Friday, October 22, 2010
From novel to big screen
The Birth
"Poor, poor dear Cat. And this was the price you paid for sleeping together. This was the end of the trap. This was what people got for loving each other. Thank God for gas anyway..."
Here we see Hemingway reinstate the theme of Life. Catherine is giving birth to their child and he feels sorrow for her. And throughout the book many of the characters were always found trying to do and think of other things to take their minds off of the tragedy and what was actually going on. I believe that is why Henry says "Thank God for gas anyway." It's just another way of him taking his mind briefly off of reality, even if it is just for a split second.
Here we see Hemingway reinstate the theme of Life. Catherine is giving birth to their child and he feels sorrow for her. And throughout the book many of the characters were always found trying to do and think of other things to take their minds off of the tragedy and what was actually going on. I believe that is why Henry says "Thank God for gas anyway." It's just another way of him taking his mind briefly off of reality, even if it is just for a split second.
Just how close?
"When they lifted you up out of bed to carry you into the dressing room you could look out of the window and see the new graves in the garden..."
I believe that Hemingway uses this as a reminder to the reader, just how close to death Henry and other soldiers were. At any time and any place, that could have certainly been the very end. They had no idea when there time would come, or even if it would in this war or the next. But small reminders like this one were showing up everywhere.
I believe that Hemingway uses this as a reminder to the reader, just how close to death Henry and other soldiers were. At any time and any place, that could have certainly been the very end. They had no idea when there time would come, or even if it would in this war or the next. But small reminders like this one were showing up everywhere.
Together Forever
"But we were never lonely and never afraid when we were together."
When the reader comes across this quote, they can immediately feel the true compassion felt between Henry and Catherine. It seems almost as if nothing can come between them. They are one. It shows just how close they've become over the last two 200 pages. And at the same time keeps the reader wondering where their future is to go and just how far they plan on taking their relationship.
When the reader comes across this quote, they can immediately feel the true compassion felt between Henry and Catherine. It seems almost as if nothing can come between them. They are one. It shows just how close they've become over the last two 200 pages. And at the same time keeps the reader wondering where their future is to go and just how far they plan on taking their relationship.
Oh the heavy burden.
"...long 6.6 mm cartridges, bulged forward under the capes so that the men, passing on the road, marched as though they were six months gone with child."
This quote is one of my absolute favorites. Hemingway describes the many cartridges that they must carry and compares it to the heavy burden that men carry in war at the same time as comparing it to the burden that women have of bearing a child, while he is also at the same time comparing it to new life. This is a great example of one of the major themes: life and death. As it is also a great dichotomy used by Hemingway.
This quote is one of my absolute favorites. Hemingway describes the many cartridges that they must carry and compares it to the heavy burden that men carry in war at the same time as comparing it to the burden that women have of bearing a child, while he is also at the same time comparing it to new life. This is a great example of one of the major themes: life and death. As it is also a great dichotomy used by Hemingway.
The beginning of Catherine and Henry
"Tell me, how many people have you ever loved?"
"Nobody"
"Not even me?"
"Yes, you."
"How many others really?"
"None."
"How many have you stayed with"
"None."
"You're lying to me."
"Yes."
In this conversation, Catherine and Henry are beginning to learn more and more about each other. They have become somewhat closer and more personal. Here, Catherine starts to hint at Henry's sex life. She is quite curious to know whether or not she may be the only one. In response, Henry tries to play around with her by lying and then stating that he is in fact lying. Hemingway uses conversations like these throughout the novel to allow the reader to better understand Catherine and Henry's relationship.
"Nobody"
"Not even me?"
"Yes, you."
"How many others really?"
"None."
"How many have you stayed with"
"None."
"You're lying to me."
"Yes."
In this conversation, Catherine and Henry are beginning to learn more and more about each other. They have become somewhat closer and more personal. Here, Catherine starts to hint at Henry's sex life. She is quite curious to know whether or not she may be the only one. In response, Henry tries to play around with her by lying and then stating that he is in fact lying. Hemingway uses conversations like these throughout the novel to allow the reader to better understand Catherine and Henry's relationship.
From Birth to Death Through War
1972- In retrospect, the reader often discovers that the first chapter of a novel or the opening scene of a drama introduces some of the major themes of the work. Write an essay about the opening scene of a drama or the first chapter of a novel in which you explain how it functions in this way.
Often times in novels the author exposes the main theme by some sort of descriptive or tragic drama in the beginning or first chapter. In A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway, he does exactly this. Within the very first page, he explodes with many literary devices to give the reader a good taste of the main themes that are to consume the rest of the novel. One of which is war. Hemingway does a remarkable job in portraying the men and their struggles as they fight through one of the most gruesome wars of all time. Another major theme is death and destruction. He begins by describing how beautiful and luscious the Earth was, then quickly goes on to show how dead, and shattered everything that once was living has now become. He shows how quickly life's circumstance can change by using the descriptions of the changing seasons while eluding to the war, death and destruction.
"The plain was rich with crops, there were many orchards of fruit trees..." Hemingway begins by giving the reader a vivid description of the luscious land and it's vegetation. "The vineyards were thin and bare-branched too and all the country wet and brown and dead with autumn." Here, he uses the season Autumn as the pivotal point of the extremes of life and death. By contrasting these two, the reader can feel the emotions that are in play at the time of the actual war.
"...long 6.5 mm cartridges bulged forward under the capes so that the men, passing on the road, marched as though they were six months gone with child." Here we see how cleverly Hemingway spins the dichotomy of life and death as seen through the opposite of new birth and carrying the weight of the war. Also by describing the men as walking as though they were "six months gone with child," it allows the reader to actually feel the heavy burden that they must carry as soldiers in war.
These themes however, are not the only ones within the novel. There remain quite a few more. But these are some of the major themes of the novel that were exposed within the first chapter. The first chapter not only sets the pace for the rest of the novel, but grabs the reader and holds them in suspense as he introduces to them the constant themes of war and life and death.
Often times in novels the author exposes the main theme by some sort of descriptive or tragic drama in the beginning or first chapter. In A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway, he does exactly this. Within the very first page, he explodes with many literary devices to give the reader a good taste of the main themes that are to consume the rest of the novel. One of which is war. Hemingway does a remarkable job in portraying the men and their struggles as they fight through one of the most gruesome wars of all time. Another major theme is death and destruction. He begins by describing how beautiful and luscious the Earth was, then quickly goes on to show how dead, and shattered everything that once was living has now become. He shows how quickly life's circumstance can change by using the descriptions of the changing seasons while eluding to the war, death and destruction.
"The plain was rich with crops, there were many orchards of fruit trees..." Hemingway begins by giving the reader a vivid description of the luscious land and it's vegetation. "The vineyards were thin and bare-branched too and all the country wet and brown and dead with autumn." Here, he uses the season Autumn as the pivotal point of the extremes of life and death. By contrasting these two, the reader can feel the emotions that are in play at the time of the actual war.
"...long 6.5 mm cartridges bulged forward under the capes so that the men, passing on the road, marched as though they were six months gone with child." Here we see how cleverly Hemingway spins the dichotomy of life and death as seen through the opposite of new birth and carrying the weight of the war. Also by describing the men as walking as though they were "six months gone with child," it allows the reader to actually feel the heavy burden that they must carry as soldiers in war.
These themes however, are not the only ones within the novel. There remain quite a few more. But these are some of the major themes of the novel that were exposed within the first chapter. The first chapter not only sets the pace for the rest of the novel, but grabs the reader and holds them in suspense as he introduces to them the constant themes of war and life and death.
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