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Lanie Allen

Mrs. Cramer

College Comp Pd. 4

17 December 2021

Life Before Death

Have you ever been in love? If so, what kinds of thoughts would go through your head if

you were to lose that person? The representation of character in Hemmingway’s A Farewell to

Arms describes those thoughts and feelings of losing a loved one. Throughout the story, a true

depiction of feelings people experience in life are shown in character. This story takes place

during a war, where the main character Henry is an ambulance driver. He meets one of the

nurses through a friend of his, and they fall in love. The story focuses mostly on what hardships

they face while being involved in the war, and maintaining their relationship. In A Farewell to

Arms, Earnest Hemmingway draws from experience to depict a realistic storyline, which features

three believable characters.

Throughout the story, Hemmingway includes the thoughts and feelings of Henry’s

character, which allows the reader to relate to him. Towards the end of the book, Henry

experiences a hardship that unfortunately happens frequently. His response to the situation truly

demonstrates his emotions and what other people would experience. For example, Henry is

grieving about the thought of Catherine dying while she was giving birth. “Please, please, please,

dear God, don’t let her die,” was repeated multiple times (Hemmingway 330). His thought

process in response to the situation contributes to the believability of the characters because

Hemmingway’s word choice shows the panic Henry is feeling, and as a reader, you can feel the
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emotion he was going through. As the situation progresses, matters worsen after Catherine

delivers the baby. Henry then suffers the death of his newborn child and his wife, Catherine

(Hemmingway 227-331). This section of the book makes it feel realistic by showing issues that

multiple people experience with childbirth. It shows that life doesn’t always go as expected, and

Hemmingway well-represented that through the emotions of Henry. It puts a clear message that

not everyone gets their happy ending.

Henry is not the only character that presents a realistic quality. His wife, Catherine, also

contributes a true to life feeling to the storyline. The feelings she expresses towards Henry

clearly shows her love for him and demonstrates how people in love act toward one another. For

example, “We have such a fine time’, Catherine said, ‘I don’t take any interest in anything else

anymore.” (Hemmingway 154) These words make her believable because often when people fall

in love, they become consumed by it. This means that love often distracts us from everything

else around us, which seems to be the point Hemmingway was trying to make with her words.

Catherine also calls Henry “darling” consistently throughout the story. The use of the word

makes Catherine’s fondness of him obvious, because people create nicknames for those they’re

in love with, making her character realistic. Rarely does she use Henry’s name, showing her true

feelings for him. As a result, the reader may feel connected to Catherine if they’ve experienced a

similar situation.

Hemmingway also presents a secondary character who portrays a realistic feeling.

Ferguson, a friend of Catherine’s, seems to be jealous of her and Henry’s relationship

(Hemmingway 247-248). Ferguson’s attitude about the situation is anything but supportive. She

begins to make Catherine feel guilty for leaving her by crying, telling her she should be ashamed,

and questioning their relationship. The reason this makes her character realistic is because
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frequently people do get jealous of others, or feel betrayed by their decisions, especially when it

comes to relationships. Ferguson’s actions provide a clear message that she wants Catherine to

stay with her because they have been friends for so long. It’s obvious now that Catherine is

infatuated with Henry, Ferguson is feeling betrayed by her, and she wants her to feel guilty about

it. The other point Hemmingway wanted to make was that Catherine and Henry’s love for one

another is strong enough to get over obstacles. Ferguson’s actions provide an obstacle for

Catherine because, in a sense, she has the option to choose between her best friend and her love.

Catherine does comfort Ferguson but makes it obvious she would rather be with Henry.

Hemmingway created a story with characters who could relate to the reader, and make it

feel real to them. Most people have experienced falling in love, the death of a loved one, or a

feeling of betrayal. Hemmingway well presents the feelings of all situations through his

characters. Their actions and choice of words have clear meanings most of the time, which helps

the reader understand the emotions, and even allows the reader to relate to them. Presented in

this story is a plotline that provides realistic situations that happen to people all the time. With

the believability of the characters Farewell to Arms is powerful to the audience.

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Work Cited

Hemmingway, Earnest. A Farewell to Arms. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print