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Theme Of War In A Farewell To Arms

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Ernest Hemingway’s novel A Farewell to Arms covers a romance that takes place during World War I. The novel itself came out shortly after the war, and was the first of Hemingway’s books to become a best-seller. Essentially, the novel contrasts the horrors of war with the romance of Henry and Catherine. Throughout the plot, Hemingway, a World War I veteran himself, uses the events of the book to make a statement about his thoughts on war. The core message of Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms is that war damages the soldiers who fight in it both physically and emotionally, which is primarily illustrated by the number of deaths caused directly and indirectly by the war, the actions Henry is forced to take over the course of the book, and Henry’s growing cynicism towards war. The first piece of evidence supporting this theme is the deaths caused by the war, especially those important to Henry. Directly, soldiers are killed in battle, from being shot by enemies, hit by mortar shells, or in one case, shot by their own allies. When Henry and his companions are separated from the Italian army and try to get back to the main forces, as they attempt to cross an embankment, “Two more shots came from the thick brush and Aymo, as he was crossing the tracks, lurched, tripped and fell face down” (Hemingway 213). Henry believes the Italian soldiers were the ones who fired the shots, saying, “We are in more danger from Italians than Germans. The rear guard are afraid of everything. The Germans

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