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Readers and scholars acquainted with the novels of Hemingway all become, at one point, cognizant of his hero code; a personal philosophical system established by the author in order to give his characters a means to overcome the meaninglessness of the chaotic modern world. For Whom the Bell Tolls marks a shift in this code; a behavioral and even moral alteration carried on by Robert Jordan, and clearly visible in all what differentiates him from Jake in The Sun Also Rises for Instance.In a manner, Robert Jordan and the protagonist of The Old Man and the Sea are similar in that they both carry on tasks that seem absurdly fruitless. Except that in Santiago's case, the relentless duel with the Marlin fish is a quest for self-affirmation, the acceptance of life as absurd and meaningless, as well as the perseverance to enjoy it without attempting to question its foundation or require a set purpose for it. Robert Jordan, however, is different, for he perceives his quest as meaningful even if such a meaning would eventually cost him both his life and the people he loves. Most importantly, the destruction of the bridge, which is the meaningful task he strives to accomplish, comes at the high price of an absurd mission that is all but doomed to failure and annihilation. In this manner, Jordan's code differs from all other Hemingway heroes in that it strengthenes his ties with humanity and reaffirms the novel's epigraph by John Donne : No man is an island.It is important to note that Robert Jordan struggles with his thoughts, with his father's memory, as well as his professional assessment of the situation as almost hopeless, but in spite of everything his moral code allows him to remain a man who respects himself, a man capable of loving life even on the brink of death, which makes of him the most ambitious of Hemingway's heroes.Alongside his personal philosophical system, Hemingway had imbued his novel with modernist techniques that placed the book among the movement's best representatives. Some such techniques include the nonlinearity of time, stream of consciousness, and the subjective experience of time.

High school forced read.... need i say more. this would have been better if we hadn't beeen forced to read it aloud in turns. ugh! bad memories!