Sunday, April 11, 2010

A Farewell To Arms Impressions and Ideas for Essay

Immediately, some links can be drawn between what occurs in Hemingway's work in A Farewell To Arms and his real life experiences around the time of World War I. Even his relationship with Red Cross nurse Agnes von Kurowsky is portrayed in this novel through the characters of Lieutenant Henry and Catherine Barkley. Even the way they met and their jobs were similar to how Hemingway fell in love with Agnes. Also, just like most of his novels during his prime of writing, A Farewell To Arms does seem to promote Hemingway as a master of all trades, especially being a soldier and even somewhat of a ladie's man.
Hemingway also is able to show how soldiers did appear to be detached from society at the time, through his main character of Frederic Henry. Henry has to go through a lot to maintain his love for Catherine. He had to survive a war, even after his leave of absence was ruled over because it was believed he had received jaundice from drinking too much. Henry escapes from the war, and although he feels guilty for abandoning his effort, he is incredibly happy to be living with Catherine. In a sad ending to the novel, she dies after giving birth, but Henry will be able to remember her through the baby she left behind. I believe that this novel was a way to remember Agnes. His relationship with her maybe did not blossom as much as he wanted it to, but he would always remember her. He wrote this novel with her clearly in mind, but through Catherine's death he showed that he would never be able to have Agnes.