PRE AND POST WAR RELATIONSHIP OF HUMAN AND NATURE AS SHOWN IN ERNEST EMINGWAY’S “A FAREWELL TO ARMS”

Abstract

A Farewell to Arms is Hemingway’s first major war story. It is divided into four parts. It is largely based on his own war experience at Fossalta and Milan. In the story, Lieutenant Frederic Henry was wounded at the Italian front and he was given treatment by a nurse named Catherine Barkley. He falls in love with her. Soon after their friendship ripens, they become lovers. Finally, the lieutenant recovers and was ready to return to the front where he was captured and barely escapes with his life. Unable to bear the war situation in Italy, he sets out to find Catherine so that he can find peace, settle down to love and marriage with his love. He finally finds her and escaped secretly to a neutral country Switzerland. They enjoyed there for few months happily until Catherine dies while giving birth to a stillborn son and then the lieutenant walks out alone into the rain. Some of the themes include love, rain and destruction, diversions, abandonment and journalistic style of omission.