Farewell To Arms: Alcohol as a Symbol

A Farewell to Arms: Alcohol
“Alcohol is the anesthesia by which we endure the operation of life” (George Bernard Shaw). Throughout the young adult novel A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway, Frederick Henry, the protagonist, goes through numerous struggles, be it physical aches that he retains from the war, or troubles with his mind that are caused by his complicated relationship with Catherine Barkley. However, despite all of his struggles, Henry finds consolation in alcohol, consuming copious amounts of it to carry him through his troubles. Thus, the idea that the symbol of alcohol represents the various ways in which man numbs the pain of his problems is made evident through Henry’s constant consumption of it.

One of the ways in which Henry’s use of alcohol to numb his physical aches is shown is in the conversation that Henry has with Miss Van Campen after he drinks himself into jaundice. Campen accuses Henry of cowardice by claiming that he does “not [want] to go back to the front” and thus, has inflicted “jaundice [on himself] with alcoholism” (Hemingway 144). Despite having some validity in her overarching idea that alcohol should not be used as a solution to all of life’s problems, Campen’s accusation that Henry gives himself liver disease on purpose is invalid. As Henry himself states, just as a man would not “disable himself by kicking himself in the scrotum,” he wouldn’t expose himself to a condition that matches that amount of pain, not when there are better alternatives (144).

A more likely assumption is that Henry drinks so much alcohol to help him get over his physical struggles with his ruptured knee, which, as the reader observes by the fact that “[he] could feel it going in and out of the bone” by simply bending it, causes him a great amount of pain (83). Henry’s immediate relaxation from the pain after the hospital provides him a constant supply of alcohol shows that the alcohol does in fact help him greatly in coping with said pain. However, it is important to note that due to his reliance on alcohol, Henry has been exposed to jaundice, a condition that he himself claims is unbearably painful. Although alcohol does serve to provide him with a temporary solace for his painful knee, it ultimately leads to him being inflicted with a condition that is likely much more painful. Even more so, it causes him to be sent back to the front prematurely, and also separates him and his lover, Catherine Barkley. Thus, through this occurrence, Hemingway makes it very clear that simply trying to find a temporary solution to a problem can lead to dire consequences.

Another instance in which the role of alcohol in dealing with struggles is when Henry states that “[w]ine is a grand thing” that “makes [one] forget all the bad” (154). The fact that alcohol can in fact help ease the emotional aches one faces in his life is undeniable, as there are numerous examples of that within the novel itself. However, despite holding some validity, this quote greatly exaggerates the potency of alcohol.

There are some struggles that are simply too much for alcohol to help deal with, a truth the reader notices as he continues on with the book. The scene near the end of the novel, in which Henry comes to understanding with the fact that the one person in the world he truly loved most, Catherine, has passed away is one of the most important ways in which this quote is proven wrong. Prior to hearing of the news, the reader observes that Henry “dr[inks] several glasses of beer” which, based on his previous quote should, theoretically, help brace him for the news that he will soon receive (329). However, the news regarding Catherine’s death still leaves Henry in a state of great sorry. The concluding passage of the entire novel is Henry reflecting that his attempts to say good-by to Catherine simply felt like saying “good-by to a statue” (332). Despite his consumption of a great amount of alcohol, Henry is still unable to simply forget about Catherine’s death, and the novel abruptly ends on this depressing note.

In conclusion, Hemingway uses alcohol, symbolic of the numerous ways in which man attempts to find solace in his struggles, to portray that despite providing some respite, these solutions are not always perfect. We derive from this novel that, contrary to providing permanent comfort, relying too heavily on the temporary answers to one’s struggles can ultimately cause serious harm. Thus, we must make sure to not cling to all of the easy ways out we encounter in life, so as to avoid the consequences associated with that habit.