Henry’s Change in Thinking About War
“A Farewell to Arms” is a captivating story about Lieutenant Frederic Henry, an American ambulance driver serving in the Italian army during the First World War. The story is thought-provoking in that it inspires a significant change of perspective about one’s life and how they view the world around them. In “A Farewell to Arms” by Hemingway, Henry’s change happens following his experiences in the war when he witnesses the suffering and death the war is causing, which is reminiscent of my change in perspective about doing things that bring joy to other people’s lives.
At first, Henry does not seem to pay much attention to the war, but once he does, he gets less enthusiastic about it. He transitions from a nonchalant perspective to disillusion about the war upon realizing the horrors the war brings. Henry talks about bravery, and in a case of foreshadowing, he argues against giving up. However, that changes when he witnesses the death of a colleague and after being soaked by the blood of a dying soldier.
Henry feels an incredible dislike for the war and desires to live a peaceful life with the woman he loves. He does not approve of how the soldiers and the public treat the war, as soldiers are killed if they are mistaken for deserters. In one instance, an officer is lightly questioned and an order to shoot him is given (224). Henry then decides that it is not worth staying with the war and he jumps off a bridge as a personal farewell to arms.
I got a chance to join a charitable event that provided food to the homeless. I had never given much thought to the impact of poverty on people’s lives and when I got personally involved with the event, my perspective on life, happiness, and access to basic needs changed. The event changed my life in that it inspired me to join a charitable organization that builds emergency house shelters for the homeless, which ensures that they can afford a smile.
Just like Henry thinks about the war and whether it is worth staying over, so did I think about spending money on things I do not need while someone is homeless and needy.“A Farewell to Arms” by Hemingway is such a story that inspires people to pursue what is just and good for their heart.
Works Cited
Hemingway, Ernest. “A Farewell to Arms. 1929.” New York: Scribner (1995).
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