A Farewell to Arms Characters & Character Analysis

A Farewell to Arms Characters

Bartolomeo Aymo

Aymo is one of Frederic Henry's ambulance drivers during the Italian army's retreat. He is also the driver Frederic is closest to. During the retreat, Aymo generously picks up two peasant woman with assurances that he will not rape them. This assurance frightens them even more-they, unfortunately, only recognize the one word of Aymo's Italian. It is also Aymo who is mistakenly shot by the Italian rear guard. It is a tragic mistake both for its stupidity and because he was Frederic's friend. Aymo's role, then, is as a symbol of innocence killed by the stupidity of war.

Catherine Barkley

An English nurse with the Red Cross, Catherine Barkley is introduced to Henry through Rinaldi in Chapter IV. Frederic perceives "Miss Barkley [as] quite tall. She wore what seemed to be a nurse's uniform, was blonde and had tawny skin and gray eyes. I thought she was very beautiful." Rinaldi, on...
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