Ernest Hemingway
First published 1929 (October issue of Scriber’s
Magazine)
This summer, I revisited Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to
Arms. Although the novel is set during WWI in Italy, in its essence, it is a
love story rather than a war story. Not that it is a romance novel. Far from it!
Hemingway uses no flowery language or long-winded descriptions. Instead, he uses
his characteristic terse staccato sentences; an almost journalistic style of
writing that, though at times feels cold, seems to reflect the cold vagaries of
chance that determine the fortunes of man. Reading this novel, you get a clear
feeling that the divide between life and death is indeed very subtle.
The protagonist, Lieutenant Frederic Henry, is a young
American who has joined the Italian ambulance corps as a volunteer. He is
wounded by an exploding shell and is moved to an American hospital in Milan. While
convalescing, he falls in love with a British nurse, Catherine Barkley, and
after a brief love affair gets her pregnant. Catherine is very accommodating to
her lover – today’s emancipated women would think of her as too servile, but
obviously, in the eyes of the women of the 1920s and 30s, she would have
appeared very forward or downright wanton. Hemingway’s casual treatment of premarital sex
led to the novel being banned in some parts of the United States. This might
surprise the modern reader who is not aware of the context during which it was
written.
It was also banned in Italy. Hemingway’s depiction of the
disastrous Italian retreat during the Battle of Caporetto seemed to offend
fascist ‘patriots.’ Yet, although the ineptness of Italian high command is implied,
I believe that Hemingway really wanted to illustrate the futility of war; the
pointless decisions taken by men in power that would mean life or death for the
soldier in the field. In such chaos, being in the arms of his beloved Catherine
provided the only measure of normality to Lieutenant Henry. It must also be
said that there was bad blood between Hemingway and Mussolini. Hemingway interviewed
the Italian dictator in 1923 while working for the Toronto Daily Star. Hemingway’s
words about Mussolini were not flattering: “Mussolini is the biggest bluff in
Europe. If Mussolini would have me taken out and shot tomorrow morning, I would
still regard him as a bluff.”
A Farewell to Arms is infused with strong autobiographical
elements. Hemingway actually served in the ambulance corps in Italy during WWI
and also fell in love with a nurse who, however, did not return his love.
Although the novel was written from a masculine point of view, it highlights
both the cruel aspects as well as the softer side of masculinity. In the novel,
the feminine element seems to bring out the better side of manhood.
The theme of death and the fragility of life are underlying
themes in Hemingway’s novel. A Farewell to Arms is a pragmatic reminder
of the vagaries of life and death. Hemingway implies that things do not happen
because of a reason in the universe, and whether you’re directly in the line of
fire is just a matter of luck... or lack of it.
Have you read A Farewell to Arms? If yes, what do you
think of my review? Are there things you agree or disagree with? If you have
not read it, does this review entice you to try reading it? I’d be happy to
read the comments you post. And if you are interested in reading more reviews
and articles, hit the subscribe button and get future posts directly into your
inbox.
