A Farewell To Arms War Essay

Backside of War
Many have a basic understanding of war as death and injury, yet these misconceptions overshadow the truth. A horrible circumstance is transformed into a romantic fairytale while in reality millions of people die when they never wanted to be involved in war. In the novel, A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway, a spotlight is shining on the truth behind war and the people that get dragged into it. Taking place in 1917 in Italy, Lieutenant Henry is an American who enlisted to be an ambulance driver for the Italians. From his interactions with those around him we see what life at war is really like. Hemingway reveals the realities of war that contradicts a romanticized view.
Hemingway shows the reality of forced involvement in the war. Many soldiers were drafted while not understanding the truth behind the hero. This is shown when a soldier with a hernia tries to make himself more sick but getting rid of this truss, in order to no longer fight on the front. Lieutenant Henry is not
allowed to take this man because he does not have an immediate injury, he decides to hurt his head in order to be taken to the hospital. This desperation gives an insight on how badly some of these men wanted to leave but had no choice. Deserters of the war face consequences such as, “nobody can come to see his mother and father and sisters and his father loses his civil rights and cannot even vote. They are all without law to protect them. Anybody can take their property” (Hemingway 43). The irony is that the men risked losing everything for enlisting but, without a doubt will risk their livelihood for deserting. Due to being forced into battle, the men turn to alcohol and bawdy houses as a distraction from their mental and physical health. These men learn unhealthy coping mechanisms because they have no other way to handle the situation that has been set upon their shoulders. While in a romanticized view, all soldiers are proud to serve for their country that in reality, not all feel this strong patriotism.
In the novel, Hemingway shows that despite popular belief, not all have a heroic death. The novel has a recurring topic of unsuspected deaths. In the very first chapter, the reader learns that only seven thousand men in the army died of cholera. It is expected that these men will have died in battle defending their country, and that is probably how their families honor their name but they died from disease. At the battle in Palva, Lieutenant Henry is injured in his leg, foot, and head while eating dinner, again no heroic action took place. While being taken from the battlefield to the hospital, a man above him bleeds to death. This unnecessary death shows that some could have survived if given the correct treatment in a manageable amount of time. While it is honorable to enlist, not all die of righteous reasons.
In A Farewell to Arms, the reality of war is highlighted through the characters struggles.
Soldiers would rather risked death from injury than be forced into war, as shown through the man with the hernia. There is also an understanding that these men had no other choice than involvement with the war or they risked betrayal from the country. Lastly, while it is a valiant action to enlist in war, that does lead to a heroic death. In society, people believe war to be and combat as exciting and a chance for men to show their strength. The truth of war is that it is monstrous and while it may be to defend one’s nation, the outcome is death of sometimes millions of innocent souls. In some cases, war is not avoidable and is needed for justice but, with greater focus on the reality of war, soldiers may feel like they are more understood in society and not fall into PTSD. Understanding the “behind the scenes” of war, will give a clear view on what life in a warzone is really
like.