Notes on For Whom the Bell Tolls Themes

This section contains 1,270 word
(approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page)

Notes on For Whom the Bell Tolls Themes

This section contains 1,270 word
(approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page)
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For Whom the Bell Tolls Topic Tracking: Loyalty

Chapter 1

Loyalty 1: Both Robert Jordan and Anselmo notice that Pablo is sullen and sly. Robert Jordan worries about Pablo's loyalty, for he says that men get sullen before they quit or betray:

Chapter 2

Loyalty 2: Even Pablo's woman does not trust him anymore, and she even tells this to the foreigner, Robert Jordan. She recognizes that he is weakened and afraid and fears that he will not be able to act with quickness and loyalty.

Chapter 3

Loyalty 3: Anselmo tells Robert Jordan that El Sordo and Agustín are both good and loyal men. He also tells him that while he does not trust Pablo, they must proceed with caution because the mountains are Pablo's territory.

Chapter 4

Loyalty 4: The people who Pablo is supposed to be the leader of stand up to him outright, even his woman. He is not pleased with this, and threatens Anselmo's life when the man calls him a fool.

Chapter 5

Loyalty 5: Even Pablo's own men are planning to kill him, for they think he has become dangerous and might betray them. The gypsy tells Robert Jordan that he wants him to kill Pablo, but Robert Jordan does not like the idea, for he knows it is dangerous to kill where you must then work. He also worries that the woman may have a bad reaction.

Chapter 6

Loyalty 6: Maria tells Robert that her father was shot for his political beliefs; he was loyal to the Spanish Republican party to the last moment.

Chapter 11

Loyalty 7: El Sordo tells Robert Jordan that he knows that they need more men, but the problem is that those in the hills are mostly unreliable, and more become so every day. He says that out of the hundred, maybe four are reliable and trustworthy.

Chapter 13

Loyalty 8: Robert Jordan is conflicted and worries about his loyalty to the other guerillas. He wonders whether or not he is somehow betraying the people he works with by putting them in danger, exposing them to the orders that he must carry out (blowing up the bridge) in their territory where they must face the consequences of the offensive action.

Chapter 15

Loyalty 9: Robert Jordan has faith that Anselmo will be loyal, as confirmed by the fact that Anselmo did not leave his post, which would have endangered them all. Anselmo is his closest friend among the men in Pablo's band.

Chapter 16

Loyalty 10: Pablo's group of guerillas feels that because he has lost his nerve and capability for action and therefore is a danger to them all. They are no longer loyal to him, and try to provoke him so they can kill him.

Chapter 17

Loyalty 11: Agustín is repulsed when Pablo comes back inside the cave after their fight when they tried to provoke him, and announces he is with them again. Agustín does not believe Pablo, and thinks that the others are insane to take Pablo back when he has proved his disloyalty and attacked them.

Chapter 18

Loyalty 12: Robert Jordan felt guilty at first for enjoying the good food at Gaylord's in Madrid when the city was under siege, as if he had betrayed those people who were fighting in poor conditions.

Chapter 19

Loyalty 13: Robert Jordan shot Kashkin because if he had been found and interrogated, he might have had to give secrets to the enemy. Kashkin was a good and loyal comrade and Robert Jordan shot him out of loyalty to the others. Robert Jordan is more than loyal; he is loyal to the point of fearlessness. He does not let his emotions interfere with his work, and for that reason was able to shoot his friend Kashkin for the good and safety of the others.

Chapter 23

Loyalty 14: Although Agustín has condemned Pablo as a traitor before, he still knows that he has a great ability to be brave and survive in times of great necessity. When Robert Jordan expresses doubt about this, Agustín corrects him, saying that it takes great ability to survive. Robert Jordan is embarassed about midjudging Pablo.

Chapter 24

Loyalty 15: Agustín is loyal to Maria, having helped to rescue her from the train where she was a prisoner, and having seen the results of the suffering she endured as an effect of her rape by the Falangists. He tells Robert Jordan that he had better take good care of her, for she suffered, for he too cares for her deeply. He reassures him, though, of his loyalty; that the matter of Maria is separate and that he will follow Robert Jordan's command on the day of the attack no matter what the situation with Maria.

Chapter 25

Loyalty 16: The others wait at their post and hear the heavy firing in the direction of El Sordo's hill. They know he is being massacred. Though they are all loyal to El Sordo, they know that they cannot help him now, and to leave would be a suicide mission for themselves.

Chapter 28

Loyalty 17: The others wait at their post and hear the heavy firing in the direction of El Sordo's hill. They know he is being massacred. They all feel terribly about El Sordo when they realize it is all over, for they know that he was a very loyal man and in any other situation, would have saved him. Fernando is very zealous and wants revenge.

Chapter 31

Loyalty 18: Maria tells Robert Jordan about her parents were shot as they proclaimed their loyalty for the Republic. She also tells him about her rape, and is ashamed and fears that he will not want to marry her if she cannot have children. Robert Jordan remains loyal and devoted to her and he says he is proud of her family.

Chapter 38

Loyalty 19: They are shocked to see Pablo has returned to the camp, for he proved himself a traitor when he snuck away and stole the dynamite and detonator. He tells them he returned not because he approves of the mission, but because he became lonely and because he knows they must all finish together.

Chapter 41

Loyalty 20: Robert Jordan shakes Pablo's hand as they separate to take their respective posts, and is surprised that it feels strong and honest. From the beginning, he has doubted Pablo's honesty, and was angry with himself for trusting him when he discovered that he had stolen the dynamite and detonator.

Chapter 43

Loyalty 21: Robert Jordan is brave and calm before the bridge blows, but when he sees Anselmo dead, killed by flying steel from the bridge, he curses Pablo for his treachery-if he had not taken the detonator, and they had not had to use a grenade setup, Anselmo would still be alive.

Loyalty 22: When Pablo returns without the five men who he brought to fight with him, they all know that he shot them, and he will not come out and say it outright. Agustín is furious with Pablo for betraying the five men, using them then shooting them for the valuable commodity of the horses. Agustín has always mistrusted Pablo, and was one of the men most adamant about the need to kill Pablo and who provoked him the most.

Loyalty 23: Robert Jordan tries to escape on horseback with the others, but the horse is shot and falls on his leg, breaking it. He will stay behind because he knows that he will slow down their escape if he goes with them. This is extremely loyal of him, to sacrifice himself so that they can escape faster. He stays behind to shoot an enemy officer so he can delay their pursuit of the escapees.

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