A Farewell to Arms

Sample Lesson - Introduction

Lesson 1.11: Disenchanted, Party of One

An aerial view of Disenchantment Bay, a real place in Alaska. The irony's not lost on ol' Ernest.
(Source)

Out of the river and into the fire…or, uh, train. Last we saw our Hemingway hero, he was leaping headlong into a rushing body of water to escape the Italian battle police. All in a day's work, you know?

As Book Four draws to a close, so does Tenente's enchantment with the war. Such as it was, anyway. It's not like he was exactly World War I's greatest cheerleader to begin with. But that near-death situation with the battle cops really cramped his style.

In this lesson, we'll see what Lieutenant Henry's thinking might happen next, now that he's essentially a man on the run.

He is so over it.

Sample Lesson - Reading

Reading 1.1.11a: A Farewell to Arms, Chapters 31 and 32

These chapters open with a line both Hemingwayishly simple and Hemingwayishly profound: "You do not know how long you are in a river when the current moves swiftly." (226) As per usual, not knowing is the name of the game.

What else does our Lieutenant not know? He doesn't know if he's gonna survive, or get caught, or where he's headed to. He does know he's about had it with this war business. As Book Four closes, his thoughts are on finding Catherine again and getting out of danger.

What do you think about Frederic's desertion? Does his interior monologue, which we get more of in these chapters than usual, seem different to you in the wake of this risk?

He reflects, "Anger was washed away in the river along with any obligation… It was no point of honor. I was not against them I was through. I wished them all the luck" (232).

How does this fit with your understanding of the "Hemingway hero"?

Read Chapters 31 and 32, and if you're still not sure, find further food for thought in these summaries:

• Chapter 31 
• Chapter 32

Sample Lesson - Reading

Reading 1.1.11b: Over It

Before you too suffer intense wartime disillusionment, head over to the British Library and read this short essay by the historian Modris Eksteins. It's about "the role of literature as a means to confront and overcome the devastation of World War I"—pay special attention to the section titled "Disenchantment."

We know we've been throwing around "disenchantment" and "disillusionment" like they're going out of style. But it just so happens to be, as you'll see in Eksteins' essay, one of those states that descended upon a whole generation of artists, writers, and musicians. The devastation of the Great War left them questioning everything.

In the case of Lieutenant Henry on his getaway train, we can see that he's questioned the war good and well. He reflects:

I was through. I wished them all the luck. There were the good ones, and the brave ones, and the calm ones and the sensible ones, and they deserved it. But it was not my show any more and I wished this bloody train would get to Mestre and I would eat and stop thinking. I would have to stop (232).

This disenchantment is central to the plot of A Farewell to Arms, as it puts Lieutenant Henry squarely in conflict from this point forward, with the war effort around him. You might even call some of Frederic's extended internal reflections on his disenchantment a monologue or soliloquy. He's alone on the stage, so to speak, at least for now. And it's often at moments like these that a character or narrator will reveal significant inner thoughts.

Sure, we've had a general sense of Hemingway's feeling about the war beneath the surface for much of the book so far. But only now has his first-person narration broken out in fully-fledged disenchantment.

Well then, what do you think is left for our Hemingway hero now that he no longer believes in the war? He's through driving ambulances, we know that much. He wants out of Italy. So, what does he have left to live for?

Sample Lesson - Activity

Activity 1.11a: Disenchantethon

Frederic Henry's disenchantment has been weaving in and out of the novel from its earliest chapters. It has popped up here and there: in dialogue, in meaningful imagery, and in the tone of the Tenente's reminiscences.

We've reflected a bit on this important theme. And in these chapters we've heard directly from Mr. Henry on the subject as he recalls in the flat-car, just how over it he really is.

For this activity, write a persuasive response (about 300 words) arguing that A Farewell to Arms is a "disenchantment narrative."

To do this, you'll need to look back through the text to find examples that support the claim—use at least four quotes. Where do you see evidence, earlier in the book, that Lieutenant Henry is eventually going to become disenchanted with the Italian army, and with serving in the war?

To demonstrate, we might take the example of Lieutenant Henry's encounter with the soldier Ettore, and use Lieutenant Henry's description of him as evidence of a growing disenchantment. We could write something like this:

Lieutenant Henry's characterization of Ettore, the American from San Francisco who joined the Italian Army, hints that he is gradually questioning the meaning of the war more and more. In fact, he says of Ettore, "He was a legitimate hero who bored everyone he met (124)." Lieutenant Henry's attitude here shows him developing a distrust of the war and all its trappings, including heroism.

We would go on pulling in other examples, and interpreting as appropriate. But it's your move, now—submit below.

Sample Lesson - Activity