Farewell+to+Arms+Marxism

Starting Activity: Because Marxism deals with the ecoomic and social class that you were born into we will analyze this by drawing a picture. This picture can be representative of how you fel you fit into society or anything that represents you. After you draw the preliminary picture you will swap drawings with another group member and discuss the differences between the two and why you chose to draw the picutre that you drew. This activity is supposed to represent how everyones views and feelings about society and how they fit in differ.

Plot Summary/Marxism: Because we have a grouped have already decided that Henry is a representation of Hemingay in a more pure form we will have to look at why Henry/Hemingway is expressing the views that he does. Marxism states that someone acts they way they do because of the social and economic class that they are born into. We know that Hemingway was born into the middle/upper class but at the same time he hated being thought of as above other people. This can be related to the way Henry is portrayed in the book, it is possible that higher respected people got lesser jobs like being an ambulance driver which contains less risk than actual fighting. But, at the same time Henry does not want to be commended for everything he does, i.e getting the silver medal for doing nothing.

[|http://find.galenet.com] On GaleNet there is a literary criticist by the name of James F. Light who looks at the importance of Religion and characters backgrounds in the story. Marxism focuses on peoples values and the major characters in the story can be characterized into groups depending on their values. For example, the Priest wishes to help but only with the power of God, "When you love you wish to do things for. You wish to sacrifice for. You wish to serve". Catherine on the other hand wishes to serve only the person that she is in love wit, Henry. Rinaldi serves by "alleviating the pain of war". And Henry, serves by helping everyone. All of these emotions that are given off by the characters could somehow relate to Hemingway's personal experiences in war.

I agree with Mr.Light how religion and place determines the characters emotions and I totally agree with the fact that all characters are different and they strive to find equalities and common thing between them so they canfeel like they fit in better.

Discussion Questions:


 * As the book ventures on we constantly see more connections to Hemingway's personal experiences during wartime, we know that he was an ambulance driver and he had to help patients through wounds; but do you think that Hemingway feels that physical wounds or mental wounds are more damaging? Why or why not?
 * Catherine has a very odd relationship with Lt. Henry, do you think this is because she doesn't believe in true love or is she scared to fall in love?
 * Knowing that both Fitzgerald and Hemingway use place, background, and color to describe characters feelings, could you make any predictions about the end of the book or what major events are going to happen knowing that "tell the truth but tell it slant" is the theme for the semester?
 * Religion plays a big role in the book and it gives hope to characters in the book, is this hope real to them or is it simply something that they believe in to help them get through war's tragedies?
 * Knowing that both Fitzgerald and Hemingway use place, background, and color to describe characters feelings, could you make any predictions about the end of the book or what major events are going to happen knowing that "tell the truth but tell it slant" is the theme for the semester?
 * Religion plays a big role in the book and it gives hope to characters in the book, is this hope real to them or is it simply something that they believe in to help them get through war's tragedies?
 * Religion plays a big role in the book and it gives hope to characters in the book, is this hope real to them or is it simply something that they believe in to help them get through war's tragedies?

Works Cited: -Yellow Marxism worksheet -Farewell to Arms -Galenet

Wade S.