# XIX explained — A Farewell to Arms

> Chapter companion for A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway.

## What happens

Frederic Henry recounts the summer of his recovery in Milan, where he undergoes mechanical treatments for his knees and spends his afternoons at cafés, the races, and the Anglo-American Club. He is eager to return to the hospital to be with Catherine, though they are limited in time together due to hospital rules. The chapter includes encounters with old Meyers and his wife, and a group including Ettore Moretti and the singers Simmons and Saunders. The chapter ends with a private conversation between Frederic and Catherine on the balcony, where Catherine confesses her fear of rain and of seeing herself and Frederic dead in it.

## Themes in this chapter

### Love and Loss

Frederic's deep desire to be with Catherine and her fear of losing him in the rain highlight the fragility of their love.

### War and Disillusionment

Frederic reflects on the endless nature of the war, the heavy Italian casualties, and the futility of mountain fighting.

### Masculinity and Identity

Ettore's boasting about medals and wounds contrasts with Frederic's quieter demeanor, exploring different expressions of heroism.

## Character check-ins

### Frederic Henry

Narrator recovering from leg wounds in Milan, undergoing treatments and spending time with Catherine.

### Catherine Barkley

Frederic's lover, working at the hospital; expresses fear of rain and death.

### Ettore Moretti

Italian-American soldier boasting about his medals and wounds; annoys Catherine.

### Old Meyers

Short, old man with a white mustache, seen with his wife after the races; rumored to have been in prison.

### Mrs. Meyers

Big-busted woman in black satin, brings gifts to the hospital soldiers.

### Ralph Simmons

American tenor singing under the name Enrico DelCredo; claims he will sing at La Scala.

### Edgar Saunders

Another tenor singing under the name Edouardo Giovanni; part of the group at the bar.

## Key lines

> I do not remember much about the days, except that they were hot and that there were many victories in the papers.

The summer days blur together in memory, marked only by heat and newspaper reports of victories.

_Frederic's detached recollection of the summer._

> All I wanted was to see Catherine. The rest of the time I was glad to kill.

His only desire was to be with Catherine; all other time was something to pass.

_Frederic's singular focus on Catherine._

> Perhaps wars weren’t won any more. Maybe they went on forever.

He wonders if wars are no longer winnable and might continue indefinitely.

_Frederic's disillusionment with the war._

> I'm afraid of the rain because sometimes I see me dead in it.

Catherine fears the rain because she envisions her own death in it.

_Catherine's premonition of death._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/a_farewell_to_arms_se/chapters/xix
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/a_farewell_to_arms_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/a_farewell_to_arms_se/chapters