Self-Absorption in A Farewell to Arms Catherine Barkley and Frederick Henry, the main characters in Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms are two of the most self-absorbed characters I have ever come across. Frederick Henry thinks only of what he wants while Catherine worries only about what Frederick thinks and wants. They are constantly thinking only about themselves, which is why I believe that it was a good thing that the baby died. They are too absorbed in themselves to think of anyone else. Shortly after meeting Catherine, Frederick attempts to get her into bed. By complimenting her hair, admitting that she had every right to slap him, and holding her hand, he uses these words and actions to get a kiss, the first step towards his goal. He does not stop to think that she might still be grieving for her lost boy and so he should take it slowly. Instead, he plunges right into trying to get her into bed without thinking about how she might feel. When he is hurt and in the hospital, he demands that the nurses pay attention to him although they are not ready for an injured soldier. He gets upset because they do not want to do anything without the doctor's permission. They were trying to do their job and he just made it more difficult for them. He also did not notice that Catherine was getting tired from working so much. All he saw was that they got to spend time together and so did not think that she might be wearing herself down. It was only with a lot of convincing that he finally saw that she needed some time off. Catherine did not even realize herself that she was getting worn down because of how absorbed she was in Frederick. She put his needs and desires before her own and believed that if she did and said what he wanted, then he will love and stay with her. "I'll do what you want and say what you want and then I'll be a great success, won't I?" (Hemingway, 105). When she finally tells him that she is pregnant, she is more concerned about how he will take the news than how it will affect her. "It doesn't worry me but I'm afraid to worry you." (137). Once she begins to show, she does not want him to look at her because she is ashamed of how she looks. "She was beginning to be a little big with the child and she did not want me to see her." (266). She also refused to get married because she was pregnant and fat. "I'll marry you as soon as I'm thin again." (294). This desire to stay good looking for Frederick is shown many times throughout the book. Back in those days, it was said that having alcoholic drinks would keep the child small. This was supposed to be good for women with small hips, but Catherine, who hardly drank before she became pregnant seems to drink more than is necessary while pregnant. "The doctor says beer will be good for me and keep her small." (291). She used this excuse often throughout the rest of the book, "The doctor said I was rather narrow in the hips and it's all for the best if we keep young Catherine small." (294). Although she drinks more beer than is probably necessary, she is very hesitant about eating food because it will make her fat. "Could I eat a chocolate bar? Or is it too close to lunch? I'm always hungry." (297). This shows how much more concerned she is about her appearance than about her child's health. Being concerned for the unborn child and to be prepared are two of the most important things that parents make sure to do before the child is supposed to come. Yet Catherine realizes almost too late that they did not have any baby items, nor did she know what she needed. "There aren't many people reach my time without baby things. ... That's what I'll do to-morrow. I'll find out what is necessary." (308). It is ridiculous that she has already planned what she is going to do with herself after the baby is born, but hardly thinks about what to do for the child. "...after she's born and I'm thin again I'm going to cut it [her hair] and then I'll be a fine new and different girl for you." (304). Even while giving birth, she is more concerned with not being any trouble and doing her "job" as a woman by having the child quickly and easily than about the child's health. "I so want to be a good wife and have this child without any foolishness." (315). She assumed that the child was in good health although she did not see him after the Cesarean. Most mothers would have demanded to see their child immediately after returning to their room. She did not think to ask. "It makes trouble and is born and then you look after it and get fond of it maybe." (321). This statement by Frederick summarizes how both he and Catherine feel about the child. They loved each other very much, but they did not want to include anyone else in that love. Catherine was more concerned with being a good wife than being a good mother. Frederick just did not seem to think of anything that was not Catherine or himself. They did not think much about the child before it was born and said things like "She won't come between us, will she? The little brat." "No. We won't let her." (304). They were too wrapped up in themselves to worry or care about anyone else. If the child had been born alive, it probably would have been neglected or not treated as well as it should be. "Aren't you proud of your son?" "No, he nearly killed his mother." (325). The hostility that Frederick shows is evident of how the child would have been treated if it had actually lived. Works Cited Hemingway, Ernest. "A Farewell to Arms" Scribner Paperback Fiction, 1929.
Washington's selection to be the leader of the Continental Army was the wisest choice that the newly formed Continental Congress could have made. Washington's selection as Commander of the Continental Army did more to win the Revolutionary war than any other decision made during the conflict. His personal character epitomizes perfectly the five traits required in a successful general: wisdom, sincerity, humanity, courage, and strictness. (Sun Tzu p. 65) These five crucial traits will become apparent and Washington's strategy to win the War of Independence is elaborated on further
Although an investigation of the Bureau of Animal Industry, which provided the inspectors of the packaging plants, was ongoing, Roosevelt felt the need to have unbiased investigators look into the matter. Roosevelt and Agriculture Secretary James Wilson “asked Commissioner of Labor Charles P. Neill and New York...
The meaning of life is to find the meaning of life. Is it not? We all go through each day trying to figure out which road out the infinite amount of paths will lead us in a better direction where happiness is prominent and society is flawless. However, not every single human being is going to fit on that narrow, one-lane highway to success. Bad choices, accidents, fate, family matters, society, temptation, anger, rage, addiction, and loss of hope can all be deciding factors in opting to choose that wrong path to self-destruction. The adverse thing is, once you've traveled so far down the road, you get so discouraged that you feel like you can never turn back or make up for the "lost time."
The passage begins by Nelly narrating how astonishing and unexpected was Catherine’s new appearance. She changed so much that it was hard to recognize her. By bringing everyone’s attention and telling her how beautiful she looked, it can be noticed that Catherine’s personality also changed. In fact, the passage says that she didn’t even wanted to touch anything because she was afraid it would ruin her clothes. At this point of the passage she has still not encounter Heathcliff; however, just with the description of her appearance and attitude the reader can assume that she will not treat him like she used to do. In addition, it is also expected that not only their relationship is going to change but also the way
Chernow shows how Washington applied the things he learned as young man, eager to advance in the British army. His irritation with the innate bias against colonial soldiers, and his grievances against British discrimination in regard to his pay and commission, later helped fuel his fire against them. He learned from his service in the French and Indian War how the British fought and what their weaknesses were. More importantly, he built his reputation as the premier military figure in the
She does not look fondly upon giving birth as she shows it as a fight
Women throughout time have been compelled to cope with the remonstrances of motherhood along with society’s anticipations
This quote explained Edgars opinion on Catherine because she is over exaggerating with her emotions. She talks about dying and love. She also knows this will get a rise out of Edgar. But she also uses her intelligence because she realizes that Heathcliff will never love or miss her. Catherine puts her thoughts into a reality
After the conflict, Catherine is never able to fully recover from the incident, instead, she falls ill and mentally unstable. This is dangerous since she has a baby on the way. Catherine is described by Nelly as "all nerves" and that "She couldn't bear the surprise " of a visit from even Heathcliff (125).
"People say that what we're all seeking is a meaning for life. I don't think that's what we're really seeking. I think that what we're seeking is an experience of being alive...." Joseph Campbell made this comment on the search for meaning common to every man's life. His statement implies that what we seem bent on finding is that higher spark for which we would all be willing to live or die; we look for some key equation through which we might tie all of the experiences of our life and feel the satisfaction of action toward a goal, rather than the emptiness which sometimes consumes the activities of our existence. He states, however, that we will never find some great pure meaning behind everything, because there is none. What there is to be found, however, is the life itself. We seek to find meaning so that emptiness will not pervade our every thought, our every deed, with the coldness of reality as the unemotional eye chooses to see it. Without color, without joy, without future, reality untouched by hope is an icy thing to view; we have no desire to see it that way. We forget, however, that the higher meaning might be found in existence itself. The joy of life and the experience of living are what make up true meaning, as the swirl of atoms guided by chaotic chance in which we find our existence has no meaning outside itself.
... doing some of the things they did prior to being pregnant and as a result they are not taken seriously when to comes to their ability to work (p. 301). All in all, Little makes it very clear that she strongly apposes forcing gestation on any woman because “even in medical uncomplicated pregnancies — even when one’s ankles remain thin and one’s hair turns luxurious; even in a society in which pregnancy is not a marker for subordination, gestation mandated against consent is itself a harm” (p. 303).
...wave). Lightning is often seen long before its thunder is heard. This is because sound travels at about 343 m/s though air, much more slowly than 3.00x108 m/s, the speed of light. While a lightning strike takes less than a second to complete, the sound of its thunder often lasts much longer. There are many reasons for this. The shape of the lightning bolt is a major factor, as all parts are not an equal distance from the listener. Sound produced by closer portions of the bolt will be the first of the thunder a listener hears, and sound produced by portions of the bolt that are farther away will be heard later. Another factor is that objects on the ground interfere with the sound, and echoes from hills and other objects can perpetuate thunder. Often lightning occurs in groups, so the sounds from multiple bolts sometimes overlap to cause longer lasting thunder.
The meaning of life is one of the biggest obstacles that come between a person, and the challenges someone faces to understand the importance of life.
Catherine's dilemma begins in an overtly conventional yet dismal setting. This is the ordered and understated fashionable New York setting where she is victim to her father's calculated disregard and domineering behaviour and of the perceptions others have of her given their economic and social positions. She is, in Sloper's words, "absolutely unattractive." She is twenty, yet has never before, as Sloper points out, received suitors in the house. Mrs. Almond's protestations that Catherine is not unappealing are little more than a matter of form and she is admonished by Sloper for suggesting he give Catherine "more justice." Mrs. Penniman, for her part, readily perceives that without Catherine's full inheritance, Morris Townsend would have "nothing to enjoy" and proceeds to establish her role in appeasing her brother and giving incoherent counsel to the courtship between Catherine and Townsend. For Townsend himself, Catherine's "inferior characteristics" are a matter of course and a means to a financial end.
The first, most obvious trait of Catherine’s heroism is that she values human relationships above materialism. Nothing is more important to Catherine than her lover, Henry, and as the novel goes on, her baby. When Henry is injured and sent to Milan, she has no trouble transferring to the new hospital there. Catherine loves Henry and would drop anything to be with him. Nothing material holds her back from being with him. Even when they live in Switzerland, they don’t have many material possessions. They live very simple lives because all the couple really needs is each other. In chapter forty, Henry describes their time together with this quote, "When there was a good day we had a splendid time and we never had a bad time. We knew the baby was very close now and it gave us both a feeling as though something were hurrying us and we could not lose any time together." Catherine obviously values her time with Henry more than anyone else, but it isn’t the physical aspect of getting out and doing things that satisfies her. What satisfies Catherine is the extra time she gets to spend with the love of her life b...