Farewell to Arms

 A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway can be considered a story about the “love game” between Frederic Henry and Catherine Barkley. Catherine can be considered cowardly if the reader does not understand her personality and her outlook on life. However, she is more than the story’s “love interest”. Through Catherine, Hemingway displays that persevering and pushing through every obstacle to find happiness in a world that can be hard or out to get you, is true bravery.

Catherine reveals her brave side when she basically gives herself over to Henry. One example of she giving herself to him is when she says, “‘you’re my religion. You’re all I’ve got.’”(116). Catherine is desperately lonely when she first meets Henry. She loves being in love, and she lost her one true love after the death of her fiancé. After a fiancé passes away, it is common for a woman to mourn for as long as she needs, or wants. However, Catherine is ready to be "one" with Henry shortly after meeting him. Catherine wants this love so deeply because she sees darkness in everything around her after losing her soul mate.

Catherine can be considered brave because she is a woman who thinks for herself and doesn't let anyone else tell her how she should think, including Henry. Catherine’s views on marriage are a good example of this. When Henry first meets Catherine, she says she didn’t marry her fiancé because he died. She talks about how they grew up together, and how they were together for eight years. Catherine’s fiancé was also in the war, and she finally tells Henry that she didn’t marry her fiancé because she thought it would be bad for him; that it would trap him. However, even though Henry is in the war as well, he tells us that he and Catherine "told each other they were married the first day she had come to the hospital"(144). Henry is the one who really wants to be married, but Catherine thinks this will keep them from being together during the war. She keeps up the mindset of not wanting to be married until the end of her pregnancy when she says, “‘I suppose if we have this child, we should really get married”’(293). This is when Henry says, “‘let's get married now”’(283). Catherine, however, says to wait until she's skinny again after the baby is born. Catherine wants the commitment of marriage already even after the death of her fiancé a short while before. This also helps to show that she has her own thoughts and opinions about things and doesn't let anyone else change them’ not even Henry.

Catherine can be considered a brave hero because of her willingness to love Henry entirely. Some may think it's crazy to consider Catherine a hero, but she is a hero to herself. Her willingness to love Henry entirely saves her from going crazy after the loss of her fiancé. It is normal that Catherine feels so deeply for Henry because when everything is falling apart in the world, everyone needs that one person to help them get through the hard times. Catherine shows that she doesn’t need Henry, but she longs for his love since she lost hers.

Finally, Catherine shows bravery through her pregnancy. For example, Catherine chooses to get pregnant knowing that it might be dangerous for her because of the time period they had been living in. Also, she makes the courageous decision to get pregnant knowing that there is a chance Henry might not come back from the war the next time he is sent away. During Catherine’s birth, Henry comes into the delivery room to see Catherine on gas that will cause the pain to partially go away. He says that “she looked very tired and worn now but she was still cheerful”(317). This shows that even through all of the pain, she still has an optimistic outlook on the whole pregnancy. However, as the chapter progresses, Catherine starts getting weaker and weaker. She isn’t able to deal with the pain much longer, and keeps asking Henry to give her more and more gas. Henry can’t give her any more gas, and he says, “‘you be brave, because I can’t do that all the time. It might kill you.’”(322). This is when Catherine loses her courage a little. She says she isn’t brave anymore; that she is broken instead. A few moments later, after the doctors and nurses removed the baby, Catherine realizes she is going to die. She isn’t scared, though. She says to Henry, “‘don’t worry, darling. I’m not a bit afraid. It’s just a dirty trick.’”(331). Catherine tries hard to make the best out of the situation for Henry. She isn’t worried about her death, but she is worried about what Henry will do when she is gone. She makes sure to let Henry know that she wants him to be with other girls after she is gone, but she does not want them making the same memories that Henry and Catherine share.