For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway takes place during the Spanish Civil War, which devastated the Spanish nation from 1936 to 1939. The conflict began after an attempted of a coup d'état. of State by a group of Spanish generals against the regime of the Second Spanish Republic, under the leadership of Manuel Azaña. The nationalist coup was supported by the autonomous right-wing conservative Spanish Confederation, Carlist Monarchists and the Fascist Falange. The events of the story center around Robert Jordan, an American volunteer for the Republican guerrillas. Jordan and the guerrillas attempt to defend Spain from the nationalist coup and preserve their way of life. However, the Republicans failed as the Nationalists won, overthrew the government and General Francisco Franco became dictator of Spain. The actions of people like Robert Jordan reveal that Spain was worth the price to fight for because the guerrillas want to preserve and protect their ideals and way of life. Throughout the story, most of the action takes place just north of the Nationalist-occupied area. Madrid, in the Sierra de Guadarrama, where the Republican guerrillas hide. The setting is very symbolic because the camp is a calming refuge for safety, while the rest of Spain is in turmoil. The hideout also provides temporary safety for Maria, a young guerrilla woman, after she is raped and imprisoned by the nationalists. The shelter allows Maria to recover physically and mentally from the trauma she experienced. Robert Jordan then has the opportunity to reflect on the reasons for his participation in the war and realizes that he is in love with Maria. Jordan is also...... middle of paper...... The Spanish Civil War brought out many of the true qualities and attributes of the Republican guerrillas because they were willing to risk everything to preserve and protect their way of life. life. The group is surrounded by enemy troops at the base of the mountain and enemy aircraft above them, indicating that the group faces almost certain death on a daily basis. However, the guerrilla band is still brave enough to plan an offensive deep into enemy lines against the Nationalists, even when stuck in a war situation. Republican guerrillas are willing to pay the ultimate price to preserve and protect their nation and their way of life. Works Cited Hemingway, Ernest. For whom the bell tolls. New York: Scribner, 1996. Kagan, Donald, Steven Ozment, and Frank M. Turner. Western heritage. 9th ed. Flight. A. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2006.