A Farewell to Arms opens in Italy during the First World War. The novel's main character, Frederic Henry, is a young American serving as a second lieutenant in the Italian Army. He is attached to a unit in Gorizia, in which he works as an ambulance driver. In addition to Frederic, the reader is introduced to two other characters: first a priest, who Frederic's friends enjoy baiting and teasing; and second Rinaldi, a good-looking Italian surgeon and a friend of Frederic's. He shares with Frederic the typical soldier's lifestyle of heavy drinking and frequent visits to the local brothels. When Frederic returns from a leave, Rinaldi tells him that a group of British nurses have arrived in the area to set up a hospital for the wounded. Rinaldi declares that he is in.....
This is a free excerpt of 135 words. This section contains 1,458 words. This
study guide contains 30,155 words (approx. 101 pages at 300
words per page).
Read the rest of this Literature Guide with our A Farewell to Arms Access Pass.
