Destruction of War in "A Farewell to Arms"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that "A Farewell to Arms" is a sad story, but it is even sadder because Hemingway shows the destruction of war, not only on the countryside, but also on the people. The author points out that Hemingway uses the character, Frederic Henry, to show the horrors of war; the abstracts of war are very different from the realities of war, and the abstract qualities of bravery are very different from the realities of bravery. The paper concludes that Henry is a hero, not because he served in the war and was wounded, but because he was strong enough to understand the war was wrong and stand up against it; therefore, the story shows that it is easy to do what everyone else is doing, but much harder to stand up and be different.

From the Paper:

" "A Farewell to Arms" is about an American ambulance driver fighting in the First World War named Frederic Henry. He enlisted in the Italian army simply because he was there, and he goes through many adventures in the book. He falls in love with Catherine, a British nurse, and is wounded during the fighting. He returns to the front, but the Italian Army is driven back, and he is nearly executed by angry troops who blame the officers for their retreat. He escapes, and returns to Catherine. They leave Italy and settle is Switzerland, leaving the war and its horror behind them."

More papers on Destruction of War in "A Farewell to Arms":

• Analytical Essay # 58574 : "Loss of Faith in "A Farewell to Arms"
• Essay # 33540 : "Love in "A Farewell to Arms"
• Analytical Essay # 121046 : "Catherine in "A Farewell to Arms"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: