Catherine, a vad in the Italian war front, is the beloved of Henry. She has already bitten a farewell to arms as of the loss of her fiancé, who had been killed in Somme, France.
A Well Learnt Girl
Catherine is not an ordinary lady, she has learnt the art of maturity. In fact, she is far more mature than Henry. For Henry, making love is a bridge game but for Catherine, love is uniformity of souls. She knows the playboy policy of Henry and says, "You don't have to pretend you love me. You see I'm not mad . . . " For Henry, war can be terminated at any time but Catherine's view is more realistic and engaging. War cannot be dropped so easily as it seems. Her maturity plays a key role in foiling Henry into the right and matured intellect.
Love - Her Religion
Catherine's lovemaking with Henry in Milan is something considerable about her
anti-marriage attitude. According to her, marriage bounds a couple to practice
their love in limitations. Henry still wants her to be married to him but she
denies his proposal by giving above stated arguments. Then she foreshadows her
disbelieve in religion. But she corrects her statement by saying, "You are
my religion. ". Her love for Henry is her religion. Her religion still
exists when she is on her death bed and Henry is, like many other persons who
"pretend" to be atheists, bargains with God and asks Catherine if he
should bring the priest. She rejects, while encouraging Henry, "Only you. "
A Brave Lady
During the "couple's" residence in Milan, Catherine longs to perform
some act of bravery. Henry, in response, says, "Nothing ever happens to
the brave,". But the well experienced Catherine replies, "They die,
of course. ", prophesizing her death in the end of the book. In spite of
her advanced pregnancy, she helps Henry in November's nights, holding an
umbrella as a sail and even rows for a while when they leave for Switzerland.
Her Critical Notes on Ettore and Mrs. Meyers
In chapter 19 of Book II, when Ettore boasts of his medals of bravery which he has acquired of showing "acts" of bravery in the war front. Catherine does not seem to agree with the young soldier. As the people present in the gathering knew "what the war actually meant." She called him a "dreadful boy". According to her, a true soldier is a quiet fellow. The other character, Mrs. Meyers who brought gifts for the soldiers who were being treatmented under the Milan hospital and called them her "dear boys", was also ridiculed by Catherine.
Fearful of Rain
Rain, usually, is considered a symbol of fertility and prosperity. But this novel symbolizes it a source of destruction and detachment. Catherine was fearful of rain as she saw herself or Henry dead in the rain. She wished she would not afraid of rain. It was also raining when Catherine breathed her last.
Conclusion
Hemingway wants Henry to give up his boyish immaturity and he assists the protagonist with Catherine. For her, both the lover and beloved are the same and she wants to be an imitation of Henry. But we, as readers, are admirers of her superior intellect and the way Catherine makes her Henry, from an "airy soldier" to a wise person, we cannot help ourselves but praise.
Source
- CliffsNotes
- A Farewell to Arms - Critical Study by Ramji Laal
