Critical Analysis of " a Farewell to Arms" by Earnest Hemingway

He tried to empower the audience with the idea of religion, having reassured them that God gave them power and they were not weak. He then attempted to use this empowerment to convince that a correct way to use their God-given power was to act against Britain, implying this through the current argument and his stance on the issue. He emphasized this with contradictory words of “weak” and “power” to make it more important in the audience's mind. As a whole, the statement is used to give them feelings of pride toward their country and powerful in the eyes of God. As a result, Henry used the ideas of nationalism and religion to emphasize and create a feeling of patriotism.

What is Henry implying when he says that he is loyal to "the majesty of heaven...above all earthly kings"? What tone (manner in which an author expresses his attitude) does this statement hold?

Throughout the entire speech, he creates emotion that affects the audience. He created emotion throughout the speech by using other rhetorical strategies, such as repetition, imagery, rhetorical questions, and allusions. By using repetition, he made the audience feel some guilt. In the repetition “Let us not, I beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves” creates the guilt-feeling towards the audience, because if Henry were right about Great Britain, then the audience would be in fault for not going to war with Great Britain. By using imagery, the images of an “insidious smile”, “delusive phantoms of hope”, and slavery and chains, creates an unpleasant image to the mind making the audience feel angry, empty, and fearful. Henry uses many rhetorical questions. The use of the rhetorical questions is a question that can only be answered with one right answer. This is because the question being asked is the truth. Sometimes the truth can be hard to hear and accept. As Henry asks these questions, “But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction?” he evokes fear towards the audience and perhaps anger. He also uses biblical allusions in the speech. He does this to create some credibility but also to provoke some trust from the audience. When Henry mentions God or the biblical allusion it comforted or delighted the audience to know that God is a role in his speech. Although Henry uses repetition, imagery, rhetorical questions, and allusions, he incorporated emotion to those three other rhetorical strategies used.

Henry was a normal boy and did all of the normal things young boys do: making noise, being busy and active, nosing around in the refrigerator, and asking questions - all part and parcel of being a normal child. But he was brought up to believe he wasn't a "model boy." His parents were constantly interrupted by him - his mother while she was reading and grading papers, and his father so much so that he spent most of his time in his office on campus, joining them only at mealtimes. His father wished to remain "blissfully unaware."

When Henry first starts his speech he first employs ethos by creating a respectful tone toward his delegates by using a litote in the very beginning in order to illustrate his respect for the delegates: “But different men often see the same subject in different lights; and, therefore, I hope it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen if, entertaining as I do of opinions of a character very opposite to theirs, I shall speak forth my sentiments freely, and without reserve.” Henry uses this litote to negate the negative and make it into a positive meaning so he can effectively convey ethos since he directs that, his thoughts may differ from their own ideals but Henry uses this as a respectable tone to draw in the delegates in toward him and let them consider what he has to say. Not only that, but Henry uses religious ideals and God, to strengthen his credibility (ethos) and to persuade that the british are full of sinister intent and against god by using a metaphor and then a allusion. First he utilizes the metaphor where he compares the simle to a trap “Is that insidious simile...will it prove a snare to your feet.” This displays the unloyalty of the British toward their people. Then he uses the allusion to demonstrate that the British are wicked by comparing them to

Immediately as the speech begins, Henry’s tone manifests itself and remains unwavering. Henry begins, “It is natural for a man to indulge in the illustration of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth” (1). This sheds insight on his message and portrays him as a well versed individual. He then strengthens his tone when he says

By comparing the “majesty of heaven” to “earthly kings”, Henry is appealing to ethos, or the audience’s concept of ethics.

“Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope” (Henry)

First, one should focus on the language and Henry's ethos. The soldiers are burdened with the thought of a

Henry uses logical and ethical approaches to help make his point stand out more to the

One language device Henry applies to his speech was developing an ethical and credible profile of himself. He this by associating himself with a divine and righteous deity. Henry says that, “...I should consider myself as guilty… of an act of disloyalty toward the Majesty of Heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings” (36). He acknowledges and respects God as an authority figure when mentioning God being above all. All other kings (including King George of England) are below God. This creates an ethical and credible characterization of Henry in the eyes of the audience. Since many colonists were religious, they almost certainly would pay more attention to a man who respects God. Talking about God also gives a reason to rebel. Henry states that the colonists will not fight alone and that, “There is a just God… who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us” (38). This statement implies that Henry believes God is on the side of the colonists if they fight. Asserting that God will help the colonists fight is an appeal to the ethics of the audience because Henry connects fighting to the will of God. With a Christian audience, connecting himself to Christian ideals promotes Henry’s ethical standing.

He almost immediately begins to ask very short and simple questions, met with his own, very short, simple answers, and examples of Britain's grievances such as how Britain is militarizing and how their petitions have been ignored. This causes the audience to question how they are handling the issues Great Britain has brought upon them, and, ultimately, causing them to rethink their choices. Henry’s goal is to give the audience a question of which they cannot answer unless they think similar to how he

Throughout the play Henry is described as a “true lover of the holy church” (I.i.23), and “the mirror of all Christian kings” (II.Cho.6). He is played up as the ideal and seamless Christian king. Then during the battle of Agincourt, King Henry tells his army that it is up to “Gods will” (IV.iii.23), which shows that he had great faith in God. This is an incredible demonstration of confidence and trust in God and it stresses his honorable Christian qualities. Another example of him being a Christian king is in scene two when Henry says “God quit you in His mercy” which I took as you got God’s mercy and the person receiving it was lucky to have God’s mercy on their side during the event happening.

The speech utilizes an analogy to create a parallel between the situation the American colonists had at that time been facing and the circumstance found in Bible. Henry uses a notable and well-known scene from the Gospels – the betrayal of Jesus – to illustrate his point. The analogy is made with the line “Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed with a kiss.” Although

This passage has quite a different tone than the one just a few pages later, where Henry is praying for Catherine: "Don't let her die. Oh, God, please don't let her die. I'll do anything for you if you won't let her die...Please, please, dear God, don't let her die"(330). Henry's priorities have obviously shifted a great deal since the scene at the campfire. He has become more eager to let God into his life. What events caused this drastic change in Henry's attitude? One obvious turning point in his life during the war was the interrogation by the carabinieri. Henry has to jump into the river to