A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway Essay - 525 Words

In A Farewell to Arms, by Ernest Hemingway, the novel concerns itself primarily with Hemingways philosophy of life: unordered and random. There is no God to watch over man, to dictate codes of morality, or to ensure justice. Hemingway’s hero must accept his place as something insignificant, yet continue to fight endlessly against the meaninglessness of life. The universe is indifferent to mans plight. In the book, this indifference is best exemplified by the war -- an ultimately futile struggle of man against man and the death of Catherine Barkley – someone good and pure. She did not die due to her â€Å"sins†, but merely because life is short, unfair, and unorderly. The Hemingway hero must first accept many things, the first of which is a†¦show more content†¦The true hero can hold this meaninglessness in his mind while simultaneously creating meaning and order through life. He does this first by seeking a worthy adversary to struggle against, the war. He endures the pains of life without complaint, knowing them to be a part of life. Having conflicts with it besides seeing there to be no point in continuing on with the war – Henry leaves, thinking he has escaped the insanity and death that it brings. With Catherine’s death we realize that there is insanity and unfairness everywhere, no morals, no happy ending. Catherine was guilty of nothing but living in a world devoid of a meaning, a world unordered. In the end, there is no victory which awaits the hero -- winning the struggle is impossible. Henrys fights the meaningless of life through his love affair with Catherine, among many other things. Fate and the unordered world challenge that love and win in the end by taking the life of Catherine and the newborn, but Henrys struggle is a heroic one. Heroism and manliness, no matter how unimportant and uninfluential, is something that Hemingway promoted. Life is spontaneous and random, it has no final point, but you need order and structure and heroism. Catherine dies to prove a running theme throughout the book, life is short, random, and meaningless unless you put meaning toShow MoreRelatedA Farewell Of Arms By Ernest Hemingway1607 Words   |  7 Pages Ernest Hemingway s third novel a Farewell to arms was being created with his early experience with war. Just out of High school, E.Hemingway tried volunteering to fight in World War 1 but he was rejected by the U.S. military because of his poor eyesight. Instead he voluntarily enlisted in the Italian ambulance corps on the Italian front where he was injured by a mortar shell. While E.Hemingway was recovering he started to fall in love with a nurse named Agnes Von Kurowsky. She howeverRead MoreA Farewell Of Arms By Ernest Hemingway Essay1714 Words   |  7 PagesA Farewell to Arms is one of Ernest Hemingway’s most admirable novels. It has received millions of positive and negative criticisms. It is also the most regarded American literary exemplary. The story is told from first person perspective. The perspective Frederic an American ambulance driver in the Italian army during War. He falls in love with an English nurse, Catherine, and he experiences the pain and loss in war and in life. Even though it is one of the most revered books in American literatureRead MoreA Farewell to Arms, by Ernest Hemingway1041 Words   |  5 PagesErnest Hemingway defined a hero as, â€Å"A man who lives correctly, following the ideals of honor, courage and endurance in a world that is sometimes chaotic, often stressful, and always painful.† It is blatantly apparent that Henry, the protagonist of A Farewell to Arms, did not exemplify any of these traits at all in the beginning of the novel. However, as the book progressed, Henry gradually learned how to be a â€Å"Hemingway Hero†, and he eventually progressed to the point where he completely embodiedRead MoreA Farewell Of Arms, By Ernest Hemingway1339 Words   |  6 Pages[persisted] ‘What is defeat? You go home.’† Throughout A Farewell to Arms, many characters remain apathetic or disillusioned in matters most would deem vital. Frederic Henry struggles throughout the book to find sufficient resolutions to his problems, but in the end realizes the futility of his hardships. In A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway uses disillusionment and apathy to show the futility of mankind and the intimations of mortality. Hemingway doesn’t explain why Frederic Henry, the book’s protagonistRead MoreA Farewell Of Arms, By Ernest Hemingway1739 Words   |  7 PagesMajor events throughout history have resulted from human desire for fulfillment by instituting war, preaching religion, and glorifying love. In A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway introduces Frederic Henry, an American in the Italian Army during World War I. Frederic Henry’s attempts to find his meaning in life, are represented by his attempts to discover the possibilities in war, religion, and love. He does this through his friendship with a Catholic priest, his intense love affair with nurseRead MoreA Farewell Of Arms By Ernest Hemingway2089 Words   |  9 PagesThe novel, A Farewell to Arms, demonstrates how the world can cause hardship on an individual when exposed to emotions towards something through the lens of the characters and Hemingway’s life. One of the reoccurring themes throughout this book is, the individual who carries no feelings towards anything will never lose it, but once that individual catches emotion towards it it will be taken away. Hemingway incorporates this theme within his writing through Frederick and Catherine’s relationship,Read MoreA Farewell Of Arms By Ernest Hemingway1942 Words   |  8 Pagesnovel A Farewell to Arms Ernest Hemingway wrote, We re going to have a strange life. (D). His life was not ordinary by any means; he became the voice of his generation with his poignant works capturing the emotions of the American people after World War I. In his novel A Farewell to Arms Ernest Hemingway attempts to demonstrate through the characters of Frederic Henry and Rinaldi the feelings of horror and disillusionment the people of the Modern era tried to escape. Ernest Miller Hemingway was bornRead MoreA Farewell Of Arms By Ernest Hemingway994 Words   |  4 PagesIn the classic novel, A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway, the reader is immediately introduced to Frederic Henry, who is both the narrator and protagonist. Use of the first person point of view draws the reader more closely into the story, allowing for the personal connection between oneself and Henry. This intimate relationship leads to an understanding, if not sympathetic, view of all his feelings. Throughout his adventures, Henry learns to overcome many different types of wounds which areRead MoreA Farewell Of Arms, By Ernest Hemingway1824 Words   |  8 Pagesâ€Å"‘Defeat is worse.† â€Å"‘I do not believe it,’ Passini [persisted] ‘What is defeat? You go home’† (Hemingway 49). Throughout A Farewell to Arms, many characters remain apathetic or disillusioned in matters most would deem vital. Frederic Henry struggles throughout the book to find acceptable resolutions to his problems, but in the end realizes the futility of his hardships. In A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway uses disillusionment and apathy to show the fruitlessness of mankind and prevalence of mortalityRead MoreA Farewell Of Arms By Ernest Hemingway1582 Words   |  7 PagesIn A Farewell To Arms, Ernest Hemingway wrote about an American man named Frederic Henry driving an ambulance in World War I. Frederic Henry fell in love with a nurse, Catherine Barkley, and experienced his life in war with Catherine by his side. Ernest Hemingway received inspiration to write this book from his own true life events. He was in the military and also fell deeply in love with a young nurse from a Hospital when he was injured. The young nurse accepted Hemingway’s marriage proposal and