Catherine as Code Hero in Ernest Hemingways A Farewell...

Catherine as Code Hero in A Farewell to Arms In the last book of A Farewell to Arms, when the pregnant Catherine Barkley is having painful contractions, Frederic Henry, the narrator and protagonist of the novel, reminds his wife that she is a brave good girl (FTA 313). A day later, after undergoing a caesarian section and giving birth to a stillborn baby boy, Catherine proves just how brave she is; though she knows she is dying, she still has the dignity and strength to accept such a fate. In fact, she finds herself in the (unfair) position of trying to comfort her distraught lover. With death approaching, Catherines candor is remarkable since her final words to Frederic suggest she possesses some sense or†¦show more content†¦Millicent Bell is no less biting in her article Pseudoautobiography and Personal Metaphor (1984), where she calls Catherine a sort of inflated rubber woman available at will to the onanistic dreamer (150). And Mimi Reisel Gladstein, in The Indestructible Woman in Faulkner, Hemingway, and Steinbec k (1986), furthers the anti-Catherine argument by insisting that Catherine is definitely other, object not subject. She is reduced to playing the role of functionary in mans fulfillment (50). Moreover, in those few defenses of Catherine where critics actually praise Hemingways insight and sensitivity in his female characterization, she still cannot completely escape tough critical scrutiny and thus remains misconstrued. Biographer Kenneth Lynn acknowledges Catherines beauty, yet he also mentions that she possesses a jittery, neurotic manner (386). In A Farewell to Arms: The War of the Words (1992), Robert W. Lewis, who credits Catherine for her insight and heroic nature, nevertheless feels that she is, in a way, a one-dimensional pasteboard figure (69). Nancy R. Comley and Robert Scholes round out the attack on Catherines character in Hemingways Genders: Rereading the Hemingway TextShow MoreRelatedDiscussion of Stereotypes in a Farewell to Arms1449 Words   |  6 Pagesin common - they are truer than if they had really happened, Hemingway wrote just five years after publishing A Farewell to Arms, a novel written about the war in Italy, which is ironic because A Farewell to Arms can be seen as a semi-autobiographical novel, as some of the events that occur in the novel are based off of Hemingways own life. The parallels from the novel and Hemingways life are evident-- the protagonist, Lieutenant Frederic Henry, is an ambulance driver in the Italian army, justRead MoreHemmingway: Catherine as a Code Hero1708 Words   |  7 PagesCatherine: A Manipulative Caretaker In A Farewell to Arms, Frederic Henry is characterized initially by a sort of detachment from life-though well-disciplined and friendly, he feels as if he has nothing to do with the war. These feelings of detachment are pushed away when Henry falls in love with Catherine and begins to realize the hostile nature of the world. In this way, Henry serves the function of a character that becomes initiated in Hemingways philosophy of an indifferent universe andRead More Frederick Henry Discovered Essay1901 Words   |  8 PagesIn A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway uses his idea of the code hero to introduce us to an amazing character. Hemingway takes his own ideas and conveys them through Frederic Henry. During World War I Frederic Henry proves to us that war and lost love can change a strong and willing man. Most men are not willing to change and Frederic Henry realized that in order for him to survive the many problems he was faced with, he would have to become a more mature man , love and solider. Hemingway’s codeRead More The Enduring Hero in the Works of Ernest Hemingway Essay examples2161 Words   |  9 PagesEnduring Hero in the Works of Ernest Hemingway      Ã‚  Ã‚   In his vast collection of masterpieces, Ernest Hemingway uses his own characteristics to set a moral code for his various heroes. This sportsman like code is based on the admiration of the physical virtues of courage and endurance. While not necessary for sustaining society, the code conforms the characters to one set of characteristics (McCaffery 237). One key element of this code is stoic endurance in the face of calamity. Hemingways codeRead MoreThe Characteristics of Hemingways Works2503 Words   |  11 PagesThe Characteristics of Hemingway’s Works Ernest Hemingway, who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1953 and the Nobel Prize of Literature in 1954, occupies an outstanding position in the American literature. He is regarded as one of the most influential writers of the twentieth century. Hemingway is famous for his distinct writing style and his â€Å"Code Hero.† In addition, his many great works are based on his experiences of war. Hemingway’s writing style is arguably the most distinctive characteristicRead MoreEssay about Code Hero Frederic Henry in Hemingways A Farewell to Arms613 Words   |  3 Pages In Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms, the code hero is the protagonist Lieutenant Frederic Henry. Frederic is no exception and presents with the common features of any Hemingway hero. He treats women as mere objects of sexual pleasure, religion and the afterlife as inconsequential, and defeat with a measure of grace and finesse incomparable. His love for Catherine Barkley is sexually motivated, the author consistently casts a level of skepticism on religion through Frederic and his interactionsRead MoreA Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway Essay1784 Words   |  8 PagesA Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway Ernest Hemingways WWI classic, A Farewell to Arms is a story of initiation in which the growth of the protagonist, Frederic Henry, is recounted. Frederic is initially a naà ¯ve and unreflective boy who cannot grasp the meaning of the war in which he is so dedicated, nor the significance of his lovers predictions about his future. He cannot place himself amidst the turmoil that surrounds him and therefore, is unable to fully justify a world of death andRead More heroarms The Code Hero in A Farewell to Arms Essay1021 Words   |  5 Pages The Hemingway Code Hero innbsp;nbsp;A Farewell to Arms Ernest Hemingway is a renowned American author of the Twentieth century who centers his novels around personal experiences and affections.nbsp; He is one of the authors named The Lost Generation. He could not cope with post-war America, and therefore he introduced a new type of character in writing called the code hero.nbsp; Hemingway is known to focus his novels around code heroes who struggle with the mixture of their tragic faultsRead MoreA Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway Essay525 Words   |  3 Pages In A Farewell to Arms, by Ernest Hemingway, the novel concerns itself primarily with Hemingways philosophy of life: unordered and random. There is no God to watch over man, to dictate codes of morality, or to ensure justice. Hemingway’s hero must accept his place as something insignificant, yet continue to fight endlessly against the meaninglessness of life. The universe is indifferent to mans plight. In the book, this indifference is best exemplified by the war -- an u ltimately futile struggleRead More heroarms A Comparison of Code Heroes of A Farewell to Arms and For Whom the Bell Tolls2088 Words   |  9 PagesThe Code Heroes of A Farewell to Arms and For Whom the Bell Tolls      Ã‚  Ã‚  In Ernest Hemingways fiction, there is something known as the Hemingway Hero.   This term is usually applied to the male protagonist in his works.   The Hemingway hero illustrates a variety of traits, ranging from heavy drinking to his role as a leader among the characters with whom he interacts.   Traits of this hero also resemble the personal characteristics of Hemingway himself, and the hero usually finds himself in