Catherine Barkley is Not a Hero
When authors write novels, they create complex characters that have their own unique backstory, flaws, and qualities. Sometimes, authors write about similar characters in multiple pieces of work that share characteristics with one another. Ernest Hemingway created what is known as a code hero and uses this code hero in many of his novels. A code hero has a unique set of characteristics that are different from the typical hero that is usually written about in literature. While Catherine Barkley in Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms displays some qualities of a code hero, she is too inconsistent with her actions to be fully characterized as one. In order to be a code hero, the qualities have to be a concrete …show more content…
These small instances of code hero qualities cannot alone prove that she is Hemingway's code hero because Catherine does not act this way all the time. She has many instances of weakness that are not usually displayed in a code hero, which shows her inconsistent character. Catherine is someone who shows many emotions throughout the novel and enjoys talking about her feelings, which is not a code hero characteristic. A code hero is not supposed to show emotion, which Catherine does quite often with Frederic. She expresses her fear of rain to Frederic and her fear of seeing him or herself dead in the rain. She opens up to Frederic, saying, “It’s all nonsense. It’s only nonsense. I’m not afraid of the rain. I’m not afraid of the rain. Oh, oh, God, I wish I wasn’t,” and then Catherine proceeds to cry (110). Frederic comforts her until she stops crying, but this instance shows how emotional Catherine can become. Even if this is a private moment between Catherine and Frederic, Hemingway's code heroes resist the urge to become emotional because they believe it is a sign of weakness. Catherine does not express shame in her emotional habits, which indicates being emotional is a part of Catherine’s natural character. She also gets jealous throughout the novel which is another emotion a typical code hero does not show. …show more content…
In order to be a code hero, the qualities have to be a concrete part of a person's character. Catherine shows that while she is not religious in the traditional sense, she shows a religious side of her character by loving Frederic. She also faces her death with grace under pressure, and while that does support her being a code hero, it is not enough to completely characterise her as one. She has a tendency to be emotional when it comes to Frederic, and she thinks her decisions through fully before she commits to something. Catherine is a strong character overall, however she does not possess enough concrete qualities of a code hero to be labeled as
When authors write novels, they create complex characters that have their own unique backstory, flaws, and qualities. Sometimes, authors write about similar characters in multiple pieces of work that share characteristics with one another. Ernest Hemingway created what is known as a code hero and uses this code hero in many of his novels. A code hero has a unique set of characteristics that are different from the typical hero that is usually written about in literature. While Catherine Barkley in Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms displays some qualities of a code hero, she is too inconsistent with her actions to be fully characterized as one. In order to be a code hero, the qualities have to be a concrete …show more content…
These small instances of code hero qualities cannot alone prove that she is Hemingway's code hero because Catherine does not act this way all the time. She has many instances of weakness that are not usually displayed in a code hero, which shows her inconsistent character. Catherine is someone who shows many emotions throughout the novel and enjoys talking about her feelings, which is not a code hero characteristic. A code hero is not supposed to show emotion, which Catherine does quite often with Frederic. She expresses her fear of rain to Frederic and her fear of seeing him or herself dead in the rain. She opens up to Frederic, saying, “It’s all nonsense. It’s only nonsense. I’m not afraid of the rain. I’m not afraid of the rain. Oh, oh, God, I wish I wasn’t,” and then Catherine proceeds to cry (110). Frederic comforts her until she stops crying, but this instance shows how emotional Catherine can become. Even if this is a private moment between Catherine and Frederic, Hemingway's code heroes resist the urge to become emotional because they believe it is a sign of weakness. Catherine does not express shame in her emotional habits, which indicates being emotional is a part of Catherine’s natural character. She also gets jealous throughout the novel which is another emotion a typical code hero does not show. …show more content…
In order to be a code hero, the qualities have to be a concrete part of a person's character. Catherine shows that while she is not religious in the traditional sense, she shows a religious side of her character by loving Frederic. She also faces her death with grace under pressure, and while that does support her being a code hero, it is not enough to completely characterise her as one. She has a tendency to be emotional when it comes to Frederic, and she thinks her decisions through fully before she commits to something. Catherine is a strong character overall, however she does not possess enough concrete qualities of a code hero to be labeled as