I will begin my commentary with Hemingway’s words ‘A writer’s job is to tell the truth’ – Ernest Hemingway. Considering this quote we may come to the conclusion that it is a writer’s job to convey some sort of truth or accuracy to the reader. Hemingway successfully shows the truth of his words his anti-war novel, A Farewell to Arms, through the setting and characterization in the novel. It is also shown in the novel, themes and reoccurring symbol throughout the novel. This novel takes place during a time of war WW1 and shows what war is like, realistically. For a war novel, there is not a lot of fighting but instead more of getting from one place to another and the situations that occur in the interim. This portrays a truth to the reader because it shows how war is in reality and that it is not all death and destruction. Hemingway expresses the emotions of the characters accurately for time of war and conditions or situations the characters are put into. The author shows us how the characters interact with each other and how they deal with the war surrounding them.
In the following commentary I will first briefly discuss Hemingway’s style in general, then I will comment on the stream of consciousness and other writing techniques used in the text under study and from here on I will dwell on symbolism in Hemingway’s novel A Farewell to Arms and finally I will discuss the complexity of Catherine’s character in the text and throughout the novel.
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Typical to its style Hemingway uses short sentences and dialogs to reveal the end of the novel. He does not describe the protagonist feelings neither says how he feels. Hemingway doesn’t use a lot of adjectives, adverbs and epithets to describe feelings and emotions instead he draws a picture of Henry in the restaurant while he eats his supper from l.1-25, followed by a quick dialogue between Henry and the nurse followed by another stream of consciousness. The writer avoids describing emotions and thoughts. His elegant writing is almost poetic and based on facts. Hemingway also this technique with regularity and uses the interior monologue of a character to convey information, and thus the reader is allowed a more fluid picture of the true thoughts of the character, in this case, Lieutenant Frederick Henry.

Excerpt

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

Passage: A Farewell to Arms p. 291-p.294
Introduction
Text analysis
The Tip of the Iceberg Theory
Stream of consciousness technique and métaphore of 'card game'
Bibliography

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

The objective of this stylistic analysis is to examine a specific passage from Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms, focusing on its stylistic techniques and thematic resonance. The analysis explores how Hemingway's writing style contributes to the overall impact and meaning of the passage.

The use of minimalist prose and its effect on conveying emotion.
The portrayal of emotional turmoil and grief through understated language.
The exploration of themes of loss and mortality.
The effectiveness of Hemingway's stream-of-consciousness technique.
The symbolic representation of emotional states.

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

Passage: A Farewell to Arms p. 291-p.294: This passage depicts the narrator's experience in a cafe, followed by a devastating visit to the hospital where his lover, Catherine, is gravely ill. The cafe scene, characterized by seemingly mundane details like ham and eggs, beer, and card games, subtly builds tension and foreshadows the impending tragedy. The narrator's attempts to avoid thinking and remain calm highlight his inner turmoil. Upon arriving at the hospital and learning of Catherine's hemorrhage, his composure crumbles, and the passage culminates in his desperate prayers and agonizing wait beside her deathbed. The scene's stark simplicity and the narrator's internal monologue effectively convey the overwhelming grief and helplessness he experiences. The contrast between the ordinary cafe setting and the life-or-death situation in the hospital underscores the fragility of life and the immediacy of loss.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

Minimalist prose, stream of consciousness, emotional repression, loss, mortality, grief, understated language, symbolism, Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms.

A Farewell to Arms: Stylistic Analysis - FAQ

What is the focus of this stylistic analysis?

This analysis focuses on a specific passage (pages 291-294) from Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms. It examines Hemingway's stylistic techniques and how they contribute to the passage's overall impact and meaning.

What stylistic techniques are analyzed?

The analysis explores Hemingway's use of minimalist prose, his portrayal of emotion through understated language, his stream-of-consciousness technique, and the symbolic representation of emotional states within the passage.

What are the key themes explored in the passage and the analysis?

The key themes include loss, mortality, grief, and emotional turmoil. The analysis investigates how these themes are conveyed through Hemingway's writing style.

What is the setting and plot of the analyzed passage?

The passage depicts the narrator's experience in a cafe, followed by a visit to the hospital where his lover, Catherine, is critically ill. The cafe scene builds tension, while the hospital scene culminates in Catherine's hemorrhage and the narrator's agonizing wait.

How does Hemingway's writing style contribute to the passage's impact?

Hemingway's minimalist prose and understated language effectively convey the narrator's emotional turmoil and the gravity of the situation. The contrast between the ordinary cafe setting and the life-or-death hospital scene underscores the fragility of life and the immediacy of loss. The stream-of-consciousness technique allows the reader access to the narrator's inner thoughts and feelings.

What are the main objectives of this analysis?

The main objective is to examine how Hemingway's stylistic choices contribute to the emotional impact and thematic resonance of the selected passage from A Farewell to Arms.

What keywords describe this analysis?