Assignment : A Farewell To Arms Themes, Motifs and Symbols.

Name : Muhammad Zubair

ROLL NO : 4th Semester
Submited to Ma'am Farah Nazly

THE DESTRUCTION OF WAR AND BREAKDOWN OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT:​This novel

has been named one of the best American novels to emerge from World War One reason for
this is because it gives us a description of the war not usually given rather than describing
constant battles or action, this book shows us the emotional turmoil that war puts us through.
Just as the war destroys the countryside in which it is fought it destroys the will and spirit of
those fighting it. And as the book progresses and the war becomes bigger and bloodier
people become weary of it and eventually believe that there is no victory everyone is already
cooked as one captain put it
Henry explains this deterioration of will If people bring so much courage to this world the
world has to kill them to break them so of course it kills them. The world breaks everyone
and afterward many are strong at the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It
kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially.If you are none of these
you can be sure it will kill you too but there will be no special hurry. Henry believes that
people aren’t in control of their future but rather they are subject to destructive forces in the
world, such as the war. He believes that the war will kill everyone mentally if not physically
by slowly breaking them down so they lose faith.

LOSS OF FAITH ​– Perhaps one of the main themes in this book is the loss of faith
throughout the book, the loss of religious faith also parallels the loss of faith and spirit that
Italy will win the war. On the front, the priest is mocked because he loves God and most of
the soldiers are atheists as a major explains all thinking men are atheists. The priest
explains to Henry that where he comes from it is understood that a man may love God but
Henry replies that he is unable to love God and is even afraid of him at times. Henry tries
praying throughout the book but it never seems to work.

THE INEVITABLE AND RANDOM FORCES OF NATURE​ :In the novel,Henry and
Catherine feel that they have taken their destiny into their own hands they ran from their
duties in the army and escaped to Switzerland where they live an ideal and isolated life
together. However this life doesn’t last long before they are reminded of the harsh reality in
which they live. They manage to distance themselves as much from the war as they can
saying things like You didn’t desert from the army. It was just the Italian army. This
statement is ridiculous because Italian army or not he still deserted.

LOVE​ :There are two main ideas dealing with love in this novel first the importance of love
and second that love goes hand-in-hand with loneliness. At this point Henry openly admits
that he doesn’t love anything However this view quickly changes as Henry finds solace in
Catherine and finally achieves happiness. Toward the end of the book, in his conversation
with Count Greffi Henry says that what he valued most in the world was the one he loved,
showing that love had transformed his life and was the most important thing in it.
When Catherine and Henry are together they often want to feel isolated and away from
others. Part of the reason for this is that prior to being together both of them were lonely
Henry was an American serving the Italian army and Catherine was a British nurse serving
in Italy who had recently lost her fiancé In each other they found comfort and a relief from
loneliness, so they wanted to be alone together to escape outside problems and be happy
We could feel alone when we were together alone against the others but we were never
lonely and never afraid when we were together So they could never be alone when they
were together but their connection works the other way too they were always lonely when
they were apart.

APPEARANCE VS. REALITY​ - Lt. Henry and Catherine continuously live in an illusionary
world. Even the mere foundations of their relationship are based upon fallacies. Against the
grim backdrop of war Lt. Henry sees Catherine to distract him whereas Catherine is
searching for solace after the death of her fiancée. Lt. Henry and Catherine make false love
promises throughout the novel. It seems as if they want the other to feel like the relationship
is significant however their relationship is just a fantasy The boredom in Lt. In conclusion Lt.
Henry and Catherine are constantly trying to appear as if they are a real genuine couple, but
in reality their relationship is a mere illusion.

ISOLATION​ - Lt. Henry and Catherine are always isolated from reality whether they are in
Lt. Henry’s hospital room or dreaming of a perfect life together In fact they continuously seek
isolation so that others don’t see the fallacies of their relationship. For example, they meet
primarily during the night in Lt. Henry’s isolated room and feel uncomfortable in large
crowds This fear of showing their relationship to others is based upon the illusion of their
relationship.Instead of allowing others to see this illusion they remain contained and isolated
so that they can sustain a semblance of compatibility. However in retaliation to their isolation
Ferguson tries to separate them which doesn’t work. And so, although some try to separate
Lt. Henry and Catherine they choose to constantly be together and prefer to be alone so the
illusion of their relationship can be maintained.

Symbol:-

RAIN​ – Hemingway uses rain to symbolize loss or the coming of bad things to the narrator’s
life. Some times when rain is present when Henry has to leave Catherine and return to the
front, during the tragic retreat when Henry’s car breaks down during the retreat when they
are captured by the Battle Police and he is driven to desert, and when Catherine gets sick
and dies,In all of these instances the plot or Henry’s feelings take a turn for the worse. Early
in the book, when they are lying in bed together in Milan, Catherine tells Henry that she’s
scared of the rain. Though they both enjoy walking in it she says it’s very hard on loving.This
statement is certainly true as every time it rains their relationship dies or weakens somehow,
whether he is sent back to the front or whether she lies sick in a hospital. This statement
also turns out to be foreshadowing, as their true love is broken up by Catherine’s death while
it is raining outside. It is significant that Hemingway chose rain because it is a force of nature
that we cannot stop as he tries to tell us that fate is something we cannot stop. This also
brings up the idea that there are some things in the world that we can’t change or control but
no matter what life goes on.
CATHERINE’S DEATH​: Catherine’s struggle with death definitely represents the innocent
people who were caught up in a struggle beyond their control. Historically speaking the
people of a country don’t declare a war the leaders and diplomats of that country
do.countryside where it was fought were also caught up in the war. So ending the war and
starting it in the first place is beyond the control of any single innocent person involved
because one person can’t end a war unless he or she is the leader of one of the warring
parties..This brings up the idea once again, that there are some things beyond our
control.Furthermore Catherine’s death could also symbolize the harsh reality in which we live
and the idea that no matter how far you run and distance yourself you can never completely
escape all your problems or the world will bring you back.It shows a harsh reality because as
Henry said in the book both the brave and the innocent are killed impartially.

​ HE PRIEST​ :The Priest can be seen as a constant in a perpetually changing world During
T
war everything is always changing one side is winning, then losing the front is shifting troops
are being reassigned, Henry Catherine Rinaldi, and all the other soldiers are caught up in
that change but the Priest no matter what holds a steadfast devotion to God.Unaffected by
their mocking the Priest defends his position that he has always and will always love God
and defends the same devotion to his Abruzzi where this view is understood.Throughout the
book Henry loses faith and doesn't know quite what to believe but the Priest represents what
Henry is always looking for something to hold on to.Henry later finds his constant in
Catherine whom he holds onto for as long as he can.

CATHERINE'S HAIR​:Catherine's hair also has some significance to the appearance vs

reality theme Henry constantly compliments Catherine's hai in fact it's one of the first things
he notices about her Moreover when Henry describes Catherine taking the pins of of her hair
and it as it would all come down and she would drop her head and we would both be inside
of it and it was the feeling of inside a tent or behind falls I think it could symbolize his feeling
of isolation with Catherine. This feeling deepens that sense of distraction Henry has when
he's with Catherine.

MASCULINITY:​Hemingway portrays stereotypical women: either docile and domestic or

shrewd and severe. Catherine Barkley is depicted as very submissive to Henry's needs and
desires. For example, upon first meeting Henry, she declined a kiss. However when he
goaded her for one, she complied after asking Do you want it very much Also Catherine
even claims There isn’t any me anymore Just what you want to Lt Henry.
Whereas Catherine is depicted as very docile compliant and vulnerable Miss Van Campen is
illustrated as the complete opposite Oddly enough, Catherine’s beauty her hair and height in
particular are admired greatly by Lt. Henry however Miss Van Campen’s physical features
are never mentioned.

​ onclusion​, Hemingway depicts women as two extremes complacent like Catherine or

C
strict like Miss Van Campen. Were Hemingway’s motives for illustrating women so
stereotypical in order to ignore the women’s rights movements throughout Europe and the
United States.

​ ​THE END