A Farewell to Arms: Chapter 5 Summary & Analysis

Henry goes to pay a visit on Catherine the next day. At the hospital, he speaks with the head nurse, who asks why he, an American, joined the Italian army. He answers that he happened to be in Italy and spoke Italian. She tells him to come back in the evening if he wants to see Catherine, who is on duty.

When Henry returns that night, Catherine is in the garden with Helen Ferguson, another English nurse. After Helen departs, they talk about Catherine's nursing duties until Henry suggests they stop talking about the war. As Henry had planned, he tries to kiss her. She slaps him. He makes her laugh by saying that at least they are no longer talking about the war.

Catherine eventually relents and lets Henry kiss her. Afterward, she cries on his shoulder and asks him to be good to her. He obliges by putting his arm around her, though he isn't sure what's going on. She tells him they are going to "have a strange life."

Henry goes back to his room, where Rinaldi wants to know all the details of what happened between Henry and Catherine. Henry responds only by saying that he and Catherine are friends.