Annotated Bibliography
Hemingway, Ernest. A Farewell to Arms. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1929. Print.
This story, set during World War I, is about Frederic Henry, an English lieutenant who works as an ambulance driver on the Italian side of the war. From the beginning, it’s apparent that he is surrounded by an abundance of friends who appreciate him. They suggest their favorite places for him to visit during his trip to Italy. When he returns from his vacation, Frederic is introduced to a nurse’s assistant named Catherine, who he begins to flirt with. At first their relationship is just an affair to satisfy their needs for a companion and provide a distraction from other conflicts, but soon he and Catherine begin to take their relationship…show more content… Throughout Frederic’s healing period, Catherine frequently visits him. A few times, they even sleep together in his assigned room, causing their involvement to escalate quickly. If that isn’t enough, Catherine hesitantly reveals that she is pregnant, which surprisingly pleases him. Although Frederic would like to continue his carefree life with Catherine in the hospital, it is quickly put to an end. Miss Van Campen, the head nurse, discovers eleven of his hidden cognac and brandy bottles in the armoire, and reports him for self-inflicted jaundice by alcoholism. He is immediately sent back to the front the next day, where he and a few other ambulance drivers go through a long journey, including the death of one, the abandonment of another, and an incident involving two sergeants. Miraculously, Frederic survives and comes back to devote the rest of his life to family. Everything goes fairly well until the story takes an unexpected turn. Catherine has to have an emergency surgery to remove her baby, but the umbilical cord is wrapped around his neck and causes her to have a stillbirth. Then, Frederic tragically loses the love of his life to the hemorrhages she has