Group Members

Farwa Azam
Tehmeen Bibi
Nazia Parveen
Fatima

Abdul Khaliq

War scenario and writer`s

background in A Farewell to Arms
The

Modern era has been a time of great changes

in the United States. WW1, the great depression,
and World War 2 devastated the American`s
people. Yet there were also times of prosperity,
such as the Golden Twenties and the decade
after World War 2. America has also seen many
great leaders during the past century such as:
Woodrow Wilson, Franklin and Theodore. These
leaders dealt with War, Depression, and the
threat of communism, but still managed to
protect the interest of the people and the ideals
of America.

Continue
The

tension, horror, and meaninglessness of

contemporary American life became a major
theme of novelists during the 1960`s and 70`s.
The term Lost Generation used to describe the
generation of writers active immediately after
World War 1. Gertrude Stein used the phrase in
conversation with Ernest Hemingway. This
signifies a disillusioned post-War generation
characterized by lost values, lost belief in the
ideas of human progress, and a mood of futility
and despair leading to hedonism.

A Farewell to Arms
The Grim Reality of War
As the title of the novel makes clear,A Farewell to
Armsconcerns itself primarily with war, namely the
process by which Frederic Henry removes himself from
it and leaves it behind.
The novel offers masterful descriptions of the
conflicts senseless brutality and violent chaos: the
scene of the Italian armys retreat remains one of the
most profound evocations of war in American
literature
Hemingway suggests that war is nothing more than
the dark, murderous extension of a world that refuses
to acknowledge, protect, or preserve true love.

 Lieutenant

Frederic Henry who is working in the red

cross goes through the unusual experience of the first
WW1, which because of its mechanized nature takes
away from war all the glory that had been attached to
it. Moreover, the first World War had destroyed the
values cherished by the 19th century. The
psychological effect of this moral crash was that the
hero felt confused and bewildered in a world that is
dominated by violence and death. It goes to
Hemingway`s credit that in spite of environmental
limitations he created characters who came to grip
with the problems as best as they could and asserted
themselves in face of big obstacles.

PRIMITIVISM
Is a name for a cluster of ideas arising from meditations on the
course of human history and the value of human institutions and
accomplishments. It is found in two forms, chronological and
cultural, each of which may exist as soft or hard primitivism.
Chronological primitivism
Maintains that the earliest stage of human history was the best,
that the earliest period of national, religious, artistic, or in fact
any strand of history was better than the periods that have
followed, that childhood is better than maturity. In short, it argues
that to discover the best stage of any historical series one must
return to its origins. Primitive man, for instance, was better than
civilized man, primitive Christianity was better than later
developments of Christianity, the arts of savages and children are
better than those of educated men and adults.

Cultural primitivism
Maintains that whatever additions have been made to what is
called the natural condition of mankind have been deleterious.
Unfortunately the meanings of the natural are so multiple that
cultural primitivists vary widely in what they consider to be the
state of nature.
Hard primitivism
is the doctrine that man is happiest when he is not burdened with
arts and sciences, lives with the fewest possible needs, is satisfied
with the simplest of lives. A cave suffices for a house, acorns for
food, the skins of wild beasts for clothing, a heap of dried leaves
for a bed.

The hard primitivist is likely to hold up the animals as

exemplars; for they ask, he will say, nothing more than
Mother Nature has given them at birth. [] he may believe
that men are overburdened with unnecessary desires and that
they should return to Nature or to the simple life.
Soft primitivism maintains that the best life is the life
without toil, the sort of life that was sometimes depicted as
characteristic of the islands of the South Seas where the
climate is gentle, the earth spontaneously productive, the
animals friendly, the sea full of fish easily caught. Soft
primitivism often accompanies chronological primitivism, as
it did in the legend of the Golden Age or in one version of life
before the Fall.

Primitivism
Primitive:
Of or belonging to the first age, period or stage; earliest, original.
Having the quality or style of that which is early or ancient.
Going into the Twenties, many American artists and writers felt that
modern American culture and society were inadequate. They felt the
refined traditions of the literary and artistic production of previous
generations were no longer interesting and lacked spiritual depth, due in
part to the rise of mass consumption and materialism. Some found a
solution in "primitive" societies, especially the Native American Pueblo
societies of the Southwest, who seemed to live deeply spiritual lives
that involved communal relationships with other people and closeness
to the natural world.

To the

artists and writers who idealized these societies, Native

Americans seemed completely removed from the problems of modern
society, particularly from troubles in increasingly crowded urban areas.
Some 1920s intellectuals adopted primitivismthe belief in the
superiority of ways of life that seemed simpler than modern ones. The
artists and writers who embraced primitivism believed that imitating the
practices of Native Americans would guide them and the American
people as a whole toward more active spiritual lives and more
harmonious relationships with each other and the world, ultimately
resulting in better creative output.

SURVIVAL
As you know, most of the men in the novel drink
constantly. And often, when they do, wine seems to
representsurvival.
When Henry returns to the front, during the retreat,
when Aymo is killed, and throughout the day when the
baby and Catherine die.
Rivers and lakes act as a division and the crossing of
them often brings the crosser to survival. During the
attack in which Henry is first injured the Italians are
trying to cross a river. Henry and the ambulance drivers
believe they are cut off during the retreat and have to
cross a river. To escape unfair execution, Henry leaps
into the Tagliamento River. To cross into Switzerland,
Henry and Catherine row their way up a lake. The
crossing of water to safety is a repeated image

Masculinity
A Farewell to Armsshows men fulfilling what are often
consider traditional male roles, or even stereotypes
they drink hard, fight hard, play hard, and commit heroic
acts of bravery. However, as we get to know them better,
their masculinity is revealed as subtle, complicated, and
individual to each man. All in all, the men in this novel
are human they love, they suffer, they hurt, they hope,
and, sometimes,
they even break.
Farewell to Armsholds up several of its minor male
characters as examples of fine manhood. Rinaldi is a
faithful friend and an oversexed womanizer; Dr. Valentini
exhibits a virility to rival Rinaldis as well as a bold
competence that makes him the best surgeon. Similarly,
during the scene in which Henry fires his pistol at the
fleeing engineering sergeants, Bonello takes charge of
the situation by brutally shooting the fallen engineer in
the head.

Masculinity
The

respect with which Hemingway sketches

these men, even at their lowest points, is
highlighted by the humor, if not contempt, with
which he depicts their opposites. The success of
each of these men depends, in part, on the failure
of another: Rinaldi secures his sexual prowess by
attacking the priests lack of lust; Dr. Valentinis
reputation as a surgeon is thrown into relief by
the three mousy, overly cautious, and physically
unimpressive doctors who precede him; and
Bonellos ruthlessness is prompted by the disloyal
behavior of the soldier whom he kills

Masculinity
"After

a while I went out and left the

hospital and walked back to the hotel in
the rain." (41.292)
This is a great example of Hemingways
theory of omission. How can Frederic
express all the pain and turmoil hes
feeling now that hes lost Catherine and
his son? He doesnt have to. We can feel
it all from just these seemingly simple
words.

Masculinity
"I tried not to think and to be perfectly
calm." (41.241)
Though things are changing as we see
that men and women arent all that
different, shows of emotion are thought
to be feminine behavior, while calmness
is thought to be masculine. We wonder if
this is just Frederics personality, or if
hes learned that calm and collected is
the way men are supposed to be.

Masculinity
"Tell

me, baby, when you lie here all

the time in hot weather dont you
get excited?" (10.35)
Rinaldis speech drips with sexuality.
We wonder if this wouldnt sound
better in Italian. For Rinaldi,
masculinity is all about sexiness, and
he cant seem to turn it off.

WOMEN AND FEMININITY

There

arent very many women inA Farewell

to Arms, but the ones we do meet are
unforgettable characters. In many ways they
fulfill traditional female gender roles, or even
female stereotypes they are all either
nurses or prostitutes. Yet, as they to try to
find happiness and do the right thing in a
war-torn world, they transgress and
challenge gender roles revealing themselves
as simply human flawed, breakable, strong,
daring, and often full of love

"And why didnt you marry?"

"I dont know. I was a fool not to."
(4.55-56)
Catherine flip-flops on the idea of
marriage
throughout the novel. She always finds
some
reason not to get legally married, but
shes a
true believer in acting married.

 Whats

the matter, darling?"

"I never felt like a whore before." (23.143)
This is probably the first time Catherine and
Frederic have sex together outside of his
hospital bed. Part of why she feels like a
whore is because she knows that not just
any hotel would let them get a room for a
few hours, married or not. When they have
sex in the hospital it seems like part of her
nursing duties in a way, and therefore
acceptable.

Violence
Novel

depicts the chaos, anarchy and terrible

violence of war.
What is war at its worst? It is also about fear, because
soon the planes will come. "I was certain that if the
rain should stop and planes come over and get to
work on that column This fear is best represented by
two young girls, virgins, who join Henry and his men.
"Every time he said the word the girl stiffened a little.
Then sitting stiffly and looking at him she began to
cry. I saw her lips working and then tears came down
her plump cheeks. Her sister, not looking up, took her
hand...The older one, who had been so fierce, began
to sob." As they say later.

Violence
A

retreat was no place for virgins. Both are terrified because

they know their future. Very likely, they will almost certainly be
raped or killed. it would be all over. Then more tragedy, and more
upending of social order. Fellow Italians open fire. "Aymo, as he
was crossing the tracks, lurched, tripped and fell face down...He
was hit low in the back of the neck and the bullet ranged upward
and come out under the right eye. He died while I was stopping up
the two holes." Stay in one place, and the invading Army will
capture you, and probably kill you. Move forward, and your own
army will shoot at you. "
"I saw how their minds worked; if they had minds and if they
worked. They were all young men and they were saving their
country...So far they had shot every one they had questioned. The
questioners had that beautiful detachment and devotion to stern
justice of men dealing in death without being in any danger of it."

Violence
A

retreat was no place for virgins. Both are terrified because

they know their future. Very likely, they will almost certainly be
raped or killed. it would be all over. Then more tragedy, and more
upending of social order. Fellow Italians open fire. "Aymo, as he
was crossing the tracks, lurched, tripped and fell face down...He
was hit low in the back of the neck and the bullet ranged upward
and come out under the right eye. He died while I was stopping up
the two holes." Stay in one place, and the invading Army will
capture you, and probably kill you. Move forward, and your own
army will shoot at you. "
"I saw how their minds worked; if they had minds and if they
worked. They were all young men and they were saving their
country...So far they had shot every one they had questioned. The
questioners had that beautiful detachment and devotion to stern
justice of men dealing in death without being in any danger of it."

Nostalgia

Home sickness.
A wistful or excessively
sentimental sometimes abnormal
yearning for return to or return of
some real or romanticized period
or irrecoverable condition or
setting in the past.
Memory.

Nostalgia is not associated with any

particular era or any particular civilization
or culture. It is ancient and modern , rural
and urban. It is found in primitive societies
as well as advanced. It is a phenomenon
fundamental to the human creature.

Nostalgia in A Farewell To
Arms

A number of critics have said that Hemingway

wrote out his experience of being wounded as a
kind of therapy which would help him get rid of
emotional scars.
He did not rid himself of the memory of his
wounding by writing about it; on the contrary ,
he wrote about it again and again and over a long
period of years.

Warmth and intimacy , are individuals

recognition that something recalled in
Henrys memory belonging to his personal
and private consciousness, it states that
Henry desperately trying to avoid, whether
or not he believes it is possible.

Although he committed himself to tell his

narrative as best as he can. Henry wishes to rid
himself by his flights of denial, of emotion of
believes.
For Henry his personal history is nightmare from
which he trying to awake. He goes to Swirtzland
in an attempt to replicate a sense of edinec
domestic bliss with Catherine. But minimizing
the likelihood of memorys intrusion is the best
that can be done. It is senseless to declare.
I was going to forgot the war

Memory is viewed as an impediment to stability.

a burden that must be a shed in order to gain
enjoyment or to forget a separate pike of mind.
Henry knows that he cant forgot the mystery that
Priest told him but he just simply to ignore it.
After his wound. He tells Priest that he does
not love God, he fears God(72) Later he said to
Count Greffi that he is a believer or
croyant(261).

One of the main gift, that Henry relationship

with Catherine has given him, ultimately, is a
temporary relief from WAR.
I know the night is not the same as the day: that
all things are different, that the things of the night
cannot be explained in the day, because they do not
then exist, and the night can be a dreadful time for
lonely people once their loneliness has started, But
with Catherine there was almost no difference in
the night except that it was even better time

At the other hand, Nostalgia is also present in the

character of Priest. He has desire to go back to
his home, to see his family thats why he insist
Henry for the visit of his hometown Abbruzzi.

Conclusion:
These are some primitivism instincts survival,
masculinity, homesickness of modern man, urge
of modern man to go back to his basics and
violence are present in this modern play which is
love story written under the scenario of WW1.