Lit Analysis #4

Plot: A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway centers around an American young man named Ferderic Henry serving as an ambulance driver for the Italians in WW1. In the beginning of the novel Henry spends much of his time with his friend, a doctor named Rinaldi. The men stationed with Henry spend most of their time drinking excessive amounts of alcohol and eating. One day, Henry goes to the local hospital and meets a nurse named Catherine. The pair joke about love and getting married one day. Later on, a grenade blows up and injures Henry’s knee. He is transferred to a hospital away from the front and waits to have surgery. Catherine is also transferred to work at the same hospital and her bond with Henry grows stronger and stronger. Around the same time Henry is close to being released to the front, Catharine tells him she is pregnant. They both pledge they will have a life together after the war. Henry goes out to bring ambulances to troops with some men but the mission fails. He is captured by police but escapes and swims away in a river thinking of Catharine the whole time. He reunites with Catherine and the pair is forced to flee to Switzerland overnight in a row boat so that Henry does not get arrested for abandoning the army. The pair live a quiet, happy life in the mountains for a few months. When it is time for Catherine to have the baby many things go wrong and both she and the baby die. The novel ends very abruptly with their death and Henry walking back to his hotel.

Theme: I believe this novel emphasizes the question “Is it better to have loved and lost or to never have never loved at all?” Before Henry met Catherine he was a simple man with a grim outlook on both the war and his surroundings. At the height of his and Catherine’s relationship, Henry is ecstatic and filled with feelings of love and joy he had experienced. However, these new highs come crashing down probably far below a low he had ever experienced before when she dies. Hemingway alludes to Henry’s numb state in the end of the novel but does not go into detail about how Henry feels. This leaves the reader to infer what happens next. Judging by the fact the only thing that kept Henry sane on the front was the thought of reuniting with Catherine, I think Henry might now contemplate suicide because he feels as though he now has nothing to live for.

Tone: The authors tone throughout the novel is pretty somber. From the description of war life to the troubles Henry and Catherine face there are only short stretches of happy stress free living. Much of the novel consists of wishing for the future. A future free of fighting, death and love barriers. Although there is optimism in both characters, Hemingway writes a pretty pessimistic story.

“The world breaks every one and afterward many are strong at the broken places.” ― Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms

“I’m not brave any more darling. I’m all broken. They’ve broken me.” ― Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms

“When you love you wish to do things for. You wish to sacrifice for. You wish to serve.” ― Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms

Literary Techniques:

Diction: Hemingway purposely uses simple word choice and short sentence structure to create an atmosphere of disillusionment in the novel.

“There isn’t always an explanation for everything.” ― Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms

First Person Narrative: Because the story is written in the first person, it makes the events much more real. The “I”s used helps the reader feel like they are there experiencing the events too.

“Keep right on lying to me. That's what I want you to do.” ― Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms

Allusion: Obviously many historically relevant things are mentioned throughout the novel because it revolves around WW1. However, Henry himself makes a few allusions that date even farther back.

“Napoleon victories; any Napoleon. I wished we had a Napoleon”

-Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms

Juxtaposition: The juxtaposition of happiness and sadness, of love and pain is evident all throughout the novel. Hemingway contrasts life’s highs (love) with life’s lows (death and destruction) frequently.

“And you'll always love me won't you?

Yes

And the rain won't make any difference?

No”

― Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms

Simile: Similes are used at various times during the novel in the character’s dialogue.

“You look healthy as a goat.”

-Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms

Hyperbole: Hyperboles are used on the story to emphasize and exaggerate certain things. Hemingway’s characters can be very dramatic so the use of hyperboles is appropriate.

“But millions of fools like you don’t know it”

-Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms

Symbolism: Symbolism is used a great deal throughout the novel. One of the most prevalent symbols used in this story is alcohol. The ever present liquor represents the escape all the soldiers wish they could make. The flowing wine, brandy, etc. are used to help forget the present devastation.

“Wine is a grand thing," I said. "It makes you forget all the bad.” ― Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms

Characterization

1.       Hemingway uses direct characterization when describing Henry’s friend Rinaldi. In the beginning of the novel, he flat out states that Rinldi is a drinker who like to have a good time and mess around with Henry. Another use of direct characterization is the description of Catherine’s friend the nurse. The nurse tells the two she disapproves of them and hates Henry and Henry describes her as cold and bitter. Indirectly, Catherine is characterized when she tells Henry about the baby. She is very nervous and apprehensive so the audience is able to infer that she is very distraught at the thought of Henry leaving her. Henry is indirectly characterized when he rows all night to Switzerland. This shows his determination and strength in stressful situations.

2.       For the most part, Hemingway’s syntax and diction remains the same no matter what character he is talking about. However, the dialogue between Henry and Catherine is a little more dramatic than the rest of the novel.

3.       I believe Henry is a dynamic character because love changes him. He goes from numb to ecstatic to back to numb at the end of the novel. In the beginning of the novel we see his feelings for Catherine growing stronger and stronger as his views on love begin to change. Meeting Catherine gave him an even greater yearning to leave the war forever and live a life of peace. Love consumed him and ultimately destroyed him.

4.       I came away from this novel as if I was a part of Catherine and Henry’s tangled love affair. In the end, when Henry was waiting for Catherine to have the baby, I was stressing and worrying probably as much as Henry was. When Catherine and the baby were pronounced dead I could not help but feel lonely and betrayed by the world. It was as if I felt Henry’s pain when he did.