Ernest Hemmingway favors the topic of war in many of his works, and A Farewell to Arms is no exception to this. The setting is masterfully used to portray the conflict’s intense violence and sense of disbelief, frailty and loss that come with war. Hemmingway also makes great use of symbolism in the novel, using conflict between the plains and the mountains to represent danger versus safety, as well as the rain suggesting impending doom. Frederic Henry, the main character, leaves the war a different person than the one who went into it. By the end of the novel, he will learn to take life much more seriously. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemmingway portrays the grim reality of war as can be seen through the setting, the use of symbolism and
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Often associated with life and growth, in this novel, the rain suggests impending doom. In the very first chapter the narrator states “At the start of the winter came the permanent rain and with the rain came the cholera. It was checked and in the end seven thousand died of it in the army” (Hemmingway 4). There is also a storm the night that Henry learns he must immediately leave Italy to avoid being arrested. At the end of the novel, it is raining at the time he learns of his family’s death and is then forced to walk back to his hotel in the pouring rain. In fact, the final word in A Farewell to Arms is "rain," evidence of the symbol's importance in expressing the grim nature of war in the story overall (Markley 1).
The mental and emotional toll of the reality of war further begins to show as Henry’s character clearly goes through serious development. He begins as a self-centered, self-sufficient male who toys with Catherine. When she asks if he will be good to her, he replies saying he loves her but soon after he adds "I lied" (Hemmingway 27). However, after a forced separation, they spend an idyllic summer together, and he realizes he really did want to marry Catherine. The many months spent in loneliness aided in Henry’s newfound need for a true companion (Stratford
Often associated with life and growth, in this novel, the rain suggests impending doom. In the very first chapter the narrator states “At the start of the winter came the permanent rain and with the rain came the cholera. It was checked and in the end seven thousand died of it in the army” (Hemmingway 4). There is also a storm the night that Henry learns he must immediately leave Italy to avoid being arrested. At the end of the novel, it is raining at the time he learns of his family’s death and is then forced to walk back to his hotel in the pouring rain. In fact, the final word in A Farewell to Arms is "rain," evidence of the symbol's importance in expressing the grim nature of war in the story overall (Markley 1).
The mental and emotional toll of the reality of war further begins to show as Henry’s character clearly goes through serious development. He begins as a self-centered, self-sufficient male who toys with Catherine. When she asks if he will be good to her, he replies saying he loves her but soon after he adds "I lied" (Hemmingway 27). However, after a forced separation, they spend an idyllic summer together, and he realizes he really did want to marry Catherine. The many months spent in loneliness aided in Henry’s newfound need for a true companion (Stratford