Catherine Barkley is an English nurse serving at the Italian front. Due to the untimely death of a fiancé previous to the events of this book, Catherine has already been initiated into Hemingway's philosophy, and exemplifies the traits of the Hemingway code hero throughout the novel. She is characterized primarily by her disregard for social conventions as well as an unfaltering devotion to Henry.

A friend of Henry's, the young priest of the division is char

"You had lost your cars and your men as a floorwalker loses the stock of his department in a fire. There was, however, no insurance. You were out of it now. You had no more obligation. . . . Anger was washed away in the river along with any obligation." 232

"The world breaks every one 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." 249

Writing Style and StructureHemingway's signature declarative, terse prose serves him well in this novel. It enables our narrator to be initially detached from life, and also serves to paint an uncompromising picture of the war. Additionally, it is used to produce a realistic narrative from Henry's point of view, shying away from elaborate schemes and descriptions. Because of it, nothing in the novel is romanticized. The love between Henry and Catherine is an elegant one, and in Hemingway's hands it becomes more of a function of existence rather than the primary focus of the novel. The reader also will not fail to notice the humor which Hemingway manages to gleam despite the seriousness of his topic (the doubting reader should re-read Henry's dialogue with Miss Van Campen 144). The author is, indeed, finding something to laugh about in life, much as his characters are discovering meaning in an indifferent existence. Finally, Hemingway is well-known for his use of objective correlatives and this novel is no exception. The vivid details, from crowded trains to gaudy hotel rooms, oftentimes serve no purpose other than to paint a mood for the reader.

Major: "All thinking men are atheists." 8

"So now they got her in the end. You never got away with anything." 320

Some topics in this essay:
Farewell Arms, Catherine Barkley, Henry Henry, Pg Major, God-to Hemingway, Thematic Discussion, Count Greffi, Henry Catherine, Henry Priest, You're I've, catherine barkley, farewell arms, love catherine, code hero, social conventions, hemingway's philosophy, died devout somehow, devout family, family died, throughout novel, greffi expected devout, disregard social, count greffi expected, disregard social conventions, love catherine barkley,