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.
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Patrick--some good starting thoughts. I think I'd steer away from the biographical connections and concentrate on the novel, perhaps developing some of the themes you've already noticed, like Henry's growing detachment from the war as he falls in love, the way Hemingway balances happiness and sadness in their relationship, and the theme of escape (which is even implied in the title.)
ReplyDeleteOne specific suggestion--in our library, in a book called Hemingway: The Writer as Artist, by Carlos Baker, is a chapter called The Mountain and the Plain, one of the most famous essays ever on this novel (it might not be available on JStor because it's not as recent as most of their material.) I'd strongly recommend that you look at it.