Devastation of War

Devastation of War
The novels “For Whom the Bell Tolls” by Hemingway and “Catch 22” by Heller, have a similar but not identical theme. Both novels emphasize the corruption and detrimental effects of war. In addition, both novels demonstrate the fact that war presents the reality of the inevitability of death. “For Whom the Bell Tolls” showed the devastating effects that war had on people and their loved ones. It also showed how there was very little innocence in war. This novel followed a serious tone, showing the reader how close many are to death (For Whom). tay alive or die trying. This was obvious when Yossarian came to his conclusion that there were bigger problems than death (Catch). In both “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and “Catch-22”, the reader experienced multiple reactions and attitudes of people regarding the various detrimental effects of war.

Hemingway used repetitive themes and ideas in his book. By using the reoccurring ideas in “For Whom the Bell Tolls”, he was able to make his views clear on specific issues. This forced the reader to understand his thoughts more clearly. The theme of war was his most notable reoccurring theme. Hemingway used the war concept as irony in this book, trying to tell the reader what he thought about war (Hemingway). He emphasized the misconception of war by discussing how there were no real winners- war is an equal game. What goes around comes around in a never-ending cycle of stupidity (For Whom). The setting took place during the Spanish Civil War, in the 1920-1930 time period, on the battlefields in a Spanish countryside. Here again, Hemingway does not idealize either side and does not refer to their political beliefs, but refers to the fact that each side was very much the same. Both sides consisted of sad and depressed men who have been shipped off to war. Hemingway’s satirical punch at war was evident when he made it clear that both sides were human, with no line separating the ‘saints’ from the ‘sinners’...