Transformations

Stoicism has three main characteristics: the ability to be in total control of your

emotions, a higher rate of survival, and in Frederick Henry’s case, not believing in

religion. Frederick Henry’s stoicism undergoes a major transformation during Book I to

Book IV, in “A Farewell to Arms,” due to his near death experiences, his relationship

with Catherine Barkley, and his change in religious views. Frederick Henry changes from

a stoic character to a romantic one, due to Catherine, and his close encounters with death

during his service in war, which also changed his view on religion.

Frederick Henry’s stoicism allows him to be calm and composed in very stressful

and life threatening situations, and in war this was critical to his survival. Frederick

Henry gets badly injured in Book I by a mortar shell, which blows his knee off. The first

thing he thinks of is the other ambulance drivers, and how he can help them.

Unfortunatley, he is in such bad shape that he is not able to use his leg, and Passini, one

of the other ambulance drivers, dies. Frederick Henry shows incredible discipline with his

emotions because he ignores his pain and focuses on saving Passini. After he realizes

Passini is dead he then checks his own injuries, “I knew that I was hit….My knee wasn’t

there…I wiped my hand on my shirt and another floating light came very slowly down

and I looked at my leg and was very afraid. Oh, God, I said, get me out of here”

(Hemingway 56). For the first time in the entire book he admits to be in pain, and not

only that, he also recognizes God and asks him for help. It is very uncommon for

Frederick Henry to admit his fear, and death is one of the fears he has to face multiple

times. Facing your worst fear changes people, and Frederick Henry changes in the sense

that he realizes his vulnerability. A second occasion when his stoicism saves his life is in
Book III, when he jumps into a river to escape execution. He almost gets shot as he

jumps in and the possibility of drowning is very high, especially with all his heavy gear

on. While the current pulls him downstream he thinks, “I was afraid of cramps and I

hoped we would move toward the shore” (Hemingway 226), this is one of the only other

few times he admits that he is scared. He is afraid because in nature humans don’t control

these situations, and he is at the river’s mercy. Stoics are usually successful when they

are in control of the situation, and in the river Frederick Henry doesn’t control the

outcome. He says he is afraid again when the current pulls him into an eddy, because he

doesn’t want to get pulled out of it and end up even farther away from the bank. “I

thought then I would drown because of my boots, but I thrashed and fought through the

water, and when I looked up the bank was coming toward me, and I kept thrashing and

swimming in a heavy-footed panic until I reached it” (Hemingway 227). Then Frederick

Henry starts panicking, which is not a characteristic of a stoic person. A stoic person

would have thought about the situation without letting emotions getting involved, but

major emotions such as fear and panic are making Frederick Henry’s decisions for him.

His emotions are now based on his natural instincts, which are all about short-term

survival, and instead of controlling them; he is letting them fight for his survival. These

two situations show the change of his stoic manner to a more romantic, emotional

character. Another main catalyst who also initiates this change from a stoic to a romantic

character is a British nurse, Catharine Barkley.

Catherine and Frederick Henry are two of the few people who speak English on

the Italian war front, and this is what initially brings them together. Frederick Henry is a

soldier who enjoys many women, and is not one who likes commitment. He doesn’t
really care about a woman’s emotions and simply tells them what they want to hear, so he

can get the physical pleasure he wants. He is a typical womanizer. Things change when

he meets Catherine. They start playing very complicated mind games, and he eventually

becomes very attached to her because she is so unique and fascinating. She is beautiful,

caring, and their relationship is exactly what they both need. He gets the physical aspect,

and she gets fulfills her need for stability, by knowing she is not alone. In Book II their

relationship really progresses as they consider themselves a married couple. Stoics don’t

usually have many relationships, especially not marriage, and if they do they are not

usually successful. Relationships can’t survive without emotions, and Catherine and

Frederick Henry’s lasts throughout the entire novel, until her death. Frederick Henry

needs Catherine, and during one of their “game” conversations she says, “…I can keep

you safe. I know I can. But nobody can help themselves” (Hemingway 126). Catherine is

exactly what Frederick Henry needs as well; she takes care of him and allows him to

loosen up, and to stop hiding his emotions. She tells him many times that she will take

care of him and that he does not have to worry about anything. “I suppose all sorts of

dreadful things will happen to us. But you don’t have to worry about that” (Hemingway

116), she says this to him when they are in the hospital together. During their time in the

hospital while Frederick Henry is recovering from his injury, he depends on Catherine for

everything because of his immobilizing injury. When she takes care of everything, he

realizes he doesn’t have to worry about taking care of himself or others, and he can show

his emotions because he doesn’t need to rely on stoicism to survive or to save others.

Catharine also says, “Do let’s please just be happy. You are happy, aren’t you? Is there

anything I do you don’t like? Can I do anything to please you? Would you like me to take
down my hair? Do you want to play?” (Hemingway 116), she is one hundred percent

devoted to him; this makes him more comfortable and more dependent on her, which

allows their relationship to really grow stronger. Stoicism was used as a technique of

survival, and now that someone can take care of him, his stoicism is not a necessity in his

survival. Catherine unleashes new emotions in Frederick Henry, and one of those

emotions is love, which is one of the most powerful emotions of all. This is one emotion

that really changes Frederick Henry. Another aspect of his stoicism that changes is his

religious opinion. Atheism is a common characteristic found in most stoics and Frederick

Henry does not believe in or even acknowledge God until the skirmish that caused his

injury. Later on, in Book II and Book III, it is apparent his idea of God and religion has

changed, due to other occurrences, such as his return to the front and visit to the priest.

In the beginning of this novel, Frederick Henry doesn’t believe in religious

notions or ideas, but as he experiences moments of realization, he starts to consider the

idea of God and even ask him for his help. When the mortar shell injures him, he asks for

God’s assistance, which is his first step towards changing his atheistic beliefs. His

recognition of religion is also seen in his relationship with the priest. When he sees him

back on the front, and (in contrast to the beginning of Book I, when he joined in the

teasing and the baiting of the priest) treats him with respect. He even stands up for him

and says, “I never discuss a Saint after dark” (Hemingway 172), when the other soldiers

and Rinaldi are teasing the priest about his religious morals. Rinaldi then says, “There he

is, gone over with the priest” (Hemingway 172). Even though it is not a very serious

claim, it still has some truth and confirms that Frederick Henry is accepting religion as

truth and has a new respect for religious values, as he refuses to make fun of the priest. In
Book III he is talking to the priest and he says, “It is in defeat that we become Christian”

(Hemingway 178). Since the Italians are losing the war to the Austrians and Germans, he

believes that in defeat when there is no hope, you look to the “divine powers” for aid.

This is exactly what Frederick Henry does in his life endangering situations, when his

death seemed to be imminent. Frederick Henry also says, “I don’t mean technically

Christian. I mean like Our Lord” (Hemingway 178), these are significant things for him

to say because he used to deny the power of God and religion. He thought they were

ineffective ideas, and that the only thing that would help him survive was his stoic self-

control. However, after almost dying twice, and narrowly escaping both of these

situations, he starts to believe in these godly “forces.” In the river escape, his life was in

nature’s “hands”, and there was nothing he could do. The only way he can explain his

survival is that he got lucky, but he knows that getting “lucky” in two near life

threatening experiences is not common. He subconsciously credits his survival to God’s

help. This contributes to his diminishing stoic characteristics because he starts to believe,

and when you start to believe in something you often become more vulnerable to your

emotions. He also begins to have some faith in God, and faith is both a powerful and

influential emotion. Frederick Henry starts to listen to his emotions and be aware of their

existence.

Frederick Henry’s stoicism has been transformed by his experiences and

relationships during his time at the Italian front. His close encounters with death; the river

escape and the mortar shell injury, not only opened his eyes to death and his

vulnerability, but also gave birth to a new belief in God. The major relationship that is

influential to Frederick Henry is his relationship with Catherine. She is a huge part of his
growth from a stoic to a romantic character, and their love is the one thing that keeps him

going through all the hard times he had to suffer. His need to see her kept him alive much

longer than his stoic composure would have. At the very end of the novel when Catherine

is in the hospital sick while giving birth, Frederick Henry says, “ Don’t let her die. Oh,

God, please don’t let her die. I’ll do anything for you if you won’t let her die. Please,

please, dear God, don’t let her die. Dear God, don’t let her die. Please, please, please,

don’t let her die. God please make her not die. I’ll do anything if you make her not die.

You took the baby but don’t let her die” (Hemingway 330). This is a very important part

of the novel because Frederick Henry is showing fear, panic and desperation. All of

which are very potent and deep emotions. In this quote he is showing his emotion,

recognizing and begging for God’s mercy and assistance, and showing his love and

devotion for Catherine. It demonstrates all three of the characteristics of Frederick

Henry’s stoicism that transformed during the novel, “A Farewell to Arms.”