Frederic Henry

     In Ernest Hemingway's novel, A Farewell to Arms, Frederic Henry plays the role of an American in the Italian military.  Acting as narrator and Tenente (Italian for lieutenant), Henry depicts himself as a man of servitude from the onset.  He is a very simplistic man, one who seeks not honor or praise, but rather the completion of certain tasks within his frame of work.
     Despite his simple nature, it is clear that Henry is a very balanced, articulate, and outgoing individual who seems to be well-liked.  He speaks fluent Italian and French, shows a good sense of camaraderie with fellow soldiers and artillery men on the "front," and has a way with a certain Catherine Barkley (to be discussed later).  He is insistent that others come before him, as evidenced upon incurring a wound due to a mortar shell.  Despite suffering from obvious injuries, Frederic initially denies aid: "'I'd rather wait,' I said, 'There are much worse wounded than me.  I'm all right'" (58).
     Aside from being American, there is a certain air of distinction surrounding Frederic.  He rarely engages in mass conversation with the men of his ranks, instead preferring to listen to their stories of grandeur, faith, patriotism, and style.  His conversations with the priest are particularly interesting.  Every time Frederic speaks with the priest, he seems to be drawn to his words, made to feel apologetic even (specifically on page 13, when he mentions actually feeling sad that he had not gone to the Abruzzi as the priest had wished).  Whereas many of the soldiers seem to mock the priest or flaunt their actions around him or even poke fun at their own misgivings regarding faith, Henry seems to be more genuinely interested in regard to what he brings to the table.
     Then of course, there is the English "V.A.D." (which is essentially a nurse, for all extensive purposes) Catherine Barkley.  Barkley immediately strikes a chord with Frederic, who actually meets her through his compatriot Rinaldi.  Barkley immediately becomes Frederic's love interest.  What is initially described as a "game" turns into a true love affair and eventual marriage.  Barkley believes that Henry only pretends to love her out of some pretentious sexual drive that he has, but Henry's insistent denials indicate something more to their relationship.  Towards the beginning of the book Frederic seemed to be made of stone, not too easily swayed by anyone or anything (which is why he often avoided these abstract notions that his fellow Italian soldiers loved to dwell on).  By the end, however, his hard shell seems to have been melted by Catherine's beauty and mere presence, which indicates his genuine love for her.  This thought is reinforced too, when the reader realizes that Henry is narrating his experiences after Miss Barkley's eventual death.
     Henry's change over the course of the novel is a reflection of war itself.  He begins fresh, but eventually succumbs to more grief over the course of his time.  Hemingway does an excellent job of juxtaposing Henry's love interest with the backdrop of World War I, one of the deadliest wars of all time.  In this way, Frederic is somewhat of a symbol of the effects war has on both the physical (seeing as he is brutally wounded) and mental (the death of Barkley in childbirth) aspects of human beings.