Hemingway utilizes the motif of rain to illustrate Frederic’s developing realization that death is inescapable and to remind readers of the transient nature of life. Rain, an uncontrollable element of nature, is associated with death numerous times in the novel. The author chooses rain to symbolize death in order to emphasize the futility of attempting to escape death. Rain as a representation of death is first introduced when Frederic narrates, “At the start of the winter came the permanent rain and with the rain came the cholera” (4). By characterizing the rain as permanent, Hemingway highlights that death is a constant, and therefore unavoidable.
The first evidence of a change in Frederic’s attitude toward death is during Catherine’s labor.
The first evidence of a change in Frederic’s attitude toward death is during Catherine’s labor.