A Farewell To Arms Is A Classic

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A Farewell To Arms Is A Classic Essay, Research Paper Although the book, A Farewell To Arms by Ernest Hemingway was not the type of book that had an exciting page-turning story, it can nevertheless be called a classic. A classic has been defined as a book that lasts through generations because of its universality of theme, ageless symbolism, word choice and the ordering of detail. This book has a universal theme, several ageless symbols, and a classic style that is as easily read today as it was 50 years ago. Although there were several themes in this book, a major theme seemed to dominate the story. This theme is the importance of love and loss in a malefemale relationship. These two lovers were so absorbed in each other that they needed no one else in their life. Wouldn t

you like to go on a trip somewhere by yourself, darling, and be with men and ski? No. Why should I? I should think sometimes you would want to see other people besides me. Do you want to see other people? No. Neither do I. p.297. This conversation shows that Catherine loves him so much that she is willing to be alone just so he can be happy. At the same time, Mr. Henry would probably like to go skiing but would never dream of leaving Catherine alone. Death wins out over love. It is very dangerous. The nurse went into the room and shut the door. I sat outside in the hall. Everything was gone inside of me. I did not think. I could no think. I knew she was going to die and I prayed that she would not. Don t let her die. Oh, God, please don t let her die. I ll do anything for you if

you won t let her die… p.330. Hemingway went on for an entire paragraph of him pleading with God. This is how he is able to show that Mr. Henry loves her more than anything, more than life its self. In a way, I think that they loved each other too much. They did not go out often or do anything that was with other people. They were always together. This is an unhealthy life style. They were creating their own fortress and isolating themselves from the world. My life used to be full of everything, I said. Now if you aren t with me I haven t a thing in the world. p. 257. This quote further supports the idea that they are isolating themselves from the world. Since they were so cut off from the outside world, Mr. Henry has even a more difficult time going back into the reality of

life after her death. This theme of man and woman isolated in love and finally their loss to dark death is universal. The most profound aspect of this book would be its ageless symbolism. The free-living, heavy-drinking life that Catherine and Mr. Henery shared could be compared to the heavy investing, speculating and consequence-free life of the 20 s. The product that came from Catherine and Mr. Henry s lifestyle was a dead child. The result of the over- investing of the 20 s was the great depression. So the baby symbolizes the depression. Another point to consider was that Mr. Henry was a deserter. He left the army to be with Catherine. Desertion was illegal and he paid for it by loosing that which he loved the most, Catherine. Rain was connected with pain or grief. He drank to

dull this grief or pain. Rain is wet and wet is connected with alcohol. We had each been drinking out of one of the bottles and I took my bottle with me and went over and lay flat on the hay and looked out the narrow window at the wet country. p.217. In this scene, he has been thinking of Cat and he decided that it would be best to drink his troubles away. When Hemingway said that the land was wet , it usually meant that Mr. Henry was drunk. After Catherine and the baby died at the hospital, Mr. Henry walked home in the rain. After a while I went out and left the hospital and walked back to the hotel in the rain. page 332. He had just suffered a major loss and dealt with it in the only way that he knew; through alcohol. Although drinking at this point was not actually mentioned