Destruction of the Bridge:
Introduction:
Jordan’s blowing of the bridge in For Whom the Bell Tolls is the central mission assigned to Robert Jordan, and it takes place near the end of the novel during a Republican offensive in the Spanish Civil War.
Jordan, along with the guerrilla fighters including Anselmo and Pilar, carefully prepares the explosives and waits for the exact moment when the attack begins. Despite difficulties, fear, and unexpected challenges, they proceed with the plan. Anselmo plays a crucial role by holding the wire to detonate the charges.
At the right moment, Jordan triggers the explosion, and the bridge is successfully destroyed, disrupting the enemy’s movements. However, the mission comes at a heavy cost. Anselmo is killed during the operation, and Jordan is later severely injured while escaping.
Thus, although the bridge is blown as planned, the event is marked by sacrifice, loss, and the tragic consequences of war, highlighting the novel’s themes of duty, courage, and the inevitability of death.
Ernest Hemingway’s ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’ is a novel based on war. Jordan is a dynamite expert. He is sent to destroy a bridge. For the purpose he takes help of a hunter named Anselmo who becomes his guide in hills. When the book opens Robert Jordan appears with his guide Anselmo. Anselmo points him out a mill. At this time, they are on a mountain slope. are on a mountain slope. Jordan sees the dark road and far down a mill beside the stream and the falling water of the dam, white in the summer light.
‘Is that the mill?’ he asks.
‘Yes’
But Jordan does not remember it. Anselmo points him out that it was built later on. The old mill is farther down. Later on, Anselmo takes Jordan to Pablo’s cave. Pablo is the leader of the guerrilla group, that helps Jordan in the destruction of the bridge. Pilar is Pablo’s wife. She is more sincere and tactful than her husband who is careless. Maria is a young girl who falls in love with Jordan. Guerrillas had rescued her from enemy. Anselmo is an old man who guides Jordan. He is the most trust-worthy member of Guerrilla’s group. Eladio, Agustin, Andres, Fernando, Primitivo and Rafael are other members of this Guerrilla group headed by Pablo.
El Sordo is the leader of another guerrilla-group. Joaquin, a young boy is its member. General Galz is a Russian officer who directs the attacks. Karkov is a Russian correspondent for ‘Pravda’. Captain Mora and Paco Berrendo are officers in The Fascist cavalry. Kashkin is a Russian demolitions expert. He is dead when the book opens.
Jordan in Revolutionaries’ Camp:
In the camp, Jordan meets Pablo’s wife Pilar. She asks Jordan if he has come to blow up another train. Jordan says that he has come for a bridge. She asks if the former comrade is dead. He confirms it. She asks where the bridge is. He replies that it is quite close. She suggests to blow up all the bridges. She calls Pablo a drunkard and asks Jordan to be good to Maria. She ought to get out of here. She fears Pablo has a sickness for her.
She asks Jordan to promise that after the bridge he will take her out of the place. They talk about the bridge. She says that she does not believe in Pablo. Jordan asks how many men El Sordo has. She says he has perhaps eight men. He is a practical man. He will come to meet him.
She asks Jordan to study the bridge properly before talking to El Sordo. She asks if Jordan needs a carbine. He says that he has no interest in that. She asks him to go for the bridge. She will take care of his equipment. He asks her to save it from others. She assures him for that. He goes with Anselmo.
Destruction of the Bridge (Preparation):
To destroy a bridge is not an easy task. For the purpose they move before morning. In the dark they come up the hill through the timber to the narrow pass at the top. They are loaded heavily. Naturally, they climb slowly. The horses too are loaded.
Pilar says all the things will be helpful in making the new camp. Jordan feels the weight of his heavy pack. His jacket too is very heavy for its pockets are filled with grenades. Jordan says to Pablo that all the horses should be kept together.
Jordan thinks that Pablo’s coming back is miserable. Still, he appreciates his experience of such operations. He decides to wait until other horses come.
Jordan sees the bulk of new horses in the dark. With Pablo, he reaches them. He cannot see their faces. They ask Pablo who is with him. Pablo says, ‘The dynamiter’.
One of them says to Pablo that they should move. Another asks if they have more grenades. Pablo replies that they have grenades in plenty.
Another says that they should go. Seeing Pilar, they salute her. Pablo stops and dismounts in the dark. Jordan hears heavy breathing. He asks Agustin and Anselmo to come with him to the bridge. Jordan to Pilar who is unpacking one of the horses with the help of Primitivo. He goes warns her that there is to be no attack on the post until she hears the falling of the bombs. And after the destruction of the post, it will fall back on the bridge and cover the road from above.
Jordan goes back to Pablo who is tying horses. Pablo claims that only by pulling a rope the horses will be released. He warns Pablo also that nothing is to be done until the beginning of the bombardment.
Pablo asks Jordan to do all very carefully. Pablo feels there is lack of horses. Jordan does not give importance to it. Now with Agustin and Anselmo he moves onward. They see the Fernando is ready at his point.
They walk carefully, downhill. Anselmo leads them. Jordan is at last. Anselmo is halted by a pine tree. He tells Jordan that there is firing.
Jordan asks Agustin to have close watch on the length of the bridge and a small stretch road at the other end before the curve of the rocks. Agustin asks where the light is. He says in the sentry box. Anselmo and Jordan will deal with the sentry. If they do not deal, he should fire at both the sentry boxes. After the explosion when the people of Pablo come around that corner, he will fire over their heads if others come after then.
Jordan gives three cigarettes to Agustin. He keeps them in his pocket. Anselmo and Jordan leave him. Jordan asks where he should keep the sacks. Anselmo suggests at the place where they were that day. Now they wait for day light.
The Final Preparation:
Jordan is behind the trunk of a tree. He sees the sentry now in his box. Jordan hears the stream. He wonders if Andres has got through to Golz. He sees two men in steel helmets come around the corner of the road walking toward the bridge. They have rifles. One stops at the sentry box and the other comes across the bridge walking slowly and heavily.
The new sentry goes inside the box and sits down. The sentry at the other box leans against the wall. There is not much traffic on the road. Just then Jordan hears thudding of the bombs. He fires on to the centre of the Iman’s chest. He hears Anselmo shoot. There begins the boom of grenades from around the corner below bridge. Pablo’s cavalary fire with automatic rifle. He sees Anselmo with two heavy packs. The old man comes running to Jordan.
Jordan is climbing down into the framework of the bridge. The girders are cold and wet with dew. He climbs carefully. He asks Anselmo to handover a pack to him. Jordan reaches up for them. Now he binds them with wires. He thinks only of demolition. He works skillfully. He hears a rattle of firing from below on the road. There is noise of grenade.
He shouts upto Anselmo for the other side. He thinks he is working like Tarzan. He sees Anselmo’s face as he reaches the packages of explosive down to him. And one side is done.
There is noise of grenades again. At this time Jordan feels want of detonators and the old exploder. These things were stolen by Pablo. He asks Pablo to give him some more of that.
He succeeds in finishing wiring the grenades down. He asks Anselmo to give him big coil of wire. He hands it down to him. He hands the coil up to Anselmo and asks him to hold it carefully. Now he asks ‘Anselmo to bring the sacks. He sees four men coming there. Eladio is not with them. Taking the coil Jordan reaches the end of the bridge and stops beside a stone marker. He cuts the wire and hands it to Anselmo. He asks him to walk back with him to the bridge. At the bridge he pulls the wire back through the hitch. Again, he asks Anselmo to take the wire to that high stone without putting any force on it. When the wire is pulled hard the bridge will blow.
The Bridge Destroyed:
Jordan asks Anselmo to pull without jerk. He sees Primitivo and Rafael on the road. Pilar is climbing the bank into the timber carrying three rifles.
Jordan asks Anselmo to blow the bridge without taking account of him. He says he will fix the other wire and come back. Then they shall blow together. He starts running for the centre of the bridge.
Jordan hears firing. It differs from the firing made by Pablo’s automatic rifle. He hears the truck coming down the road. He calls to blow that. After the steel stops falling, he is still alive. He raises his head and looks across the bridge. The centre section of it is gone.
Success At a Heavy Cost:
The bridge is destroyed but the success is got at a heavy cost. Jordan goes to Anselmo and finds him dead. Pilar says to him that the bridge is blown. She is going with Agustin to cover Pablo who is still fighting below. She asks him to give the guns to Primitivo.
Maria has been with the horses for a long time. But they are not comfortable to one another. She is at such a place that she can’t see anything but only hear. She hears firing. She hears the blowing of the bridge. She hears the voice that Jordan is alright.
Pablo asks about Pilar. Jordan says that she has lost Fernando and the brother Eladia. He has lost Anselmo.
Escape—An Inspiring End:
They ride down through the trees towards the edge of the road. Jordan rides just behind Maria. He asks her to pass Pilar before she crosses the road. He asks her to ride wide up that slope. He asks her to move up. She shakes her head. He asks again to move up. She refuses to violate the order of the sequence.
When they cross the road, Jordan’s leg is broken. It creates a problem. Jordan asks others to leave him there and continue their escape. He asks Maria too to go with them. He asks Agustin to take care of her. He asks her not to think much.
He signals Pablo who starts. Jordan turns his head. He is sweating and looks down the slope. Maria says that she should be allowed to stay. Jordan shouts that he is with her and she should go.
Agustin asks if he wants him to shoot. Jordan asks him to go with them. He is well there. But Agustin should look after Maria.
Jordan says there are many things like this in war. Agustin goes away. Jordan feels empty, drained and exhausted. Yet he feels now there is no problem. His task is done for the bridge is blown up. Pilar will take care of Maria,
He wishes to talk to Karkov but he is not here. Somehow, he reaches over for the sub machine-gun. Now his leg is hurting very much. The pain has started with swelling. He can’t think about anything. He thinks about cool water.
He sees cavalry. He waits for the officer Lieutenant Berrando comes from La Granja. He looks serious. He waits for Berrando’s coming in light and he will fire.