Character Archetypes in For Whom the Bell Tolls Essay

Character Archetypes in For Whom the Bell Tolls - Essay ExampleTo begin with, marias story essentially begins when the enchanting American professor, Robert Jordan, enters her life. Before that, she was a rebel, a broken character all but destroyed by the civil war. However, maria is a survivor. Her very character is symbolic of the war effort in that she has endured the loss of her family, who were brutally murdered by a fascist group, was gang set on by the fascists herself, and then spent time as a prisoner of the fascists, during which time her hair was cut short to symbolize her forced renouncement of the republican cause. She was an utterly broken woman. Stripped of her family, her dignity, and her inherent power as a woman, female horse was on the verge of giving upand would haveif not for the smart light that Pilar represented and the sexual redemption found within Roberts arms. Maria is an inherently sexual heroine. She and Robert make love three clock over the course of the novels three days and their relationship is fast-forming. Almost instantly, despite the civil war erupting around them, they discover a compact and transcendent love for one another. She is able to, at least outwardly, overcome the monstrous act upon her body though, psychologically it appears as though she is taking up a sexual relationship with Robert because she is seeking a parallel comfort to her agony. In being sexually hurt, she seeks sexual redemption in the arms of the square male lead.As a character, Maria is stereotypical and does not experience much evolution during the course of For Whom the Bell Tolls. She is nineteen, and while many women grow to be stronger characters during times of crisis, she maintains a youthful mindset, unable to fully escape from the horrors of her past. It is only when she finds herself safely in the arms of Robert that she attains some semblance of peace. What her character does represent, however, is the archetypal flack of rising i n the hearts of the rebels during the war. Like the rebels, her heart, while damaged, fought for freedom, seeking solace in the darkness, finding peace in redemption. Ultimately, Marias sexual chase for self is a direct correlation to the passion of the rebellion and demonstrates that a person can find true peacean almost transcendent immortalitywhen the fires of rebellion burn hot within them. On the other hand, Pilar is a diverse and challenging character. She claims she is so simple she is complicated (Hemingway 156). She is tough, almost more so than the male leads of For Whom a Bell Tolls, and, more importantly, she serves as an archetypal symbol for the strength of the Republican cause during the Spanish Civil War. She is a woman unafraid(predicate) of conflict, and will challenge any of the men for their character flaws, cowardice, and mistakes. Perhaps the most endearing quality to Pilarand that which makes her more accessible a character than Mariais that she is nearing f ifty and no longer knows the love of a man. She becomes almost instantly jealous of Maria and Roberts relationship and makes a point of telling Maria so, explaining that I love thee and he can have thee, I am no tortillera but a woman made for men