Theme in A Farewell to Arms
Religion
Directions: These passages all refer to religion in some way, even in
an irreligious way. Your task is to look up each passage, confirm the note, and
add your own notes on what some of these passages have in common. Feel free to
supplement this limited list with other references.
page instances
your notes
6 friend gestures for the priest to
come into the bawdy house
7 captain baits the priest in the mess;
major says the pope is on Austria's side;
priest teased about his celibacy
8 atheists vs. Free Masons
14 powerlessness of priest
39 stolen bowls: Archbishop Ireland
45 the St. Anthony medal
54 F.H.'s out-of-body experience
65-66 the priest & Lt. H.: the teasing
69 tired priest doesn't suffer anymore
from baiting (compare 173)
70 war disgust
76 blaspheming about the Holy Ghost,
and parody of Baltimore Catechism
114-115 the marriage dilemma
116 C.B. has no religion: "You're my religion."
261 "I don't know about the soul."
263 "devout"
284 hands vs. "No hole in my side":
stigmata/messiah (compare 327-328,
ants in the fire)
313 C.B.'s religion
314 F.H. prays for C.B.
327 no religion vs. baptized
330 bargaining with God, and C.B. wants
no priest, just F.H.
331 "I'll come and stay with you nights";
"dirty trick"
Assembling a thesis: What's the point of the irreverence? What's the point of
the mentioning of religious things and practices?
Is this an anti-religious novel?
What does Lt. Henry have to fall back on if not religion?
Summarize your notes and answers to make a thesis.
Copyright
and Permission:
This web on Ernest Hemingway's early novel was begun under a small grant from the
VCCS, which holds copyright. © 2001 by the