Changes In Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell To Arms

Frederic Henry had major changes throughout the novel. His attitude towards the war, Catherine, and friends had all changed significantly. One could argue that he didn’t pay much mind towards the war he involved himself in at first, but once he did, he became less enthusiastic about it as he became more aware. Eventually, he started to care more about a woman with whom he became increasingly interested in. His feelings towards the war and his feelings towards Catharine had a negative correlation. The more he cared about Catherine, the less he cared about the war. Henry had a friend, Rinaldi, who remained good friends with Henry throughout the book. Although they were best friends their relationship still changed. All friendships Henry was involved in changed whether they died or left him. Either way, Henry did show that any had a lasting effect on him. What ended up mattering most was Catherine. The goal of this paper is to elucidate these changes within Henry and those with whom he had relationships with. Concerning the war, Henry’s casual, careless attitude deteriorated throughout. In Book I, it’s apparent that he doesn’t care much about the war. He is just having some drinks and a good laugh with Rinaldi and other friends (Hemingway 39). Henry mentions that he himself does not have a reason to be …show more content…
Dealing with the war, he goes from a nonchalant perspective to being disillusioned and broken down into realizing the true horrors and trauma war can bring upon, and defeat is not worse than war itself (Benson 88). Henry also was not very adept in maintaining good connections between him and his friends. The only one true concern and care he had was Catherine, with which whom he shared what one could consider an obsessive relationship. In the end, out of all of Henry’s evolution, it all boiled down to him longing for the one thing he had true and positive feelings