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A Farewell to Arms

ow to handle these dilemmas. Jackson Benson notes that this is part of Hemingway's literary technique: " . . . the nature of the world, for Hemingway, was to bring to man tragedy and the ironic disappointment that necessarily awaited all of man's aspirations and ideals" (Benson 112). It is only by individually facing tragedies and disappointments, according to existential philosophy, that man can choose his own course of action and become responsible for himself. It is through this active participation that people are able to give meaning to their lives. Frederick Henry does indeed have all the qualifications for this type of existential hero. He is essentially alone, and through the course of the novel, learns to forge his own fate with the help of Catherine Barkley. He is best described by Benson.

. . . though the protagonist may get some help on his moral journey, and though he may form attachments that are worthy of his commitment, he is ultimately alone and ultimately responsible. Hemingway's protagonist is essentially without family and, except for brief periods, without home and comfort. There is no church or permanent shelter for blessing, no country or community that surrounds him with a strength beyond his own strength. Though he may strive all his life with every fiber of his being to love or to make love possible, when love is in sight, it is snatched away from him. All things that are good are temporary; all things that threaten destruction and death are permanent. Knowing these things, it is the Hemingway protagonist's lot to fight anyway (Benson 46)

In this description we see Frederick Henry. A man initially unconcerned with the challenges or seriousness of living, loving, or war. When Catherine asks why he, an American, joined the Italian army he says, "I was in Italy . . . and I spoke Italian" (Hemingway 22). He has made no moral commitment to the war. He was merely swept up in the e...

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A Farewell to Arms. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 05:00, March 29, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1680863.html