A Farewell to Arms opens in media res—literally, in the middle of the thing. For the novel, this "thing," constantly referred to as "It," is the war. Hemingway is certainly not the first to use this technique to bring the reader immediately into the story. In fact, one of the greatest Western war stones of all time-Horner's Iliad-opens in the middle of the Trojan war. Hemingway's use of the technique sets the tone of the novel as one of disjointure and alienation. The reader steps immediately into a world described by someone remembering. However, we are given no clues about time, place, or even the characters. In fact, it takes a good deal of reading before even the name of the narrator is learned.
Originally referring to the mask worn.....
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