A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway (The Theme of Love and War)

A Farewell to Arms

by Ernest Hemingway

(The Theme of Love and War)

 

The whole novel has two distinct themes- war and love. But the interweaving process of the two central themes is so artistic that they cease to appear two distinct instead they tend to be one, although there is alternative situations in the plot. The two themes are however, achieved by making presence of idea of love in the time of war and the obsession of war at the time of making love. In the first place, the love affair begins in the midst of war. Henry meets Catherine, for the first time, in the Gorizia hospital. Again, at every time Henry is with Catherine, he is reminded of war. The war is a kind of obsession for him. When he is Milan, they are again and again reminded, through the porter, through Ferguson and through books and newspapers that the war is going on, that the Italians are retreating, that Henry has to return to Border. Even after he had deserted the army, the obsession of war is not yet over. Though quite reluctant, he is, again and again, reminded of war. His illusion about war is not yet broken, he is, again and again reminded of war.

Similarly, the idea of love haunts Henry so much that in the midst of war, he is reminded of his love for Catherine. During the famous Caporetto retreat he dreams of Catherine repeatedly: “Christ, that my love were in my arms and in my bed again. That my love Catherine, my sweet love Catherine down might rain.”

Over all the two themes, war and love, are interwoven by relating war with the rain image. Rain in the novel, is symbol of war, trouble, disease and motility. So, whenever there is rain, we are reminded of some coming trouble. And, when Catherine or Henry notes the raining, they are reminded of war, as it is evident in the following expression of Catherine:

“I’m afraid of the rain because sometimes I see me dead in it.”

The title of the novel also suggests the two themes of war and love. “Arms” refers to both the weapons used in war and the arms of Catherine that are symbolic of love. And, Henry first farewells to ‘arms’ of war as he finds peace and love in love of Catherine. However, some super power desired the second farewell to ‘Arms’. This time the ‘arms’ of Catherine, who dies of labour pain in a hospital. The courses of war and love run parallel, so that, in the end we feel we have read one story, not two.

In his affair with war, Henry goes through six phases: from desultory participation to serious action and a wound, and then through his recuperation in Milan to a retreat which leads him to his desertion, carefully interwoven. It further takes him to find loving relationship with Catherine and that too goes through six precisely corresponding stages, that proceeds from a trifling sexual affair to actual love and her conception, and then through her confinement in the Alps to a trip to the hospital which leads to her death. By the time the last farewell is taken. The stories of contrasting events arrive at one point, lest there should be any sentimental doubt about it; that, life, both personal and social is a struggle in which the loser takes nothing, either.

Thus, A Farewell to Arms with themes of war, love and sex and death, as true fundamental crises of life is centered of Hemingway’s work. Here we should not forget that Hemingway was a naturalistic and had a great faith in the energy of primitive man, and in primitive mind, both war and sex are surrounded by religious and fearful influences. Hemingway defies Christianity by way of condemning killing and its concept of sex as sort of necessary sin and he has presented love as a mystic ceremonial experience and killing as a spiritual experience. But we must not forget that the war serves a necessary condition of the love-affair. Without it the lovers would in all probabilities have never met, and even if they had, Catherine would have still had her English fiancé, whom she would have married. The war, further, inflicts a wound upon Henry, which in turn allows him to see more of Catherine and thus to consummate their love. Again, by means of retreat, the war allows Henry to return to Catherine and, thus, to be present when time for delivery comes.

In short, the themes of war and love are closely linked till the action ends.