Great job with the questions you submitted thus far. I am looking forward to our discussion in class tomorrow. Take a few minutes and jot down some responses to some of these questions that you may want to bring up in class tomorrow.
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A Farewell to Arms
Class Discussion Questions
1. How do Frederic’s character and personality changed (if put into comparison Frederic from the 1st page and Frederic from the last page), which concrete events/details or who´s/what´s influence helped to change it, and was it a positive or a negative change?
2. Do you think Frederic Henry has something in common with the author? Give reasons for your opinion.
3. Does Frederic’s attitude towards war change throughout the book? How?
4. What functions do these descriptions of food have, considering the war and its consequences?
“…and then a drink of the wine, it tasted like rusty metal.” p.54
“…I was after him, holding the cheese, its smooth surface covered with brick dust.” p.53
5. According to the XIX.Chapter where Cat says: "I´m afraid of rain because sometimes I see me dead in it. And sometimes I see you dead in it. (...but) I can keep you safe. But nobody can help themselves".
In the final XLI.Chapter, the last sentence of the book is: "After a while I went out and left the hospital and walked back to the hotel in the rain."
Could we consider that the "rain" plays a significant role throughout the whole book as it repeats, and what may this (refrain) motiv stand for/symbolize?
6. In the XVIII.Chapter, Cat tells to Frederic: "You are my religion. You´re all I´ve got."
In the VI.Chapter he admits to himself: "I knew I did not love Catherine Barkley nor had any idea of loving her. This was a game, like bridge, in which you said things instead of playing cards..."
When does this statement change and what does Catherine mean to him at the end?
7. During the discussion between the main protagonist and the priest (XI.Chapter) they agree on the fact that: "There are people who would make the war. (...) and they make others (the second group) to make it. The others (the 2nd group) are not organized to stop things and when they got organized, their leaders sell them out."
If all the characters are classificated according to this criterion, who belongs into the 1st and who into the 2nd group, and why do the 1st group make the war and why is the 2nd group not being able to stop it?
8. What role does the shooting of the Italian soldiers performed by other Italian soldiers play in Henry’s life?
„The questioners had that beautiful detachment and devotion to stern justice of men dealing in death without being in any danger of it.“ p.218
„Anger was washed away in the river along with any obligation.“ p. 225
„ I was going to forget the war. I had made a separate peace.” p.233
9. "I was always embarrassed by the words sacred, glorious, and sacrifice and the expression in vain. We had heard them, sometimes standing in the rain (again the motif of rain!) almost out of earshot... Abstract words such as glory, honor, courage, or hallow were obscene beside the concrete names of villages, the numbers of roads, the names of rivers, the numbers of regiments and the dates."(Chapter XXVII.)
If literally interpreted, all these words have noble and positively heroic character/meaning. Is there any explanation or reasons to the fact, that they signify direct contrast for Frederic?
10. What are Hemingway’s views of religion as can be seen in these quotations?
Major: “All thinking men are atheists.“ p.10
Catherine: “I have no religion...You’re my religion. You’re all I’ve got.“p.111
Henry: “It is only in defeat that we become Christian.“ p.171
How are his views connected with the war?
“ What do you believe in? –Sleep.“ p.172
Does the priest and his attitudes represent at least a spark of hope that there could be God, or not? Why or why not?
Priest: "What you tell me about in the nights. That is not love. That is only passion and lust. When you love you wish to do things for. You wish to sacrifice for. You wish to serve." p.72
