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A Farewell To Arms Essay

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A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway demonstrates the use of symbolism through the protection the mountains provide, the danger of the plains, and the disasters that succeed the rain.
Hemingway uses mountains in A Farewell to Arms to symbolize protection.
When the characters are in the mountains they feel safe because they are free from war. Baker proposes that the mountains in A Farewell to Arms are “used as a home concept because they are associated with love, health, happiness, and peace,”(2). In other words, Frederic and Catherine feel comforted as they build their home within the protection of the mountains. During their time in the mountains, they build a life together where people no longer despised them for having a child out of …show more content…

Halliday, a critic of Hemingways’, asserts his critique about the comfort that the mountains provide in A Farewell to Arms. He states, “the lovers are not free of the contaminating shadow of war until they have escaped up the lake to Switzerland and established themselves in their little chalet above Montreux”(70). Halliday’s quote explains the peaceful life that Frederic and Catherine live while in the mountains, away from the war where they do not suffer from any harm and remain healthy. They are not free from the war until they escape Italy and move up the mountains into Switzerland. Hemingway describes the location and scenery surrounding their house to illustrate their freedom from war resulting in the security of their relationship. With this purpose in mind Hemingway describes the peaceful scenery that brings the characters closer together, “The house sat on top of the mountain where they could overlook the calm, beautiful scenery from their sunlit front porch.”(2). This quote shows why Frederic and Catherine are able to enjoy a serene life in the mountains as they do not have to worry about being judged for having a child out of wedlock; They simply enjoy the pleasures life has to offer together, away from the war. This reason shows how the mountains are used to symbolize security in their relationship by providing an understanding home environment. In conclusion, the

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