Ernest Hemingway's "For whom the bell tolls"

At first glance Hemingway's novel For Whom The Bell Tolls appears to be an action packed war novel. But underneath all the action there are underlying ideas that reveal much about how war changes a man and causes him to realise the importance of time. Hemingway reveals these ideas about war through the narrator's thoughts and through the interaction between the major characters. Hemingway shows that war brings about a personal change, that reveals much …

…essence of war is what taught him this. The fact that one minute 'Your friend is beside you, the next he is laying on the forest floor. Begging for you to kill him.'(Pg. 207).         In conclusion Hemingway reveals much about how war causes us to realise what it means to be individuals, and more importantly that our time here is limited, and we must take advantage of the opportunities that are presented to us.