Significance of the Title in A Farewell to Arms

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Introductory

 

Ernest Hemingway, a novelist and a journalist has published seven novels and six short story collection while most of his work was produced within the 1920s to 1950s. His literary genius is regarded as Classics of American Literature.

The title for the very novel is borrowed from a mono-stich of a 16th century English poet, George Peele in order to ironify Hemingway's genius.

 

Dual Meaning

 

It is the title, which arrests the reader's attention. "Arms" has been implied dual in meaning. Arms either signify the weapons used during World War First or it can be regarded as the cruel hands of fate which deprive Henry of his beloved Catherine.

 

Sufferings of Henry

 

It is worth noticing that Henry, at first, is not afraid of the war, saying:

"Well, I knew I would not be killed. Not in this war. It did not have anything to do with me. It seemed no more dangerous to me than the war in movies. "

But it was not a movie. The horrible burst of fire was not a romance. Then he said: "I wish to God it was over though. "

The war gradually shapes itself to a show of devastation and Henry himself gets severely wounded during the "ditch operation" and it takes several days to get Henry recovered of his injury.

The tragic pen-picture of the war also leaves a disturbing strain on Rinaldi, Henry's roommate in Gorizia, who has to perform surgical operations on the wounded soldiers of the war front.

 

The Caporetto Retreat and Disillusionment of War

 

In the climax, as the fierce war grew more violent, many people, women and children along with other necessary household goods were "loaded" in carts which were travelling in columns in order to find a safe place under the blind shadow of night. Henry witnessed the whole drama and expressed his views in hatred of war with Gino that courage, honour and glory were just hateful abstract words for him. These words had lost their significance before him.

 

Henry's Farewell to Arms

 

The retreat of Caporetto infuriated the Italian generals and they issued a verdict to kill every person who was responsible for retreat. The brutal military police was killing the innocents without completing their justification. Henry decided to take every possible step to secure his life and he jumped into the river Tagliamento. The show was over for him. Although he bid a farewell to weapons, yet he welcomed love and his love for Catherine had been transformed from lust to spiritual adherence.

 

Another Farewell

 

The unmarriedly married couple is living a satisfactory life in Switzerland. But when Catherine is to give birth to her child, some severe complexations take place and Catherine begins to haemorrhage and Henry has to bade another farewell, a farewell to his beloved and his child.

 

Conclusion

 

"A Farewell to Arms" is more than a title. The scornful calamity, the dreadful spectrum of the dead bodies, mental agony and physical imparity are the outcome of "courage, glory and honour". The title is to keep the false ambitions of war at an arm's length and to promote peace.

 

Sources

 

• A Key book of Famous on A Farewell to Arms by Ramji Laal
• Weebly