22. At
the beginning of Chapter 34, Lt. Henry doesn't bother to pick a fight.
How has he changed and why since "the old days"? (Hint: He also
accedes to the captain on the train who wants his seat just after he has said
goodbye to Catherine at the end of Chapter 24.)
23. Do you agree with
24. Review the end of
Chapter 30 and review Chapter 32. Why did Frederic desert? How does
he feel about it afterwards? How do you feel about it? (That is,
what do you think Hemingway wants us to be feeling about his protagonist at
this point? After all, this novel started out by echoing his own war
experiences, though that echo ended in Book Two.)
25. Lt. Henry's comment
about Othello (almost to the middle of Chapter 35) seems designed (by
Hemingway) to diminish our sympathy for this protagonist. Why would
Hemingway do this diminishing of Frederic Henry.
(Frederic also calls himself, on the previous page, a "fool" for
going to war.)
26. Consider Count Greffi's comments on religion in the last few pages of
Chapter 35.
a. What do Catherine and
Frederic have as their religion? (Hint: What is Frederic claiming is the focus
of his life right before he is invited to play billiards with Count Greffi? Consider Catherine's claim on the last page
of Chapter 18 that she has no religion.)
b. Could Frederic ever be
devout? (Consider his friendship with the priest and his out-of-body
experience when he was wounded [just past the middle of Chapter 9]; contrast
these with his view of the forces that control the world near the middle of
Chapter 34, the killer world.)
27. What does Frederic
mean, near the middle of Chapter 37, when he says, "I've never realized
anything before." Is he realizing anything at this point?
28. Near
the end of Chapter 37, what does Frederic mean when he says, "There's no
hole in my side"? (Hint: Who did have a hole in his side? See allusion
defined in research topic BX of the Book Three study guide.)
Why would Hemingway have Frederic say such a thing? In
what way are Catherine and Frederic "lost" on the last page of Book
Four? Why would Hemingway have each of his two protagonists mention
"God" on the last two pages of Book Four?)