Hemingway's View of Death: A Case Study of For Whom the Bell Tolls

ABSTRACT
Hemingway is one of the most outstanding writers of 20th century in America as well as in the world and he is also distinguished for his unique view of death. There are two kinds of death in his novelette For Whom the Bell Tolls: getting killed and suicide. Hemingway thinks that getting killed for a noble cause is not frightening but a realization of personal value. Confronting death with courage is a deed of defending human beings’ dignity. Man should not commit suicide for it is a coward’s deed. Based on a further analysis of symbolism and contrast Hemingway applies in this novel, Hemingway’s view of death is systematically reinforced as “unbeaten man”. “Unbeaten man” means human beings cannot be defeated in spirit in face of death. Hemingway assumes that death is inevitable but not unbeaten. Human beings can vanquish it in spirit; beyond life there is something much more important, that is dignity. With dignity people can die in grace. Hemingway’s death view teaches us how to die valuably, not in vain. He convinces us that life is worth living and there are causes worth dying for. We should overcome the fear of death and achieve the dignity of death. Dignity is the ultimate value of life. It is the source of people’s spiritual power against death. His exploration on death theme leaves human beings an ideological heritage. His insight into death theme makes immeasurable contribution to human beings’ cognition of death.
Keywords: Hemingway, For Whom the Bell Tolls, death view, unbeaten man, dignity
Contents
Acknowledgements    i
中文摘要    ii
ABSTRACT    iii
Chapter One  Introduction    1
1.1 Hemingway’s life and works    1
1.2 The story of For Whom the Bell Tolls    2
1.3 Argument and structure of the thesis    2
Chapter Two  Death in For Whom the Bell Tolls    4
2.1 Getting killed    4
2.2 Suicide    5
Chapter Three  “Unbeaten man”—man cannot be defeated in spirit by death    6
3.1 Symbolic situation of death and contrasts of characters    6
3.1.1 The tricky explosion mission    6
3.1.2 Bad signs of heavy snow in May and hands reading    7
3.1.3 Contrast of Pablo and El Sorde    7
3.2 Direct description of Jordan’s thoughts and experiences    8
Chapter Four  Conclusion    10
Bibliography    11