Philosophical Viewpoints: Communism - Theme, The Revolutionist | The Revolutionist- Summary, Themes & Characters - Novels PDF Download

Belief in communist ideology plays a very important role in "The Revolutionist." Our main man—a.k.a. the comrade—is a member of the Communist Party, and the narrator is part of a network of commies helping the young man along his journey.

Just because they're both supporters of communist ideals, however, doesn’t mean the two men are in agreement: The comrade believes in the world revolution despite how poorly things are going, while the narrator seems more inclined toward realism. This means we get two different, albeit also brief, perspectives on communism in eight short paragraphs. Go, Hemingway.

Questions About Philosophical Viewpoints: Communism

1. Is it significant that the comrade is from Eastern Europe (specifically Hungary)? How about that the narrator seems to be from Italy?
2. How does the comrade's communism tie in with other aspects of his character?
3. Is the narrator a communist? Why or why not (according to evidence in the text)?

Chew on This

Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.

Ultimately, this is an anti-communism story because it ends with the optimistic commie's capture.

Hemingway's portrayal of a young, idealistic communist humanizes a figure for American audiences who may otherwise have seemed distant and strange.