A Farewell to Arms 3

A Farewell to Arms John Stubbs' "Love and Role Playing in A Farewell to Arms" John Stubbs' essay is an examination of the defense which he believes Henry and Catherine use to protect themselves from the discovery of their insignificance and "powerlessness...in a world indifferent to their well being..." He asserts that "role-playing" by the two main characters, and several others in the book, is a way to escape the realization of human mortality …

…they use each other to maintain their self-images, provide themselves with psychological support, and in a way escape the war. Hemingway may not have been trying to purposely create a role-playing scenario, but Stubbs' essay will benefit someone wishing to explore this aspect of the relationship of the two main characters in greater depth. Bibliography: Bruccoli, Matthew J. and Clark, C.E. Frazer (ed.), Fitzgerald / Hemingway Annual 1973, pp. 271-284, Microcard Editions Books, Washington, D.C., 1974