Ernest Hemingway's "A Farewell to Arms" is a poignant portrayal of love and loss amidst the tumult of World War I. Set against the backdrop of the Italian-Austrian conflict, it follows American ambulance driver Lieutenant Frederick Henry as he navigates the brutality of war and finds solace in the arms of British nurse Catherine Barkley. Through sparse yet evocative prose, Hemingway delves into themes of disillusionment, the randomness of fate, and the enduring power of human connection. This timeless classic offers readers a haunting glimpse into the depths of human experience in the face of adversity.
Intro
Starting with Ernest Hemingway's masterpiece, "A Farewell to Arms," renowned for its hot romance novel as well as its portrayal of the horrors and disillusionment of war. Written in 1929, this novel is the author's representative work, set against the backdrop of the war between Italy and Austria during World War I. It is said to be inspired by an encounter between the author Hemingway and the French writer André Maurois during the war, where they made a dramatic promise. Hemingway, who actually worked as an ambulance driver for the Red Cross on the Italian front during World War I, reflected his real-life experiences in this novel. Despite being a war novel, it shows more of what happens behind the front lines than on the front lines. It tells a tragic love story that the protagonist experiences during the war, laying the foundation for Hemingway's literature of disillusionment.
Characters
The protagonist is Lieutenant Frederick Henry, a duty officer in the American military. Despite being in the U.S. military, he volunteers for service with the Italian army and participates in the front lines. Henry meets and falls in love with a nurse named Catherine Barkley. Other characters include Henry's Italian colleague Rinaldi, who enjoys alcohol and music, and Helen Ferguson, Catherine's colleague, who cares for Catherine deeply.
Plot summary
The protagonist, an American named Henry, unusually serves as an officer in the Italian army as a volunteer duty officer. Henry is stationed on the front lines in northern Italy, where the fighting is intense. His Italian colleague, Officer Rinaldi, develops feelings for a British nurse named Catherine Barkley, who has recently been assigned to a field hospital. Upon returning from leave, Rinaldi accompanies Henry to the field hospital, where Henry and Catherine unexpectedly become lovers.
Catherine, as it turns out, is not a formally trained nurse but rather a hastily trained volunteer, as there is a great need for nurses on the battlefield.
Meanwhile, the war between Italy and Austria escalates, and a major battle erupts on Henry's front. During the battle, Henry sustains a serious leg injury. He is evacuated to the rear, undergoes surgery, and fortunately begins to recover. However, luck brings Catherine to the same hospital as a nurse, and they are reunited.
As Henry's injury gradually heals, he receives orders to return to the front lines. At the same time, Henry and Catherine learn that they are expecting a child.
Returning to his original unit and experiencing various hardships, Henry eventually deserts his unit and is later captured by Italian military police. These military policemen were executing officers who had deserted their units, but Henry manages to escape and jumps into a nearby river, floating downstream for a while until he can reach the shore. He then boards a passing train and travels to Milan.
Feeling disillusioned with the war during this journey, Henry loses his sense of purpose and disguises himself as a civilian in Milan. He reunites with Catherine in Milan and spends some happy moments with her. However, one night they hear from a hotel employee that military police are coming to arrest him. Henry and Catherine escape by rowing a boat across the lake into Switzerland. They settle in a peaceful village in Switzerland, away from the war, and lead a contented life.
Eventually, Catherine goes into labor with Henry's child. However, she suffers a stillbirth, and due to severe bleeding, Catherine also dies. After the doctor pronounces her dead, Henry walks back to the hotel alone in the rain, feeling lonely and desolate.
Review
Although it is a war novel, the descriptions of the war scenes are relatively sparse in "A Farewell to Arms." However, as expected of a story set during wartime, the protagonist Henry inevitably becomes involved in various battles. As the war drags on, Henry also develops hatred towards the enemy forces, the Germans and Austrians. War often breeds madness, and there is hatred without reason or understanding of legitimacy. This aspect is reflected in the novel, where the Italian soldiers not only hate the enemy forces but also begin to resent their own allies, suspecting infiltration of spies among them. By showcasing such irrational behaviors, the novel portrays the spread of hatred without reason amidst wartime circumstances.
In this sense, the novel can also be seen as a narrative of twists. War reflects the interests of the ruling class or privileged few, leaving the common people in the dark about why they should kill the enemy, only filled with hatred and madness. Even within the novel, there is a depiction of the soldiers hating not only the enemy forces but also their own allies, showcasing how war breeds irrationality and hatred without reason.
The simple plot revolves around the protagonist Henry participating in the war and then fleeing with his beloved woman to Switzerland, seeking to live a peaceful life. In Switzerland, Henry and Catherine begin to enjoy a happy life without any shortage. The title of the novel, "A Farewell to Arms," may symbolize the desire to escape the war symbolized by weapons and find happiness, which can also be applied to our own lives. However, the ending turns tragic as Catherine dies, leaving Henry to face the agony of life alone. Despite escaping the war, the agony of life remains, showing that we cannot ultimately escape our fate.
After Catherine's death, I contemplated on how Henry would continue his life. Surprisingly, I believe Henry would quickly overcome his sadness and bravely embrace a new life. We can see glimpses of this attitude in Henry's character throughout the story. Despite the many wounds and memories from the war, he quickly discards the past and prepares for a new life. When supporting the front lines, he easily volunteers for the Italian army since he was already in Italy, and after leaving the front lines, he chooses Switzerland instead of returning to the United States. This aspect of his life reflects his attitude towards moving forward, suggesting that we must quickly overcome the scars of war and open a new era. Through this, the novel delivers a message to us that we must quickly overcome the scars of war and open a new era.
Final thoughts
I remember enjoying a song by the korean singer Park Sang Min with the same title. I knew it was a parody of the famous novel, but I hadn't read it myself until now. Reading it this time made me reflect on the significance of individuals in war. Even amidst the chaos of war, the love story that blooms stands out like a natural-colored flower in a muddy pond.
