Gracie Bott

A Farewell to Arms was written by Ernest Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961 in
Cicero, Illinois). Hemingway was most famous for his short and “to the point” writing,
rather than lengthy and descriptive syntax. He also used repetition as a strong tool.
Lastly, he used his novels to spread an anti-war message to the world.
Published in September, 1929
The book takes place during World War I. The point of the novel is to show that war
causes a lot of harm and sadness for millions, however there is also love that can be
found in any bad situation.
World War I in Italy
The point of view is first person, through Frederic Henry’s eyes
The theme of the novel shows that even in time of war, distress, and hatred, love is a very
fragile yet powerful thing, which can connect two people and break one individual.
Frederic Henry is an ambulance driver in Italy during WWI. He meets Catherine Barkley
and they immediately hit it off. She is a nurse where he is serving grieving her fiancée’s
death. Henry is soon wounded and is rushed to a hospital. His injuries are serious and he
is told he needs to be in the hospital for at least six weeks before he can get a surgery to
fix his knee. He refuses a long recovery period, as he wants to get to the war again.
Catherine ends up being his nurse, as fate would show. Their love deepens daily as he
recovers from knee surgery. Catherine reveals she is expecting a baby in a few months.
Frederic soon becomes jaundice from drinking. His three week notice to return to the war
is denied, as he has been drinking while in the hospital. He is sent immediately to serve
again, and to leave Catherine. They spend a fun last night together, and then he must
leave. On the war front, Henry shoots one man for not helping. Another man is shot by a
guard. Henry eventually dives into the river to avoid execution. He travels to Milan to
hopefully see Catherine. Frederic learns he will be arrested, however. He and she move to
Switzerland and live a very good life together, forgetting the war. She later goes into a
very difficult labor. May complications arise, and she delivers a stillborn boy. She then
dies after labor. He tries to say goodbye, but cannot. He walks home in the rain.
Characters
o Frederic Henry – the protagonist. He is a young ambulance driver in the war who
falls in love with Catherine Barkley.
o Catherine Barkley – a young nurse serving in the war who falls in love with
Frederic. She begins the book mourning the death of her fiancée.
o Priest – A young, sweet priest who preaches to soldiers.
o Rinaldi – an Italian surgeon and Henry’s best friend.
o Helen Ferguson – Catherine’s best nurse friend.
o Miss Van Campen – the antagonist. She is the mean nurse’s boss who gets fed up
with Frederic’s drinking.
Major Symbols
o One major symbol is the rain. Catherine does not like the rain, and she is very
scared of it. When she dies, its pouring rain outside. This is a symbol representing
pain and anxiety, as now Henry will most likely hate the rain too.
 o Another symbol is the war. The war symbolizes masculinity. Henry obsesses over
both the war and his masculinity both because they reassure his self that he is
worthy of life and love.
Motifs
o One motif that repeats itself throughout the novel is masculinity. Henry constantly
needs to be reassured that he is masculine enough for himself. When he doesn’t
feel manly enough, he results to heavy drinking because this is a very masculine
o Another motif is surface vs. real love. Catherine and Henry start out with very
surface love. They flirt and chat but don’t see real love until Henry is hospitalized.
One could argue many different stances on why the love wasn’t deep until he was
hospitalized, but I personally think that it was because you cannot truly love
someone until you are with them at a vulnerable time. Henry was very hurt,
making him extremely vulnerable.
Quotations
o “We had a lovely time that summer.” (Hemingway 97).
o This quotation shows how direct and blunt Frederic’s narration is, It also shows
how much he adores Catherine
o “In civilian clothes I felt like a masquerader. I had been in uniform a long time
and I missed the feeling of being held by your clothes.” (Hemingway 211).
o This quotation shows that his military position became part of his identity, and he
didn’t know much other than military and Catherine. The masculinity motif is
also brought up in this, as he doesn’t feel as masculine without the uniform.
o “Don’t let her die. Oh, God, please don’t let her die. I’ll do anything for you if
you won’t let her die. Please, please, please, dear God, don’t let her die. Dear
God, don’t let her die. Please, Please, Please, don’t let her die. God please make
her not die. I’ll do anything if you don’t let her die.” (Hemingway 282).
o This quotation shows the sadness of the ending, the blunt nature of the book, and
the repetition aspect of the novel.
Works Cited

“Contributions to Literature.” Ernest Hemingway: A Legend of the Lost Generation,

www.ernesthemingwaymca.weebly.com/contributions-to-literature.html
“Ernest Hemingway.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 3 Aug. 2018,
www.biography.com/people/ernest-hemingway-9334498.
Hemingway, et al. “A Farewell to Arms.” Biblio - Uncommonly Good Books Found Here.,
Houghton Mifflin, 1
Jan. 1970, www.biblio.com/a-farewell-to-arms-by-hemingway-ernest/work/969
Phillips, Brian. A Farewell to Arms: Ernest Hemingway. Spark Pub., 2002.