Abstract

Hemingway has created a group of tough guys known as code heroes in his works. These literary figures share some central traits in common: they have sharp insight towards the perception of death, extreme bravery and precise awareness of their society. When Hemingway’s novel A Farewell to Arms is referred to, Frederic Henry will be naturally mentioned as the code hero created by him in the novel. But the arguments made by the scholars are not so convincing and adequate. It seems that Frederic lacks the central traits to become a true code hero. As for the heroine Catherine, many scholars tend to describe her as “a bitch” or “a goddess”. Interestingly, with the increasing attention paid to Catherine, some totally new ideas sprout. Some critics agree that Catherine does better than Frederic in some aspects. So there comes a question: who on earth is the real code hero in A Farewell to Arms? Is Catherine Barkley the real code hero in this novel? In my opinion, it can be found in A Farewell to Arms that Catherine does have the common central traits of Hemingway’s code heroes. This study aims to demonstrate that the real code hero in A Farewell to Arms is Catherine Barkley.

Keywords: Catherine Barkley; Frederic Henry; code hero

Contents

Abstract

摘  要

1. Introduction-1

1.1 Literature Review on the Characters in A Farewell to Arms-1

1.2 Significance of the Study-2

2. Central Traits of “Code Hero”-3

3. Analysis of Catherine Barkley-5

3.1 Correct Awareness: Clear Understanding of the Chaotic Society-5

3.2 Facing Death Calmly: Grace under Pressure-7

3.3 Pursuing Happiness Courageously: One Can Fail but Never Be Defeated-10

4. A Comparison between Catherine Barkley and Frederic Henry-13

5. Conclusion-15

References-16