Describe The Relationship Between Henry And Catherine Barkley
"But we were never lonely and never afraid when we were together. I know that the night is not the same as the day: that all things are different, that the things of the night cannot be explained in the day, because they do not then exist, and the night can be a dreadful time for lonely people once their loneliness has started. But with Catherine there was almost no difference in the night except that it was an even better time. If people bring so much courage to this world the world has to kill them to break them, so of course it kills them. The world breaks every one and afterward many are strong at the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially. If you
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Catherine, during their first encounter, explains the history of her past relationship to Henry. She continues to tell him about her fiancé of eight years who had been killed at war. At the start of their love affair, Frederick Henry was convinced he had no considerable interest in Miss Barkley. "I did not care what I was getting into... I did not love Catherine Barkley nor had any idea of loving her. This was a game, like bridge, in which you said things instead of playing cards. Like bridge you had to pretend you were playing for money or playing for some stakes. Nobody had mentioned what the stakes were. (Hemingway 31)." The tenuous nature of love set the scene for tragic irony. Frederick Henry later finds him himself deserting the war, with his attitude towards the war dramatically changed, just to be with Catherine Barkley. The stakes in the game of love are set on the fact neither of them knows what will happen to them unless they try. The last chance they have is to risk it all. It becomes a distraction from the horrors of war to show the uncertainty of true love is greatest fight of …show more content…
Frederick Henry explains how he was injured during the war; "I was blown up while we were eating cheese (Hemmingway 63)." Although this shows a brutality of the war, the importance is after he was wounded he was taken to a hospital where Catherine Barkley was busy being a nurse, and Frederick Henry was reunited with his wife while being a patient. "She looked fresh and young and very beautiful. I thought I had never seen any one so beautiful (Hemmingway 91)." It was a treacherous period of time while he was away from her because of the war, and the reunion of love comforts him even though he is physically hurting. The fact that Catherine could be there by his side while he was struggling to heal and feel well also shows that war hurts in more ways than one. Truly, without Catherine's position in Frederick Henry's life the war would have impacted him in a very negative
Catherine, during their first encounter, explains the history of her past relationship to Henry. She continues to tell him about her fiancé of eight years who had been killed at war. At the start of their love affair, Frederick Henry was convinced he had no considerable interest in Miss Barkley. "I did not care what I was getting into... I did not love Catherine Barkley nor had any idea of loving her. This was a game, like bridge, in which you said things instead of playing cards. Like bridge you had to pretend you were playing for money or playing for some stakes. Nobody had mentioned what the stakes were. (Hemingway 31)." The tenuous nature of love set the scene for tragic irony. Frederick Henry later finds him himself deserting the war, with his attitude towards the war dramatically changed, just to be with Catherine Barkley. The stakes in the game of love are set on the fact neither of them knows what will happen to them unless they try. The last chance they have is to risk it all. It becomes a distraction from the horrors of war to show the uncertainty of true love is greatest fight of …show more content…
Frederick Henry explains how he was injured during the war; "I was blown up while we were eating cheese (Hemmingway 63)." Although this shows a brutality of the war, the importance is after he was wounded he was taken to a hospital where Catherine Barkley was busy being a nurse, and Frederick Henry was reunited with his wife while being a patient. "She looked fresh and young and very beautiful. I thought I had never seen any one so beautiful (Hemmingway 91)." It was a treacherous period of time while he was away from her because of the war, and the reunion of love comforts him even though he is physically hurting. The fact that Catherine could be there by his side while he was struggling to heal and feel well also shows that war hurts in more ways than one. Truly, without Catherine's position in Frederick Henry's life the war would have impacted him in a very negative