Pablo Saler

The exasperating leader of the guerilla band who has a radical point of view on killing people. He is an aging and selfish man of great courage who is greatly influenced by the war. In many ways, he is the most intriguing and complex character in the story. In fact, the hero accepts killing, and it became an inevitable part of his life. Even more, during the war, he is ready to kill his men only with the intention to get their horses. From the very beginning, Pablo dislikes Robert Jordan and views him as a threat to the guerrillas' safety. The dislike between these two men is mutual. Also, it becomes evident that Pablo has an uncooperative nature and can be compared to a stubborn bull. Throughout the story, the hero demonstrates selfishness and the lack of restraint. He makes hasty decisions and follows his natural desires in every situation, without rational thinking. Even though Pablo is a strong and brave fighter, his spontaneous decisions eventually jeopardize the mission. The wise woman Pilar states that once Pablo has been ready to sacrifice anything for the Republican cause but during the war, he has “gone wrong.”  By the way, although the hero demonstrates disagreeable character, he is not a villain as one may think. Regardless of his brutal nature, Pablo realizes own mistakes and displays a clear sense of conscience. All in all, Pablo can be characterized as an exhausted fighter who fears own death. Like many other soldiers, he dreams about the end of the war to live a calm, happy life. Ironically, Pablo is one of those who stays alive, even though he loses the moral strength which Robert Jordan possesses.