FREE ESSAY ON HEMINGWAY CODE HERO

HEMINGWAY CODE HERO

In this novel A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway, Hemingway brings about the evolution
of Frederick Henry being converted into a code hero in realistic ways. Frederick Henry
achieved the six code hero characteristics by the end of the novel with the help of
Catherine, a code hero herself. All the characteristics seem to follow the path of a
manly person who is continuously striving to live his/her life to the fullest. Throughout
this novel, Frederick Henry's behavior matures to the code hero in which Hemingway
desires to be.
In the start of the novel, Frederick Henry was into over- sensual pleasures and could not
control himself until he had spent much time with Catherine and learned how to discipline
himself. Henry had drunk much wine and roamed from whore house to whore house near the
beginning of the novel. He had no control over himself nor could hold his liquor or
contain himself from easy women during this time. Henry finally disciplined himself near
the end of his stay at the Ospidale Maggoire. The nada concept had been a part of Henry's
life from the beginning. Henry stood up nights because the night is a representation of
evil and death to him. If he is not asleep, he can avoid having to deal with it. Henry
also is accompanied by Catherine during nights at the Ospidale Maggoire. To Henry there
was almost no difference in the night except that is was an even better time with
Catherine. Catherine, who is already a code hero, has values which transcend onto Henry
at the Hospital. During the day, Henry sleeps but Catherine has to work, so she stops
coming to him on nights. Henry is left to stay up, alone on nights. Also, he does not ask
Catherine to come stay with him thus controlling his desires to make love to her. From
this point in the book, Henry disciplines himself. During those nights together, they
made love and talked. When he first saw Catherine, he was after sexual pleasures from her
instead of the prostitutes in Gorizia. He never realized that he was in love untill some
time later. Also, when he is in the course of a battle with Manera, Gavuzi and Passini,
he began to eat food. Henry enjoys the food he eats, the love he makes and the wine he
drinks whenever he pleases to, as a code hero does.
Henry showed his loyalty to the individuals and small groups in his life, and near the
end of the novel he showed grace under pressure. He is loyal to people similar to the
group of ambulance drivers he was driving with on their retreat or people similar to the
Count. During his desertion, he jumped into a river to avoid being shot and killed by the
Carabinieri. The Carabinieri began to shoot every officer who showed up late in the
retreat. The Italian army seemed to Henry to be unfit for him and unorganized. To avoid
being killed he jumped into the Tagliamento river. Henry once began to believe he would
drown and so fought and thrashed through the water to save his life from the turbulent
waters of the Tagliamento. He never showed the reader his feelings of bravery during this
feat. In the final pages of book IV, Henry strove to cross the Switzerland border and
seek refuge from the Italian police. When he arrived there with Catherine, he was
questioned by the border police and told them he and his wife were looking for winter
sport in Switzerland. He lied under questioning by the custom agents in order to save
himself from his army and did not show any frustrations or nervousness in the process.
With Catherine on his side, he proved to the reader that he was able to show grace under
difficult circumstances.
Henry never once talked about his beliefs or feelings throughout the novel. He does not
talk about his hatred for the Carabinieri or his feelings when he is cheerful or dismal.
He showed no signs of remorse for deserting the Italian army or about the time when he
shot and wounded the Sergeant deserter. In the end of the novel, Henry is faced with his
love's death. Henry told God please, please, dear God, don't let her die the moment
before he entered the door where Catherine finally passed away due to a hemorrhage.
Minutes later Henry is offered some company on the way back to his home but he declines.
He goes off to his house by himself and sorts things out with what death actually is. He
asked God to save his greatest love after taking his child and does not receive an
answer. He concludes that death is the end and when it gets you, there is no where to go.
Henry never becomes a code hero until the end when he accepts death as the end of
existence.
Hemingways code hero, Frederick Henry, evolutionizes into a man whom the reader could
identify with and understand. Henry unknowingly becomes a code hero and a better person
with the help of Catherine. Henry becomes a code hero in the end due to the help of many
incidents. On the last few pages, the reader realizes he has become a code hero because
he responded to the serious situation on his hands calmly and orderly as Catherine did