A Farewell to Arms
Teacher's Guide - Essay Topics

Introduction

Schedule/Lesson Plans

Capstone Project Ideas

Essay Topics

Additional Resources

NCTE Standards

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The discussion activities and writing exercises in this guide provide you with possible essay topics, as do the Discussion Questions in the Reader’s Guide. Advanced students can come up with their own essay topics, as long as they are specific and compelling. Other ideas for essays are provided here. For essays, students should organize their ideas around a thesis about the novel. This statement or thesis should be focused, with clear reasons supporting its conclusion. The thesis and supporting reasons should be backed by references to the text.

1. Hemingway reveals almost nothing about the background of Frederic Henry or the other characters.How does the elimination of character history contribute to Hemingway’s crafting of the novel? Instead of biographicalhistories, how does Hemingway provide us with insight into character development? In other words, what devices substitute for personal histories? Has Hemingway used these devices successfully?

2. “Perhaps wars weren’t won anymore,” Henry muses.“Maybe they went on forever. Maybe it was another Hundred Years’ War” (p. 118). The tactics and strategy of war have changed since Hemingway wrote A Farewell to Arms. Research the facts of World War I in Italy, military technology, and strategy. Write a historical essay on how actual events have been depicted in the novel.How does Hemingway’s tale follow or diverge from the actual events of the war? How might this affect an interpretation of the novel?

3. Henry tells us of Ettore, an Italian-American who had received numerous medals,“He was a legitimate hero who bored every one he met” (p. 124). What concept of heroism does Hemingway present through Henry and others? Could Catherine be considered a hero? What kind of hero? Or, does Hemingway depict Henry as an anti-hero? Cite passages to support your argument.

4. Catherine tells Frederic,“You’re my religion. You’re all I’ve got” (p. 116). Henry implies that he has no religion. The priest advocates religion under very difficult conditions and admits that he is hopeless. Returning to our lessons, use one of the following (culture and history, characters/character development, figurative language, plot, or themes) to provide a portrait of religion in the novel. Is Hemingway making a statement about the relation of religious belief to the war? Support your argument with quotes from the text.