"A Farewell to Arms" Book Report

A Summary of Events in A Farewell to Arms Ernest Hemingway begins his novel by describing the village Lieutenant Henry and the soldiers live in. Though Henry is an American, he serves on the Italian front during the first world war as an ambulance driver with his close friend, Rinaldi. There is a priest who lives in the small village with them. Many soldiers treat him badly, using slapstick humor, but Henry treats him well and respectfully. Lieutenant Rinaldi fancies a young English nurse, Catherine Barkley, whom Henry and Rinaldi visit soon after the novel begins. Rinaldi acquaints himself with a second nurse, Helen Ferguson because Catherine prefers Henry’s company to Rinaldi’s, which is evident through Hemingway’s writing. Catherine and Henry strengthen their relationship and begin meeting in any free time they have—dinner breaks, after Catherine’s shifts end, etc. They fall in love fairly quickly; Henry claims to feel lonely and empty without Catherine. Henry hears about a scheduled attack and Catherine gives him a Saint Anthony medal for luck. As expected, their quaint Italian village was bombed injuring Gordini and killing Passini—two of the other ambulance drivers. Henry’s leg was severely injured in the attack thus he is transported to the hospital. Rinaldi and the priest come to visit Henry while he is recovering. Prior to Henry’s transfer to the hospital in Milan, where Catherine will also be transferred, he is informed that America has declared war on Germany. The doctors treating Henry suggest he wait six months before having surgery but he quickly declined, demanding the operation be the next morning. Post operation, Henry becomes ill with something unrelated to his knee surgery. Catherine begins working consecutive night shifts to allow more time with Henry while the staff and other patients are sleeping until Helen notices the other nurse’s exhaustion. Henry starts using crutches and the young couple are able to mobilize their affair—mostly