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Stream of Consciousness
Chapter 6
Explanation and Analysis:
The style of A Farewell to Arms is stoic and sparse despite dealing with overwhelmingly emotional topics such as war, love, and loss. Hemingway uses detached characters and descriptions to offer a unique perspective on war, one in which glory is overrated and self-interest is crucial. Even major characters like Henry and Catherine remain at a distance from the reader, obscuring their essences and raw emotions from the reader:
She looked at me, “And you do love me?”
“Yes.”
“You did say you loved me, didn’t you?”
“Yes,” I lied. “I love you.” I had not said it before.
The dialogue between Henry and Catherine, two lovers whom the reader would expect to display their emotions, is terse, which mimics the cold efficiency of World War I. The characters are blunt, displaying very few strong feelings in order to depict the disassociation that is necessary during wartime. There are no monologues or declarations of love or passion. Their conversations are typically understated and reserved.
While this is a typical characteristic of Hemingway's characters, it also illustrates how the time period has molded Henry and Catherine into products of their own experiences. Emotions during wartime are counterproductive and will only form attachments destined to end through death. Ironically, though Henry and Catherine attempt to remain stoic and detached throughout the novel, even toward each other, their relationship meets the tragic end they so desperately tried to escape in the war.
Related Themes:
