Annotated Bibliography - A Farewell to Arms

Résumé du document

Killinger's argumentation is very convincing. He presents the connection between Hemingway's work and the existentialist movement in a tremendously clear and effective way. Every aspect of existentialism is covered, and backed with concrete examples and quotations from the text. The 'nada-concept' is particularly interesting, as it relates to the existentialist 'nothingness'. Broadly speaking, it seems true to me that the 20th century, with its two global wars and its genocides was characterized by a particularly new form of pessimism. Killinger's approach of death and violence reflects this horrific century, epitomizing massive, mechanical and depersonalized death. Mass murdering has the particularity to destroy individualities, since the victims are swallowed up in the masses. Therefore, Hemingway's focus on individuals (by emphasizing personal feelings, individual particularities, strengths, weaknesses, etc.) rather than on the community helps to rehabilitate the significance of individuality, parallel to the skyrocketing urbanization and pauperization of society.

Extraits

[...] Cohen, Peter F. won't kiss you . I'll send your English girl': homoerotic desire in A Farewell to Arms.”The Hemingway Review.Vol Issue 1 (Fall 1995): 42-54. Dekker, George, and Joseph Harris. “Supernaturalism and the Vernacular Style in A Farewell to Arms.” PMLA. Vol No (Mar., 1979): 311-318. Fetterley, Judith. “Hemingway's ‘Resentful Cryptogram'.” Critical Essays on Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms. Ed. [...]

[...] Analysis Killinger's argumentation is very convincing. He presents the connection between Hemingway's work and the existentialist movement in a tremendously clear and effective way. Every aspect of existentialism is covered, and backed with concrete examples and quotations from the text. The concept” is particularly interesting, as it relates to the existentialist “nothingness”.Broadly speaking, it seems true to me that the 20th century, with its two global wars andits genocides (such as in Armenia and Rwanda) was characterized by a particularly new form of pessimism. [...]

[...] What happens, happens. There is no meaning behind what occurs in life; it just happens to happen, without any particular reason. This is the image of Frederic, steaming the ants not because he had the intention to do so, but because he neglectfully and indifferently emptied his glass full of water on the campfire in order to fill with whiskey. The ants' death isn't the result of Frederic's desire: it happens without any reason, without any meaning. On the other hand, there seems to be a nasty, dark force that “threw you in and told you the rules and the first time they caught you off base they killed (Hemingway 327). [...]

[...] “Catherine Barkley and the Hemingway Code: Ritual and Survival in A Farewell to Arms.” Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms. New York: Chelsea House 131-148. Summary In this essay, Spanier develops the theory that Catherine is a model for the education of Frederic, with the former embodying the “Hemingway code” whilst the latter is a typical “Hemingway hero”. For her, Frederic, though educated and somewhat experienced, still needs to learn “emotional skills” in order to survive in chaos. And this is Catherine's role: she contributes to his maturation. [...]

[...] I consider her argumentation very convincing, in that she develops two fundamental points. First, Catherine has a certain influence over Frederic: love is a game for her, whose rules she ought to teach to him. This opposes the vision of her being totally submissive and under Frederic's control. Thereby, Spanier opposes the vision of the early critics, seeing Catherine as a flat character: she demonstrates that Catherine is a complex, multidimensional character. Indeed, many critics, along with Frederic himself, don't realize that the death of her former fiancé has changed her vision of war and, overall, of love. [...]