New Perspectives on "A Farewell to Arms": Cambridge Studies in American Fiction, 18 (English Edition)

Author: Donaldson, edited by
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: "A Farewell to Arms" (1929) is another long novel by Hemingway after "The Sun Also Rises" (1926), largely reflecting his thoughts, feelings, and artistic style. This book collects four representative and currently most interesting essays for research. Paul Smith discusses the origin of the novel—the question of how Hemingway began writing "A Farewell to Arms" and why he spent so much time—as well as how he expressed war experiences through various methods during the decade from 1918 to 1928. James Phelan studies Hemingway's achievements in employing a complex yet highly appropriate narrative technique. After reviewing some critical attitudes toward Katherine Buckley, Sandra Whipple Spanier argues that Katherine is often misunderstood due to the lack of awareness of the tension caused by war. Finally, Ben Stoltzfus interprets the novel from the perspective of linguistics and psychoanalysis in a Lacanian way. Each of these viewpoints—historical, narratological, feminist, and psychological—provides a fresh way to read an enduring novel.