'A Farewell to Arms': Favorites

[The Unnamable]

I don't know, Unnamable. I'm finished, and I still don't get it. Do you mean because of the D-word? Does the nullification of a character automatically make them likeable?

I finished the book, the impression I get of catherine is completely different then yours, I see her as very child-like.

First of all, Emily, no one will crack that code.
No, it has nothing to do with a character’s demise. I find her more mature than Henry (see below).

Papayahed, I don’t have my copy of the novel with me and haven’t read or taught it for years but I seem to remember a conversation between Catherine and Henry concerning what his life will be like after her death. She says something about not doing the same things with other girls as he’s done with her. Not only do I find this touching, I also like the contrast between Henry’s insistence that he will never be able to love another woman and Catherine’s more down to earth resignation to the fact that there will be other girls. The hard-bitten tough guy is more romantic than the silly young girl. Perhaps the reason you find her childlike (which I consider a nice quality) is that she tries to live as if she has a childlike joy in things. I think she has probably seen enough casual death and suffering to fight back in the only way she knows – by giving her childlike side more room to play while the bombs explode and the limbs are torn off.

[Scheherazade]

She says something about not doing the same things with other girls as he’s done with her. Not only do I find this touching, I also like the contrast between Henry’s insistence that he will never be able to love another woman and Catherine’s more down to earth resignation to the fact that there will be other girls. The hard-bitten tough guy is more romantic than the silly young girl. Perhaps the reason you find her childlike (which I consider a nice quality) is that she tries to live as if she has a childlike joy in things. I think she has probably seen enough casual death and suffering to fight back in the only way she knows – by giving her childlike side more room to play while the bombs explode and the limbs are torn off.

I agree with The Unnamable that all said and done, in my eyes, Cat is a more likable character than Henry. She seems more honest and and realistic when she puts away the facade of living perfectly happy in a 'grand' world. I think in the very beginning of their affair, she asks Henry if he loves her (only after seeing each other couple of times) and Henry says he does and goes along with her game but at the end of the evening, it is Cat who puts an end to it, making it clear that she is aware that it is all a game.

Her childlike attitude seems like some kind of survival instinct.


Even though I cannot call her my favorite character, Ferguson is the character I sympathise most in the book. What does everyone else think of her?

[Virgil]

I agree with The Unnamable that all said and done, in my eyes, Cat is a more likable character than Henry. She seems more honest and and realistic when she puts away the facade of living perfectly happy in a 'grand' world. I think in the very beginning of their affair, she asks Henry if he loves her (only after seeing each other couple of times) and Henry says he does and goes along with her game but at the end of the evening, it is Cat who puts an end to it, making it clear that she is aware that it is all a game.

Her childlike attitude seems like some kind of survival instinct.

Well, I don't think anyone disagrees she's not likable. She's just not developed three dimensionally very much. She never really comments on anything with any depth or understanding. I don't think hemingway intends her to be superficial, I just don't think he did a good job developing her. Survival instinct? Perhaps, but she doesn't survive.

[Scheherazade]

I agree that Hemingway does not work much on Ferguson's character but as little as we see of her, we get to know so much... From the way she talks and acts and from the way people treat her. I really feel for her.

Cat's survival instinct in the war makes her engage in the love game but isn't it ironic that as a result of that game she gets pregnant and dies?

[papayahed]

I agree with The Unnamable that all said and done, in my eyes, Cat is a more likable character than Henry. She seems more honest and and realistic when she puts away the facade of living perfectly happy in a 'grand' world. I think in the very beginning of their affair, she asks Henry if he loves her (only after seeing each other couple of times) and Henry says he does and goes along with her game but at the end of the evening, it is Cat who puts an end to it, making it clear that she is aware that it is all a game.

Her childlike attitude seems like some kind of survival instinct.

I didn't think of it like that, that kinda makes sense. But then again she forced Henry into saying "I love you".

[Darlin]

Well, I don't think anyone disagrees she's not likable. She's just not developed three dimensionally very much. She never really comments on anything with any depth or understanding. I don't think hemingway intends her to be superficial, I just don't think he did a good job developing her. Survival instinct? Perhaps, but she doesn't survive.

I must agree with you. I've just finished the book and felt through out the book Cat remained crazy just as she admitted being in the beginning. She never matured in my eyes. She gave herself completely leaving nothing of herself or for herself trying to be what Fredric wanted.

I’m surprised she was able to survive when he left. She played the love game at first because of her craziness even though she realized it but that didn’t stop her from getting involved so deeply that she ended up losing a sense of herself as an individual. She was simply boring and maudlin to the point that I wanted to smack her and tell her to wake up, grow up and get her act together.

My favorite character was Rinaldi. He was a good friend and loved Frederic so much he gave up Cat for him plus he was amusing. Not much characterization overall fo anyone so that's my choice. I would have liked to know how he fared. Awful ending.

[papayahed]

My favorite character was Rinaldi. He was a good friend and loved Frederic so much he gave up Cat for him plus he was amusing. Not much characterization overall fo anyone so that's my choice. I would have liked to know how he fared. Awful ending.

Yeah, I'd really like to know whether he had syphillis or not....

[Shakira]

I haven't finished the book yet so I cannot judge who is my favorite character. However, I do seem to admire Catherine but cannot call her my favorite. Till now the only passage that I have liked...not liked but LOVED...is:

"Many of the soldiers have always felt this way. It is not because they were beaten."

"They were beaten to start with. They were beaten when they took them from their farms and put them in the army. That is why the peasant has wisdom, because he is defeated from the start. Put him in power and see how wise he is."