In this novel, remove to the natural landscape, Hemingway also gives different figures in the symbolism of the different. Some relevant people stand for the spirit which dominates Henry’s life.
Symbolic Meaning of Catherine
Catherine is the Hemingway of the gentlest, kindest, and most romantic and most bravely woman; she is Hemingway's most memorable image of the people. On the symbolic meaning, Justice is concerned. Catherine represents Hemingway ideal of love and family. There are many examples reflecting her life, love and death have their own deep-hole review. When Catherine was coming at the first time, her fiancé had just died in the battlefield; she was in the very guilty state of mind.
“I felt that I owed him something. I waited him so long to agree to marry him. I don’t know why .Then he joined the Army. I didn’t like the idea, but it was already too late.”﹙Chapter 5﹚ It is precisely because of her can only exist in the traditional concept of marriage, Love it so that they left a deficiency.
Catherine went on to say, "Early to know if what he wanted me to give him anything. All this reason I now know. "From the Catherine here to see her fiancé’s death shattered the traditional wave of love man dreams.
In the end of the novel, Catherine has been died because her birth baby. We can see Catherine’s courage. With the death of Catherine so that Henry deeper understanding. Catherine's love of the input and as well as her dedication shown by the kindness, loyalty, maturity and courage to make the people found the meaning of life, and she is indeed the most memorable women image in the novel. The final work, she almost became a love of abstraction. Catherine has become a death entirely her own, the abstract, there is no anger image, for the living, she is like a spirit of love and family.
Symbolic Meaning of the Priest
Symbolism in the way of the work also involved with other people. Henry’s two closest friends represent a statue of morality. One is the young Italian doctor Rinaldi. Another close friend is a nameless Italian priest. He seized every opportunity to preach the virtues of Christianity. It was he trying to convince Henry. During the holidays he persuades Henry to visit his hometown of Abruzzi. Priest depicts this mountainous countryside where have clean cool air, abundance of birds and its friendly people. There is a place close to heaven. In the middle of the novel, He disappeared in readers’ vision. However, he represent the quality has been affecting the development of the story.
When Henry and Catherine arrived in Switzerland Heights, they began married life form. They understand is the spirit of the priest inspiring them. The priest stands for the spirit which dominates Henry’s life.
Ⅴ.Conclusion
Ernest Hemingway, in his novel A Farewell to Arms, used the nature to structure the novel and provided symbols that replaced the emotion of human. The nature serves as a basic structure of the plots and the actions that occurs. It also emerged as a source of symbols that replace human’s sentiment or feelings.
The combination of natural symbolism with death and language create a powerful unity to the events of the novel. The death is foreshadowed by the rain, which is used as a substitute of the emotion. Thus the rain represented not only the death, but also the grief, the pain, and the despair that follow with death. It represented a form of purging further, a means of forgetting what have just happened. While the snow stands for a peaceful life and a beautiful dream. The mountain represents happiness, love and family. While the plain is just represents opposite symbolic meaning. It stands for death, sadness and destruction .People is also play an important role in the novel which stands for the spirit which dominates Henry’s life.
Hemingway was famous for his “ice-berg” theory. He was entitled pretty high honor as the “mastery of the art of modern narration”. Hemingway’s fame as a writer was confirmed with the publication of A Farewell to Arms in 1929. The novel portrayed a farewell to war and love. Hemingway had rejected the romantic ideal of the ultimate unity of lovers, instead of suggesting that all relationship must end in death, which reflected extremely Hemingway’s tragic view to the world and the life. Through the study, we can make a clear realization from all above mentioned, such as the theme, the analysis of the symbolism, the criticism to wars, etc, served his pessimistic mind. At last we acquire some enlightens that we should love our life and cherish the existing peace.
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