert further forces himself to consider the violence of war, the taking of the heads of men he just met, in order to prepare himself for what he believes must be done. Thus, Robert fights against any “weakness” to avoid the cowardice he saw in his father. However, through this stream of consciousness, Robert’s internal struggles are laid bare; outwardly, he might appear as someone who kills easily and without feeling, but he absorbs it all and constantly reminds himself of his duty, as well as his accountability as a killer. Duty and killing are inseparable in this war, yet they plague Robert and force him to grapple with ideas of good and evil. Unlike some of the other men, he is willing to believe that some enemy fighters are not fascists, though he later relishes the thought of killing them after hearing the details of Maria’s rape.

Robert allows himself moments of not Living in the Present, giving in to fantasy: “Then he surrendered again and let himself slip into it, feeling a voluptuousness of surrender into unreality” (250). He imagines what life might be like with Maria in Madrid, sharing his plans with her. In his heart, however, he suspects they will not get that time together, so he comes back to the present moment with her, calling her his wife and holding her as if she is everything. This kind of momentary escape is both love and an act of self-preservation; through Maria, Robert is able to savor what he believes will be the last days of their lives. In the face of death, he embraces a fantasy, but this perhaps shows him what he truly desires. Robert has long held people at a distance, as is the nature of his job, but in finding Maria, he is forced to be in the moment. When he pauses with her, he sees another possible life, one in which they are together in Madrid. This demonstrates the idea that facing death can lead to a true evolution of self and character.

Part 4 depicts The Brutality of War through El Sordo’s last stand and the aftermath. Lieutenant Berrendo, who takes over command on the death of his commanding officer, does not like beheading bodies, even those of enemies, but he gives the order nonetheless, partly because he knows his leaders appreciate such gestures, and partly because he is afraid he will be in some trouble over the events of the day. In the end, he chooses brutal treatment of human bodies to save himself and to fit in with his leaders. This stream of consciousness also allows a glimpse into the mind of an enemy commander who, despite taking part in violence and corpse mutilation, is still human, with his own worries and dislike for violence. The action is appalling to the guerrilleros, and Agustín responds with his own violent declarations, claiming that all fascists must be killed once they win the war. Anselmo, as he often does, acts as the voice of reason and urges empathy in his suggestion that fascists must be educated and rehabilitated rather than murdered. Anselmo continues his refrain of ending the killing altogether until his death.