The Motif of Ernest Hemingway´s A Farewell to Arms

1073 Words5 Pages
The world contains many recurring events that remind humans of morals or things that are important. In the novel “A Farewell to Arms” many events come again and again. Usually, these events that repeat or come again have a deeper message inscribed in the text. This is not unlike whereas the novel “The Great Gatsby” has weather that unfailingly matches up with the tone and mood of the text. The author Ernest Hemingway has created “A Farewell to Arms” with a motif that is very precise. The motif of rain and nature in Hemingway’s novel divulges that there are things that a human beings cannot control; making them recognize what they lack and how life can bring sadness.
The constant appearance of rain allows for sadness to be foreshadowed;…show more content…
The rain which is death the leaves which represent life, fell and rotted. Rain is a spontaneous thing and is not scheduled, planned and is not in our power. Nature has a mind of its own and for humans or the people in the war to have that power are supernatural which one cannot have that kind of power. Also, humans are not capable of controlling life itself. If that were to happen in this world, there would be chaos in power and no one would be able to die peacefully and obtain that beauty of dying a heroic death. Life cannot be controlled and some people see death as a beauty for it takes humanity to God. But in life, there are many things that have been with us but when we realize that it is gone, we are burdened with our own sadness.
Ronald Oliver, a director said that “Women don't know what they want. Men never know what they have.” The rain in the novel alters the characters mind to remind them of what they do not have. The rain brings this quote into thought about what Henry sees and feels. “You knew it rained down that rained...my sweet love Catherine down might rain...” (Hemingway, 197). When he says this, he’s looking at the rain and wishes that he could be in her arms and that he too could hold her one more time in his arms. He sees the rain and sees his pains and wishes deeply that he
Show More
Related

  • Annotated Bibliography Of Ernest Hemingway 's ' A Farewell Of Arms '

    2411 Words  | 10 Pages

    Introductory Information A Farewell To Arms by Ernest Hemingway Novel Published in 1929 during the series of battles between Austria-Hungary and Italy during WWI. The protagonist in this story is Lt. Frederic Henry who happens to be the narrator is an American ambulance driver who is in the Italian army during WWI. Although he is courageous and heroic, Henry does not want any part in boasting about medals and such. Henry meets a girl named Catherine and it changes his aspect on love, and we see

    Read More

  • Study Guide Literary Terms

    7657 Words  | 31 Pages

    repetition of the initial sounds of several words in a group. The following line from Robert Frost's poem "Acquainted with the Night provides us with an example of alliteration,": I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet." The repetition of the s sound creates a sense of quiet, reinforcing the meaning of the line 3. allegory – Where every aspect of a story is representative, usually symbolic, of something else, usually a larger abstract concept or important historical/geopolitical event

    Read More

More about The Motif of Ernest Hemingway´s A Farewell to Arms

Open Document