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Chapter 9
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in A Farewell to Arms, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
War
Love and Loss
Reality vs. Fantasy
Self vs. Duty
Manhood
Religion
Summary
Analysis
Rinaldi visits Henry, who is lying wounded in the field hospital, and brings him a bottle of cognac. He also informs Henry that he will receive a medal for heroism, even though Henry declares that he did nothing at all heroic during the battle. Rinaldi leaves, promising to send Catherine to visit Henry.
The army has to promote the idea of heroism in order to keep its men fighting. So it gives medals to men who did nothing heroic, such as Henry. A realist, Henry understands how the Italian Army is using him.
Themes
