A Farewell to Arms · Chapter
Chapter XL explained
Frederic and Catherine enjoy a peaceful life in Switzerland during January and February, but as March brings rain and the end of winter, they decide to move to Lausanne to be near the hospital for the baby's birth.
What happens
Frederic and Catherine enjoy a peaceful life in Switzerland during January and February, but as March brings rain and the end of winter, they decide to move to Lausanne to be near the hospital for the baby's birth. They pack up and leave the Guttingens' mountain home, settling into a hotel in Lausanne, where Catherine prepares to buy baby clothes and Frederic follows the news of the German offensive.
Themes in this chapter
Escape and Retreat
Frederic and Catherine retreat from the mountain idyll to the city of Lausanne, seeking safety and medical care for the impending birth.
Love and Loss
The couple's deep affection and shared anticipation of parenthood are shadowed by the awareness of the war and the fragility of their happiness.
Characters to notice
- Frederic Henry
Enjoys boxing, drinking whiskey, and reading war news; decides with Catherine to move to Lausanne for the baby's arrival.
- Catherine Barkley
Pregnant and preparing for the baby; unpacks in the new hotel and plans to buy baby clothes.
- Mr. Guttingen
Helps the couple with their luggage and bids them farewell at the station.
- Mrs. Guttingen
Accompanies Mr. Guttingen to see Frederic and Catherine off at the station.
Key passages
“You know what I have to get, darling. Baby clothes. There aren’t many people reach my time without baby things.”
Catherine reminds Frederic that she needs to buy baby clothes, noting that most expectant mothers have them by now.
Catherine's practical concern highlights the approaching birth and her role as a mother.
“We had a fine life. We lived through the months of January and February and the winter was very fine and we were very happy.”
Frederic reflects on the happiness of their winter months together in Switzerland.
This summary underscores the idyllic period before the change in weather and their move.
“It was March, 1918, and the German offensive had started in France.”
The narrative notes that it is March 1918 and the German army has launched a major attack in France.
This historical marker connects the personal story to the larger war context.