The Subjects of Love and War Shine in Hemingway’s Writing Style

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Recommended: The thematic preoccupation in A farewell to arms by ernest hemingway

In the novel, A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway creates a moving and intense portrayal of love between Catherine Barkley and Frederic Henry, which is set mainly on the Italian Front during World War I. The novel was originally published in 1929, after Hemingway himself served as an ambulance driver for the Italian Red Cross. Due to this experience, Hemingway is able to show great detail and description when writing about the scenes of war on the Italian Front. Additionally, he draws on his experiences with a nurse and similarities can be seen in the events in his novel and in the events in his life leading up to the writing of A Farewell to Arms. While a select few of the initial reactions claim that this particular novel is a disgusting, salacious, and a violent account, the majority of reviews written shortly after the novel was originally published commend Hemmingway for his detailed picture of the war, the intensity of the love story, and the craftsmanship and talent of his writing style. This leads most to claim that A Farewell to Arms is one of Ernest Hemingway’s most successful and masterful works.
An article published in 1913 titled, “Chronicle and Comment” from The Bookman highlights some of the negative criticism that Ernest Hemingway received. In this article, criticism is given towards Hemingway’s work based on support of another review titled, “What is Dirt?” by Robert Herrick. Here, the authors feel that Hemingway’s work is merely a picture of contemporary life rather than a contribution to literature. When looking at the love story between Catherine and Frederick, the article cheapens the love story by claiming that it is “the story of a Scotch nurse made irresponsible by heartbreak and an American...

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... connect with the readers in a realistic way. It is a hard-hitting story of love in the midst of war.
Based on the reviews that were found, it can be concluded that Ernest Hemingway’s novel, A Farewell to Arms, depicts a hauntingly realistic love story between Catherine and Fredric, one that was intense and more real than what was traditional presented in previous romances. More importantly, due to the publication of this work, it could be said that Hemingway changed the accepted style of writing, pushing his mastered technique into the forefront or even into the arena to be taken seriously. The reviews also point out that, the majority of individuals seemed to sense a huge growth in Hemingway’s writing in this book and felt that due to this, Hemingway had moved into a recognizable writer who had made a significant contribution to the world of literature.

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