William Faulkner's Review of Farewell to Arms - Research Paper Example

Name: Instructor: Course: Date: William Cuthbert Faulkner, “Farewell to Arms” Born on September 25, 1897, William Cuthbert Faulkner is one of the most successful writers and was even a novel prize laureate. “A Farewell to Arms” is a simple love story of a boy meets girl and they fall in love, in hazardous conditions, and struggle to find happiness. “A Farewell to Arms” Ernest Hemingway’s book set during the Italian campaign of the First World War. The book was later reviewed by William Faulkner and he critically looked at the development of the story from the begging to the end. This book is a first person account of what 4really transpired during the First World War and how the events had an impact on the lives of the major characters of the book. Frederic Henry an American hat finds himself in the midst of the Italian military thought the writer does not show how this came to be, Henry continues to serve as an ambulance driver. This book is primarily a love affair between the lieutenant and Catherine Barkley, the two main characters.This research paper will basically examine the themes, the symbolism and finally the character of genre of the book. Themes Love This is the main argument in the novel. An affair develops between Lieutenant Frederic Henry and the nurse Catherine Barkley and this forms the central or focal point of the book. The two fall in love when Henry is injured and has to be treated in the hospital that Catherine works at. Their strong feelings and passion for one another are not hindered by the prospects of the war and they are willing to give it a try (Donaldson 27). At the peak of the First World War, these two are able to just put aside all the inconveniences of the war and let their love be the driving force in their lives. It is the love they have for one another that leads to them taking extreme measures all in hope of running away from the antagonistic war and finally being free to love one another. As the war continues to maximize, the two are more convinced that they cannot be together; the only option is to flee and find peace for themselves within this unsafe territories. Frederick Henry decides to run away from the Italian army and he and his wife move to a quiet place far from civilization where they can find peace and escape from the war. It is evident that love reigns within the book. The two main characters all make important decisions based on the love that exists between them. All that they pursue is a place where they do not have to worry about the war taking one of them. They for a long time feared of losing a partner to the war and the only way this was to be avoided was to completely run away from the war (Singal & Faulkner 322). War This is the second theme that also clearly manifests itself within the book. The book is written within the setting of the First World War and it offers a firsthand account of al that transpired during the war. The effect and impact of the war are all well documented in the book and the author basically analyses the impact of the war on the actions of the main characters of the book. The war was as a result of the growing indifference between the powers of the world. They had misunderstandings that ultimately resulted to fighting. They formed alliances and powers with the same objectives united. The author depicts the war as having been the most significant factor in the lives of the characters, each time they shared a moment of passion, it was short lived because the war demanded their total attention, it simply worked to consequently separate them. Henry had to move all over, from Milan to other cities in the course of the war while Catherine was restricted to the hospital; the war simply separated the two lovers. The war was also a cause for a lot of injuries. The author describes an incident that led to the two lovers meeting. Frederic Henry was hurt and was taken t hospital were his more than three months stay led to him knowing and falling in love with Catherine. Not to mention other cases, the First World War a serious cause of injury and death as a lot of people fell victim to it. It is a reality that the first world war left numerous numbers of casualties not only in the military, but also the innocent civilians that were caught in the cross fires of the war.(Volpe 97). The wars also resulted to a lot of illnesses, it was clear that the conditions of the war were not ideal for the development of a good heath, the war was without a doubt a cause for many diseases as people interacted. Incompetent leadership also sprung up as a result of the war. The leaders started to act in ways not acceptable to most and definitely misused heir authority. Profanity epitomized the language that dominated the war. The foul language and irresponsibility also characterized the development of the war.The war also resulted to the advancement of prostitution as many found themselves victims of their flesh and engaged in the foul act (Urgo & Abadie 89). The two themes dominate the entire book and they complement each other. War brings two hearts together and love is created, on the other hand, love makes the two major characters to make extreme decisions in order to runways from the war. The two themes are, therefore, harmonizing each other. Symbolism In the novel, the author used things to represent other thing or to state what is in the minds of the characters. The rain is the first symbol it the book, it clearly symbolizes the unavoidable disintegration of happiness in life. Catherine always fears the rain and sees it as a symbol of doom as the two lovers lay in bed. In the end, after her death, Henry walks home in the rain signifying the pain that Catherine always feared. Another incident of symbolism in the novel is when the two lovers lay in bed and Catherine’s hair reminds Henry of life in war inside a tent or behind a waterfall. Being inside the tent or behind the waterfall also signified the couples’ seclusion from the raging war. They could find a moment of peace even when them the war was still going on. Through the whole book, we have seen the development of motifs. These recurring structures and contrasts have really played a big role in the development of the whole plot and allow the reader to emotionally connect with the characters and the whole book. The illusions and fantasies that the couple has the loyalty that exists between the two, the games and divertissement that the couple play in order to forget their problems and finally Henry’s masculinity as portrayed all contribute well to the structure of the book.(Phillips 69). It can be, therefore, concluded that, the development and advancement of a strong love relationship led to Henry providing us with the firsthand information on the First World War. It is also evident that the First World War had a lot of impact on the lives of the people. It destroyed property, led to enormous loss of live and most importantly separated close individuals. This novel is dominated by love and the pain brought by war. Works Cited Donaldson, Scott. New Essays on a Farewell to Arms. Cambridge [England: Cambridge University Press, 1990. Print. Singal, Daniel J. William Faulkner: The Making of a Modernist. Chapel Hill, NC [u.a.: Univ. of North Carolina Press, 1997. Print. Phillips, Brian. A Farewell to Arms: Ernest Hemingway. New York, NY: Spark Pub, 2002. Print. Urgo, Joseph R, and Ann J. Abadie.Faulkner and His Contemporaries. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2004. Internet resource. Volpe, Edmond L. A Reader's Guide to William Faulkner: The Novels. Syracuse, N.Y: University Press, 2005. Print. Read More