Struggle for Existence in Ernest Hemmingway’s A Farewell to Arms

Abstract

The study of A Farewell to Arms unveils the pictures of continuous struggle of the protagonists and other characters of the novel. This novel is considered the greatest novel to come from Hemingway’s experiences of First World War. It details the tragically doomed romance between Henry, an American soldier, volunteering as an ambulance driver in the Italian Army and Catherine Barkley, a British nurse. Hemingway expresses the theme through these two main characters, Frederick Henry and Catherine Barkley who encounter several evil fates, hurdles and obstructions that they have to combat against to create the essence of existence. Analyzing the novel using the tool of existentialism, it is explored that man is responsible for his own actions and their consequences. Therefore, he is the architect of his own destiny and he is free to design his chosen atmosphere in accordance with his choice. The choice among the alternatives implies certain degree of risk that begets existential angst. In the novel, Henry and Catherine have to make different choices, face several ups and downs and fight many obstructions for their existence but the unwanted and unforeseen results aggravate their condition. Finally, when Catherine dies in labor room, Henry suffers with frustration, helplessness, hopelessness and tragic consequences that turn him to be an absurd hero struggling for existence. This thesis is divided into four main chapters. The first chapter presents the introduction of the work. The second chapter deals with the theoretical study of the existentialism. The third chapter carries out the textual analysis and the fourth chapter draws the conclusion of the work.