Abstract
This paper primarily examines the theme of lost generation in Ernest Hemingway’s novel For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940) and the physical and psychological desperation faced by the protagonist, an American volunteer, Robert Jordan. This paper attempts to find the reasons behind this emotional crisis and Hemingway’s notion of describing the mental trauma of Postwar effected generation. Coming to a very close grip with harsh realities and brutalities of wars, Hemingway along with his characters adopt a strong tendency to denounce war which induces abominable sense of emptiness. The novel For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940) serves to epitomize the post-war expatriate generation. The "point of the book" was not so much about a generation being lost, but that "the earth abideth forever". The characters in For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940) may have been "battered” and “lost” No study of Ernest Hemingway’s literary work can be completed without an understanding of the author’s life because he is one of those authors whose life and works are interdependent. Hemingway made the term ‘Lost Generation’ famous by using it permanently in his novels. All his protagonists are lost generation, wandering aimlessly in the post-war world and had refused to look at the world through rose-coloured glasses. They cut a sorry figure in terms of moral, social and religious values.
Highlights
1.1 Origin of the term “LOST GENERATION”Seeking bohemian lifestyle and discarding the Puritan ethic, a number of intellectuals, poets, artists and writers fled to France in the post World War I years
The Lost Generation writers gained prominence in 20th century literature by their innovations and challenged assumptions about writing and expression as they paved the way for coming generations of writers
The Lost Generation writers felt that America was not such a success story because the country was devoid of a cosmopolitan culture
Summary
Seeking bohemian lifestyle and discarding the Puritan ethic, a number of intellectuals, poets, artists and writers fled to France in the post World War I years. The term stuck and the mystique surrounding these individuals continues to fascinate us It signified the postwar generation and the literary movement produced by the young writers of the time. Their writings reflected their belief that “the only reality was that life is harsh”. There were many literary artists and intellectuals connected to the group known as the Lost Generation. They rebelled against the traditional values and ideals, but could replace them only. B) What are the problems raised by Hemingway through the theme of “Lost Generation”?. C) How Hemingway relates the socio-political and literary situations with concept of “Lost Generation” in his novel “For whom the bell tolls”?. E) How Hemingway exposes the futility of wars through the theme of “Lost Generation”?
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