![]() ![]() Though Jordan initially believes that he cannot understand the Spanish people, whom he views as profoundly two-sided-caught between extreme “kindness” and extreme “cruelty”-he finds himself overcoming this conviction to form intense bonds with his fellow fighters, confirming the important of connection and empathy across cultures.įor Whom the Bell Tolls takes up the project of cross-cultural linguistics, attempting to depict the Spanish language in an American style without fully “Americanizing” its facets. The United States, Jordan discloses, is no less corrupt than Spain, and Jordan’s own allegiance toward the anti-fascists demonstrates the extent to which cultural differences can be transcended. Similarly, Robert Jordan’s own experiences as an American fighting for the anti-fascist Spaniards reveal more resemblances between the two cultures than differences. Instead of assimilating Spanish culture into a wholly American writing style, Hemingway combines the two, helping to express Spanish to an English-speaking audience. ![]() The result is a novel that is acutely attuned to cultural differences. For Whom the Bell Tolls is a distinctive work in part because Hemingway attempts to translate Spanish idioms and grammar directly, without removing their original contexts. ![]()
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