Love In A Farewell To Arms

In Hemingway’s novels, love and war is a common theme as it shows readers love in a different situation; one of danger and jeopardy. A Farewell to Arms is a widely known novel featuring this as Fredric Henry and Catherine Barkley share a romance during WWI. During war there are many hardships that come along with a relationship. There are unpredictable events such as ambushes, fatalities on the battle field, and many more. These things can get in the way of a relationship as with so much going on, it is hard to find an intimate and safe moment to be together. The two cannot even marry because they would be sent away and not be able to be together. In A Farewell to Arms the tragedy of World War I leads to a difficult and restrained love between Fredric …show more content…
The war has brought them closer than normal couples and, they are not an average love, it is a true love. The war doesn’t get in their way of being in love to the point that they want to be each other. They desire to be one as a whole. Cain furthers this thought by saying: “The war brings Frederic and Catherine together it creates their dread and wish for comfort and consolidation, and- first in her, and then in him their extreme insistence of becoming and being the other and finding solace and safety there” (379). The war’s dread actually fuels their love in some ways. Catherine works at hospitals and Frederic works as an ambulance driver, their lives may seem easy, but can be dreadful, lonely, and lacking a sense of comfort. By coming together and creating a relationship, they create a safe reality to turn to. Cain again states that "Frederic made his separate peace" as Catherine "gave him something to care about; he never cared about the war" (382). No longer does he just have to think about the war as he now has a lover to think and care about. They are truly in love and will share their loneliness to block out the war and focus on each other, their