A Farewell to Arms Group at eNotes

Look out for any mention of hair or beards. As weird as that sounds,...

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:03:14 PST

Look out for any mention of hair or beards. As weird as that sounds, this is symbolic for isolation/insulation from the world outside. Also, pay attention to the riding crop that Catherine carries and the stars on the military officers' uniforms. In any work of literature, weather is important, so watch out for rain. As far as themes, obviously war and patriotism and the effect of both on individuals will recur throughout the novel, as...

What are some of the themes and symbols that I should be looking for...

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:45:51 PST

What are some of the themes and symbols that I should be looking for when I read A Farewell to Arms?

What does Lt Henry salvage by facing death?

Tue, 3 Nov 2009 17:51:00 PST

What does Lt Henry salvage by facing death?

Did your teacher give you a layout or example as to their expectations...

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 21:07:51 PST

Did your teacher give you a layout or example as to their expectations for the response journal? For instance, I require two columns: the left is a quote from the text with the page number and the the right is your response to that quote. I usually require about ten responses per novel. Therefore, the title "Response Journal" is perfectly acceptable to me. The student's first and last name, is absolutely necessary, the date and the class...

I am sure this is quite a transition for you, from homeschooling to...

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:28:32 PST

I am sure this is quite a transition for you, from homeschooling to classroom schooling. At home, your "teacher" had certain requirements, but you could ask any time if you needed clarification. Now the people who are your teachers are strangers to you, and you are probably reluctant to ask too many questions. Don't be afraid to get clarifications from any teacher. This is important because it is better to ask questions than to turn...

How do I head a response journal? And should I type or handwrite it?

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:34:30 PST

How do I head a response journal? And should I type or handwrite it?

One major benefit of keeping a reading response journal is that it draws...

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 16:32:04 PST

One major benefit of keeping a reading response journal is that it draws you into the novel. It requires that you become an active reader. When I assigned reading journals, I made it an open-assignment; students were free to respond in any number of ways. I only asked that they date their entries and write in some detail. Here are a few of the kinds of entries they would write: They would write an entry explaining what they didn't understand...

I feel there are several ways to progress with writing a reader response...

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:05:59 PST

I feel there are several ways to progress with writing a reader response journal to any book. Before proceeding, I should suggest that if there are specific instructions that your instructor has given, then those would naturally take priority. However, if the assignment is a straight reader response, I think that the best way to go is to analyze the characters and your response to them. For example, what are your thoughts about...

I need help writing a reader response journal for A Farewell to Arms.

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 11:50:31 PST

I need help writing a reader response journal for A Farewell to Arms.

In Chapter XXVII of "A Farewell to Arms," as he converses with Gino...

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 10:59:49 PST

In Chapter XXVII of "A Farewell to Arms," as he converses with Gino who "was born a patriot," Henry becomes embarrassed by the words sacred, glorious, and sacrifice and the expression in vain. We had heard them....and heard them...shouted...and read them....but I had seen nothing sacred, and the things that were glorious had no glory and the sacrifices were like the stockyards at Chicago if nothing were done with the meat but bury it. ...

What does Lt. Henry mean in "only the names of places had dignity?"...

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 09:17:58 PST

What does Lt. Henry mean in "only the names of places had dignity?" This is from "A Farewell to Arms."

Lt. Henry's future can only be surmised, of course, based upon his...

Thu, 7 May 2009 19:10:30 PST

Lt. Henry's future can only be surmised, of course, based upon his circumstances at the novel's conclusion and what we know of his character. Frederic was saddened by the loss of the baby, but he was emotionally devastated by Catherine's death. He says goodbye to her, alone, then leaves the hospital, alone, and walks in the rain back to the hotel. Alone is how Frederic will live the remainder of his life. He will survive Catherine's death, but...

What might be Frederic's future after Catherine & the baby died?

Thu, 7 May 2009 17:34:20 PST

What might be Frederic's future after Catherine & the baby died?

In the beginning, he does not. He sees her only as a sex object and...

Wed, 4 Feb 2009 21:17:59 PST

In the beginning, he does not. He sees her only as a sex object and their relationship as game playing. Frederick says, "I knew I did not love Catherine Barkley nor had any idea of loving her. This was a game, like bridge, in which you said things instead of playing cards." This attitude changes drastically after Frederick is wounded and reunited with Catherine away from the war. Lonely, hurt, and afraid, he falls deeply in love with her....

In A Farewell to Arms, does Lt. Henry really love Catherine?

Wed, 4 Feb 2009 20:46:19 PST

In A Farewell to Arms, does Lt. Henry really love Catherine?

Hemingway's novel makes a strong anti-war statement through Lt....

Sat, 24 Jan 2009 10:19:36 PST

Hemingway's novel makes a strong anti-war statement through Lt. Frederick Henry. As the officer in charge of an Italian ambulance corps, Frederick serves on the front in the thick of battle.Hemingway's descriptions of combat are unsparing in their intensity. Chaos, fear, suffering, and death permeate his prose. In Chapter Nine, Frederick is seriously wounded, shelled by a trench mortar. He can't move. He hears crying and screaming. His legs...

Should A Farewell to Arms be considered an anti-war novel?

Sat, 6 Dec 2008 00:46:41 PST

Should A Farewell to Arms be considered an anti-war novel?

Bernard Oldsey in "Hemingway's Hidden Craft-The writing of 'A...

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 07:58:46 PST

Bernard Oldsey in "Hemingway's Hidden Craft-The writing of 'A Farewell to Arms' reveals that Hemingway had written out a list of thirty possible titles, including "A Farewell to Arms."A majority of these thirty three possible titles were from literary sources and almost half of these come from "The Oxford Book of English Verse" 1900, edited by Arthur Quiller Couch. A few striking possiblilites were: "A World...

In Ch.37 Frederic Henry tells the Swiss customs officials that he has...

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 08:41:21 PST

In Ch.37 Frederic Henry tells the Swiss customs officials that he has come from America to Italy to study architecture. At that time the political situation in Italy was very volatile and as a young impressionable man Frederic was soon captivated by the idealistic speeches of the Italian politicians and as soon as the First World War broke out he volunteered to join the Italian army as an ambulance driver. But very soon he became...

Henry's Commitment to the War in "A Farewell to Arms"

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 14:45:36 PST

Is Henry's commitment to the war genuine? Why Or Why Not?