The main Characters are Henry a soldier and Catherine a doctor. Henry gets transfered to fight in Gorizia where he meets Catherine. The two form an odd relationship. One night Henry kisses Catherine, but she slaps him. They meet again and he says he loves her, but he doesn’t. He goes to see her again and says he going to a “show”. Henry ends up getting very injured and taken to a doctor. Henry gets transfered to Milan. He has a conversation with a priest who tells him he is capable of love. Soon Catherine transfers to that hospital as well. When Henery sees Catherine again, he realizes that he loves her. Henery gets his leg amputated so he didn’t have to spend six months in bed. Henry and Catherine spend the night together before his surgery. After his surgery he grows sick. As he recovers he passes notes back and forth with Catherine with the help of Helen. Catherine returns to Henry after three days and they have a passionate reunion. During the summer, Henry learns to walk with crutches. Henry and Catherine enjoy the time they spend together at Milan. They protend they are married, and discuss marriage. Catherine remains opposed to the idea.
- "I believe we should get the war over. . .It would not finish if one side stopped fighting. It would only be worse if we stopped fighting." (Hemingway 49)
/Understatment, juxtaposition
Juxtaposition help me understand how the character struggles with two perspectives on the same topic. Henry contradicts himself quite alot. He thinks they should get over war. However he also thinks that would be worse.
- "I ate the end of my piece of cheese and took a swallow of wine. Through the other noise I heard a cough, then came the chuh-chuh-chuh-chuh- then there was a flash, as when a blast-furnace door is swung open, and a roar that started white and went red and on and on in a rushing wind." (Hemingway 54) /Pov, Plot, Character, Imagery, onamonapeia,
- "multiple superficial wounds of the left and right thigh and left and right knee and right foot. Profound wounds of right knee and foot." (Hemingway 59)
/Plot, Character, Imagery
Imagery help me understand how bad his injuries were by explaining him in detail. Instead of just saying he hurt his leg, they discribed how it was hurt.
- "Catherine Barkley took three days off night duty and then she came back on again. It was as though we met again after each of us had been away on a long journey" (Hemingway 111)
/Understatement, hyperbole
The overall message of war so far is, war is endless. Henry knows the war will never end until one side gives up. Which will never happen. With all the wounds Henry is getting, war will last on his body for a long time, even if the war ends.
