For Whom the Bell Tolls

by Ernest Hemingway

For Whom the Bell Tolls: Style 1 key example

Style
Explanation and Analysis:

Hemingway utilizes an interesting combination of stylistic elements in For Whom the Bell Tolls to achieve the novel's intended effect. One such stylistic element is the use of run-on sentences, often during stream of consciousness segments. Hemingway frequently utilizes run-on sentences in this manner to evoke the run-on nature of human thought and emotion. A person's thoughts rarely maintain the well-ordered structure often accorded them in traditional narrative style. One does not think, naturally, with the direction of a plot in mind—hence, the usage of run-on sentences in stream-of-consciousness segments, as opposed to in dialogue-heavy excerpts.