Blog Topic 4

Text Connections

One of the most consistent problems in the novel is alcohol. Henry essentially reveres alcohol and it is often the conclusion to many situations. Just like most alcoholics, Henry uses alcohol as a temporary pain reliever. Henry describes with passion the various forms of alcohol he imbibes. This glorification hides the unfortunate dependency he has. Henry drinks alcohol to make ease of painful situations, which often involve Catherine. However, he fails to find an honest and lasting way to deal with stress, just as many alcoholics do. It can be inferred that Henry will continue his old ways even after Catherine’s death. The rain on the day of her death symbolizes the drinking and dulling of the pain of death. Thus it can be further interpreted that Hemingway associates drinking with death. Since this book was written during the time of prohibition, Hemingway embraced the subject. In the beginning of the book it might seem that drinking was glamorous and Hemingway was sponsoring it. However, near the end of the story, drinking loses its appeal, and is shed in a bad light. Ironically, it is Catherine that dies from alcohol- she is told that drinking beer will widen her hips. This event is a fatal example of the inability of alcohol to do nothing but give a false remedy- it is only temporary and often leads to death.

Blog Topic 5

Personal Review

Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms is an enjoyable, easy to read novel that gives an in-depth perception of the life of a WWII soldier. It is unique because unlike many other war novels the main tragedy is not the physical effects of battle but the mental effects that war has on the individual. Henry is tolerant of the war and he only feels truly depressed when not with Catherine. The story is entertaining because it follows one man, and all his triumphs and sufferings are felt in full effect. Because of the simple dialogue I was able to relate to many situations and therefore the story affected me more on a sympathetic level. However, Hemingway's occasional long descriptions of scenery detracted from the main purpose of the story and made it less enjoyable. Hemingway's bold use of vulgarity adds realism and also humor to the story. Through this authentic dialogue, Hemingway effectively develops the character of Henry- an unselfish, tolerant man who has the virile desires of drinking and women. What makes the story most unique is that is that Henry tells it in the past tense. Therefore the reader knows that Henry will not die. Also, it was interesting to know that everything he wrote were his emotions after Catherine's death. Hemingway writes as if Henry could not get over her death and that is why Henry wrote the memoir. The too-good-to-be-true situation of Catherine and Henry living peacefully in Switzerland shows that a climax will come soon. Unfortunately, to my disliking, both Catherine and her child die. While I do not like unhappy endings, the ending revealed a lasting truth- that war and love is a fatal combination.

Blog Topic 3

Syntax

"You see I've been leading a sort of a funny life. And I never even talk English. And you are so very beautiful."(20)

"We're going to have a strange life."(22)

"I kissed her and saw that her eyes were shut. I kissed both her shut eyes. I thought she was probably a little crazy. It was all right if she was. I did not care what I was getting into.

I will send Miss Barkley. You are better with her without me. You are purer and sweeter.(54)

"the coward dies a thousand deaths, the brave but one."(125)

"All thinking men are atheists."(4)

The syntax of a farewell to arms is, for the most part, a collection of short sentences. Not complex, it is easily understood, as the subject is often placed in the beginning of the sentence. The simple, often one subject and one predicate sentence adds to the pedestrian style and honest tone. These sentences are effective because they are only focus on one subject at a time, and thus they are given full attention. Complex, periodic, and loose sentences are not common, as Hemingway intends not too emphasize the presentation, instead the content. One of the prevalent syntax strategies Hemingway employs is repetition. He binds sentences with words such as “and” and “I”. This unites the sentence into a common idea. This is more effective than making it into one sentence because it gives significance to every short statement.

Blog Topic 2

Diction

"Go to hell"(17)

"Nothing, baby. Nothing."(41)

"You are an ignorant foul-mouthed dago… a frozen-faced….wop"(65)

"You've got a lovely everything"(93)

"It was as though we met again after each of us had been away on a long journey"(99)

"I saw the son of the bitch throw it"(109)

"to hell with the whole damn business"(153)

"Oh, God, please don't let her die…please,please,please dear God, don't let her die"(286)

Unlike many literary masterpieces, A Farewell To Arms is told through the unfiltered eyes of a realistic man. The diction is casual, real, and therefore the entire range of emotions is conveyed to the reader. The tone is an honest account of every thought of Henry. He releases his vulgar desires, and says his crude thoughts. His juvenile analogies further strengthen the authenticity and honesty of the tone-“It was as though…each of us had been away on a long journey" is an expression that simply and powerfully captures the feelings of a man who is deeply in love. To embellish this statement would be forceful, and thus detract from the effective honest portrayal of the story. The personality of Henry is easily obtainable as Hemingway uses uncensored speech. Henry is sarcastic, witty, and more than often irritable. The use of vulgarity also adds to the honest tone of a man who speaks his mind.

Blog Topic 1

Rhetorical Strategies

·Imagery: "I had gone to no place where the roads were frozen and hard as iron, where it was clear cold and dry and the snow and the peasants took off their hats and called you Lord and there was good hunting" (17)

·Symbolism: "You have that pleasant smell of a dog in heat"(29), "We always touch our stars if anybody mentions getting killed"(110)

·Hyperbole: "I went out swiftly, all of myself and I knew I was dead and that it had all been a mistake to think you just died"(53) "I could cut off my tongue"(124)

·Rhetorical Question: "Who is the father, then, the Holy Ghost?"(73)

·Sarcasm: "What does he do there? Swim?"(81)

·Foreshadowing: "I'm afraid of the rain because sometimes I see me dead in it."(113)

·Paradox: “War is not won by victory”

The style of A Farewell to Arms is largely informal and pedestrian; it is the emotions of an ordinary man. Thus, rhetorical strategies are rarely used except for the vivid descriptions. The few devices that are employed serve as symbols, which Hemingway ironically places through the writings of Henry. When Catherine says she is afraid of the rain because she sees herself dead in it, the reader is left agitated of the possible implications of such a severe statement. This statement is effective because it is mentioned in later parts of the book though it is not given an explanation until the last line. The terse statement that war is not won by victory epitomizes the emotional truths of a seemingly physical event. A victory may satisfy a country, but it does nearly nothing to those who serve in it. Henry must endure many problems of unfulfilled love, drinking, and bad health. Hemingway effectively portrays war as a symbol of the problems of Henry. His style is informal yet open to interpretation.