The Symbolism of Water in A Farewell to Arms by Ernest...

The Symbolism of Water in A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway A Farewell to Arms, by Ernest Hemingway, is a story about love and war. Frederic Henry, a young American, works as an ambulance driver for the Italian army in World War I. He falls tragically in love with a beautiful English nurse, Miss Catherine Barkley. This tragedy is reflected by water. Throughout the novel Ernest Hemingway uses water as metaphors. Rivers are used as symbols of rebirth and escape and rain as tragedy and disaster, which show how water plays an important role in the story. Rivers in A Farewell to Arms represent rebirth. They symbolize a departure from a previous life and an entrance to a new one. The first evidence of this comes during the†¦show more content†¦It was again as if the river has established an opportunity to lead a new life, away from the war in Italy to a more comfortable life. Henry’s and Catherine’s escape through the river not only leads them to a better life but the unborn child, too. As a symbol of tragedy rain is frequently used by Hemingway in this novel. Rain is a symbol of disaster already beginning in the first chapter when the reader learns that the war is not going well and that the the permanent rain brought the cholera. Here rain is related to illness. Rain also falls when Frederic and Catherine are looking for a hotel room so they can be together before Frederic must leave for the front. Catherine buys a nightgown for the evening. And when they find a room, she looks in the mirrors and feels cheap, while Frederic looks outside at the storm. The rain degrades the farewell of Frederic, and Catherine tells him that „[she] never felt like a whore before. Rain also falls during the troops retreat which is symbolizing a failure. One night when Catherine and Frederic are in the hotel in Italy, Frederic awakens to the sound of rain and learns that he will be arrested. And during their time of escape from Italy to Switzerland it is very windy and rainy. T hat symbolizes how their escape would definitely be difficult. It takes them many hours to row to Switzerland’s shore. A second role that rain plays in A Farewell to Arms is to reflect death. On a rainyShow MoreRelatedThe Struggle of Life and War in Ernest Hemingway’s Writing 1071 Words   |  5 PagesErnest Hemingway was one of the greatest authors of the twentieth century. His simple style, lucid depictions, and relatable narratives propelled him into a world of literary fame. These unique attributes are inimitable; Hemingway relates to the reader on a deeper level that even the best imitators cannot achieve. For this and many other reasons, critics praise Hemingway for the indefinable work of an exceptional writer. 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