Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Symbolism in Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms

There are many symbols I found throughout this novel, which added a lot of meaning to the novel. The most meaningful symbol I found was the color gray, he constantly comments on the gray cars, the gray streets, and the gray expressions. I also noticed that he uses white when talking about Catherine until the end he says "I thought Catherine was dead. She looked dead. Her face was gray, and it was the only part I could see." Gray symbolizes the pain, and death that Henry saw.
The second thing I saw as symbolism in the novel was the rain. During the retreat and the worst battles it is always raining. Catherine even brings up the fact that rain tends to ruin things, and after she dies Henry walks home in the rain. Rain symbolizes both unhappiness and death throughout the novel.
The third symbolic thing I found was Catherine's hair as Henry describes it as very delicate. It symbolizes the love between Catherine and Henry and drowns out the war that is surrounding them.
The river is also symbolic because it is his first escape from the war and it was his escape to Switzerland so that he could fulfill his dream of being with Catherine. I found the river to be a symbol of hope in the novel and a turning point in the novel.
These were just a few symbols I found throughout the novel that I really thought added a lot of meaning and made the novel more enjoyable to read.

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