Blog Passage Analysis

In Ernest Hemingway’s “A Farewell to Arms”, he uses harsh weather to analogize not only death, but also as a metaphor to how nature’s will is beyond human control, and no matter how hard Henry or Catherine try to do to be the masters of their own fate, some things are beyond their command. In this passage, the top paragraph of page 264, Henry is woken up by a loud storm and the pattering of rain on the window, prior to this, Henry had been enjoying a nice evening of billiards with Count Greffi. This sudden change is used to put a dark and ominous mood on what was previously a harmless environment. Additionally, and almost as suddenly as he was woken up by the storm, he hears a knock at his door. As a recurring archetype, the coincidence of these two events can only foreshadow misfortune, and whoever is behind the knock is the vehicle of nature’s will. As Henry quietly opens the door to find it is the barman, he notes solemnly that he just “stood there” and “carried his wet hat”. The brunt of the poor weather is obviously reflected in the man’s sad and soaked demeanor. The hat may also represent the bad weathers penetration into Henry’s life, almost as a package of misfortune being brought into his world. As we learn later the barman is indeed the barer of bad news, as Henry is being pursued by authorities for deserting the army. This event is just one instance, among many, that coincide with changes in weather. Hemingway uses the same weather archetype to represent changes in tone and atmosphere throughout the book. Hemingway refers to stormy weather to mark and foreshadow the retreat of the Italian troops and Catherine’s death. Also he also uses bad weather to show the hardship and responsibility people have towards family. In the passage, after Henry hears a knock at the door, he goes “to the door very softly, not to disturb Catherine”. Reading it generally, this reference seems merely informational for the reader, but looking through the book multiple places show attachments between changes in weather, and the presence and acknowledgement between Henry and Catherine. Reading further, as Henry paddles towards Switzerland he states being tired yet still knowing his role as being the provider and the muscle in the relationship, especially during Catherine’s pregnancy. Therefore, through the use of weather as an archetype, Hemingway is able to analogize and recognize the ties between the uncontrollability of natures wrath, and mans struggle to maintain stability and command over their own fate.