A Farewell to Arms by Ernest

Hemingway

Revision Seminar 2010Presented by:

Terri Crisafi & Judy Eastman

Hemingway’s Life & Reputation

War service Journalism ‘Lost Generation’ Writing Fishing / hunting Women

Language & Style Reportage and journalese – facts, details. Foreshadowing

Catherine’s fear of the rain Symbolism:

The rain/mud Bats – usually a symbol of evil, darkness; welcomed by

FH & CB into their room – man in harmony with the natural world.

Catherine’s hair – long femininity; cut-off independence.

Hemingway & Women

AFTA Themes

The evolution of Fredric Henry

Catherine inspires love and teaches him to love – thereby leading him to becoming a more honest and genuine character.

Escape down the river – baptism symbolism, spiritual awakening, love chosen over duty and service.

Count Greffi’s influence – love a religious feeling; attempt to develop devotion to faith.

War / Anti-War Details of war – World War One 1914–1918; ‘The Great

War’ or ‘The War to End All Wars’. Glimpses of other theatres of conflict through Catherine’s ‘boy’ fighting on the Somme (part of the Western Front, in France); Battle of / retreat from Caporetto.

Equipment, marching, attacks, weapons. Effect of war on the environment (see early chapters). Idealism attached to war – traditional values of courage,

honour, bravery, etc. are disregarded or rejected (eg. Henry’s medal).

Love

Catherine’s previous love affair and grief over losing ‘boy’ who was ‘blown to bits’.

Henry has never been in love and lies about loving Catherine early on.

Henry treats love as a game – ‘like bridge’ – and is known as a womaniser, admired by the men of the mess and the drivers. Rinaldi is his brother in arms when it comes to love affairs.

Catherine teaches Henry to love and to give it importance above other pursuits/obligations.

Love and Faith The Priest’s important role in Henry’s

education about love. ‘When you love you wish to do things for. You

wish to sacrifice for. You wish to serve.’ p. 66

Count Greffi – love a religious feeling. Faith: ‘I had expected to become devout myself

but it has not come.’ p. 233

Man v. Nature Life as a challenge – survival, struggle, finding

one’s place and path. War as a destructive force – the men fighting as

much with the weather and environment as the enemy.

Fighting against their own – Carabinieri. The symbolism of the mud, the rain, contrasted

with the beautiful spring of Chapter Three.

Masculinity Tested in the face of adversity Loyalty Strength Resilience A healthy sexual appetite Men behaving as men – role, norm, primal

instincts & behaviour Men who live large, live boldly & are true to their

nature and instincts.

Faith in a Godless World

How does one entertain belief in God in the face of the horrors of war?

The role of the Priest – Henry’s intellectual equal and an aid to serious conversation.

Mockery of the priest by the men in the mess, including the idea that life is sacred, the priest’s innate pacifism – in war, life is sacrificed.

Henry’s spiritual quest – lives for superficial pleasures, performs the duties required of him, lacks a spiritual side in the first half of the novel

Existentialism

Frederic Henry an existentialist – believes in personal responsibility takes action struggles with life and the nature of existence rejects a ‘fatalistic’ view of life.

Some things in the universe do not make sense, are not rational; it is how the individual responds that matters consider the end of the novel.

AFTA Characters

Frederic Henry: boy transformed American serving in

the Italian Ambulance Service.

Duty & service. Shuns praise. Abstract notions of

faith, honour & patriotism mean nothing.

Frederic Henry (cont.) Virile – “Did you have

any beautiful adventures?”

Plays the game of love.

Capable of violence & moral about face – helps deserter/later shoots others for same crime.

Leaves his post love over duty and service.

Learns to love Grieves Prays…

Frederic Henry (cont.) Chapter 34: ‘I had made a separate

peace’. Chapter 41: ‘…I went out and left the

hospital and walked back to the hotel in the rain.’

The novel’s title A Farewell to Arms resonates in both of these incidents.

Rinaldi: brother in arms Faithful friend Virile Competent Good natured Womaniser Protector of FH –

regards him as a child. Succumbs to syphilis.

The Priest: humanity, spirituality Gentle Patient Serious Intelligent/intellectual A man of honour ‘Love makes a man want

to give of himself, to make sacrifices for the sake of another…’

Count Greffi: mentor Companion to FH Talks with FH about

love, devotion and faith.

Admired and respected by FH.

Father figure?

Hemingway’s Men Passini, Gordini, Gavuzzi & Manera Philosophical ‘There is no finish to a war’;

‘even the peasants know better than to believe in a war’, Passini, p. 48

Despondent ‘There is a class that controls a country…’ p. 48

Camaraderie ‘Don’t be a bloody hero’ p. 55

Hemingway’s Men (cont.) Dr. Valentini – virile, competent Bonello – brutal, decisive Ettore Moretti – boastful, ambitious, quick

to insult. Emilio Simmons

Females in AFTA ‘He should have fine girls…Beautiful young

girls – accompanied by their mothers..’ Captain

‘We have beautiful English girls…’ Rinaldi Helen Ferguson –a ‘very nice nurse’ Catherine

Miss Gage – sympathetic to FH, not CB Miss Van Campen – ‘she did not like me

and I did not like her…’ Henry

Catherine Barkley: the inspiration British nursing

assistant. Victim of war – lost

love, lost future, mourns dead fiancé.

Ready to play the game of seduction.

Knows love game with FH is a lie.

Catherine Barkley (cont.) Submissive Stereotype? Sceptical Capable of drawing

the line. A victim of tragedy. Dedicated to having

FH’s child.

Loves FH but refuses to marry independent.

Believes that dreadful things await them.

Premonitions of death are haunting.

Miss van Campen: superintendent In charge of hospital in

Milan where FH is sent after mortar attack.

‘She did not like me and I did not like her…’

AFTA: Some ideas – that… love is to be valued

and pursued. war is not about

courage and honour and patriotism.

war is a form of insanity.

an individual should take their fate in their own hands.

there are forces in the universe that man cannot control.

war is inevitable amongst men.

war makes casualties of all.

Chaos comes when man is not in harmony with nature.

AFTA ideas (cont.): that… abandonment is

unacceptable. great love may not

last. humans are capable

of creating chaos. humans have the

capacity to love and be loved.

humans have destructive potential.

the world is cruel and senseless.

war is the dark extension of a world that refuses to acknowledge, protect or preserve true love.

loyalty is important.

AFTA ideas (cont.): that… humans loathe loss

and ugliness. war strips the world of

certainties humans are capable

of setting their own moral compass.

there is an unidentifiable malevolence in the world.

shelter from this malevolence is only temporary.

The Text in the Examination characters/relationships setting/narrative viewpoint themes, ideas and values the text’s structure – contributes to its

meaning…. Examine each part’s focus. autobiographical elements respond to topic!

Interpreting Questions Explore the theme of courage in Hemingway’s A

Farewell to Arms.

‘Catherine Barkley is the most courageous character in the novel.’ Significance of ‘most’ to answering the topic

In what ways is she courageous? Is she the most courageous? Who else is courageous? In what ways are they

courageous?

Interpreting Questions What does Hemingway suggest about

courage in war-time in A Farewell to Arms? Narrative voice