Respond to the following discussion questions and react to at least two of your classmates.
Initial postings should be up by Monday, April 11th @ midnight and reactions should be up by Tuesday, April 12th @ midnight.
1. What do you think is the purpose of the the St. Anthony that Catherine gives Henry? How does Henry view the gift?
2. Discuss why you think Hemingway ends his chapters so abruptly. See page 45 for reference.
3. In chapter 9, Henry has a conversation about the war with other soldiers. What does he undestand about the war that the others do not? Expliain.
4. What does the conversation about the war reveal about how the soldiers feel about the war?
5. Re-read the passage beginning on page 54-55 describing Henry's encounter with an attack. Why is this section so powerful? Describe what Henry is feeling--why does he show no emotion? How much time elapses between the shelling and when he is finally picked up (this will take you through page 56)
1) The purpose of the St. Anthony is a way for Catherine to tell Henry he is protected. She says it is "very useful," although she does not say in what way it is useful for. However, as she is saying her good-byes, she tell him to be careful, not that she will miss him or is thinking about him, but rather to just be careful. That is why I think her ultimate purpose for giving him the St. Anthony is to tell him to stay safe. Henry does not think much of the gift, he does not even put it around his neck at first. I think he does not think of this war as a huge deal so why should he worry about keeping safe?
ReplyDelete2) Hemingway ends the chapter so abruptly because he wants the reader to feel that some things do end unexpectedly. Just like Henry's thoughts of the war not being a big deal and that it is obvious to him that he will be okay. But in chapter ten, those thoughts are quickly put to an end because he almost dies and his easy going time at war is over.
3) Henry believes that the Italian army would be worse off if they decided to stop fighting because he understands that that is giving the other side the right to claim victory and the ability to take over everything that was the italians before. Henry sees leaving the war as defeat, while the others see it is going back to their old way of life in the comfort of their homes.
4) The soldiers could care less if they were a part of it or not. They have no motivation to fight or to win, but rather to find the fastest way to leave and return home.
5) At first Henry believes that he died but then he "felt [himself] slide back." This section is so important because it gets Henry involved in the war. Before, he was indifferent about it and felt like he was not really a part of it. But now, after he lost some friends and almost lost his own life, he quickly became involved with the hardest part of it. I don't think he showed emotions because he has never showed emotions before and has no reason to start now. This whole event happened over one night.
Tyler is Carrissa
ReplyDeleteThe purpose of St. Anthony was to protect Henry when he was in the danger zone of the war. Catherine gave it to him to remind mine to be wise and to come back to her. Henry views the gift kind of annoyed. He doesn’t seem to understand the sentimental value of Catherine giving him the pendant.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the chapters are ended so abruptly because Hemingway is using a style of writing to expose the reality of war. The chapters end with one thought and begin another, so of course it would need a quick end to begin the next aspect of war.
Henry understands that the war is war; he has a detached way of thinking about it. He is unmoved about war, death, and destruction. He understands that the war needs to be fought for the world’s sake and that it is more complicated and honorable than the mechanics think it is.
The soldiers are angered at the war and how long it has been a part of their land. They are frustrated with not being able to go back to their lives. They can’t understand why it has lasted such a long time. They have no respect for the army.
This section is so powerful because Henry gets what is supposed to be a heroic injury, where he did not do any heroic deed. It’s a letdown that he is injured and did not do anything to gain from it. Henry has no emotion to being injured he just states the fact that he is bleeding and hurt and feels a lot of pain. This no emotion could be a way for the reader to realize that Henry might be a stoic and aloof type of character. This event happens in the first minutes of the war, Henry doesn’t even realize that they were able to cross the bridge because he was injured and taken away in the time of the first firings.
St. Anthony is the patron of the lost, so maybe she was thinking that when he was away, he would know that he would always belong to her. It was a memento of her heart, something that she held near and dear to her, and she gave it to Henry in hopes that he would return to her. Henry doesn’t really care much about the chain- he was content to wear it in his breast pocket.
ReplyDeleteIt could have just been convenient. In the previous paragraphs, he is describing the scenery around the road, maybe he just ran out of description. Also, a lot happens in the next chapter with the mortar shell, so there may have not been any other place to really break up the chapters other than where it is. The abrupt and out-of-place ending makes the reader want to keep reading.
Henry knows that there is an ending to war- it’s just not very pleasant. He knows the horror of being conquered and having your family ripped away; he knows what it’s like to be defeated.
The soldiers don’t necessarily like the war, but hold tight to the resolution that there is no end to war. It will keep going and going, really getting nothing accomplished, but they aren’t ready to go home quite yet.
This section is so powerful because there are no paragraph breaks. When he is describing the initial explosion and the aftermath to his legs and to Passini’s, he seems to take no breath. Nothing is breaking up the thought, and so the reader is mesmerized by the sentences that run on and on. I think that he shows no emotion because that is a traumatic experience, one that will change Henry, but up until this point he hasn’t shown any emotion so why should he start now? He knows that Passini has died, but cannot find room in his head to grieve for him because there is still so much going on with him and his injuries. It doesn’t seem like much time passes at all- maybe minutes- before he is carried away.
The purpose of the St. Anthony that Catherine gives Henry is protection during battle. This gift from Catherine seems rather ridiculous to Henry and he does not even wear it at first. The line “After I was wounded I never found him. Some one probably got it at one of the dressing stations” shows that he did not care much for it, nor did he really think it would protect him from anything in the first place (44).
ReplyDeleteFirst, I think it is a strategy for keeping the reader reading. The abrupt ends act as a narrative hook for every chapter. Secondly, since the style that Hemingway is using is sort of a stream of consciousness style, his chapters would go on forever as long as Henry was alive and thinking. He has to break up the description between chapters otherwise he would lose the reader’s interest fairly quickly with all the details he puts in.
Henry understands that there are profound and lasting ramifications caused by war even after the war is “finished.” The other soldiers seem to think that once the war ends, everyone just goes home and continue living as they had before.
They all hate the war, and feel as though it will never end. They feel that it cannot get worse and that “There is nothing worse than war” (50).
The unexpectedness of the attack packs a punch to the reader. Then Henry, who was always so controlled in his narration, seems incoherent as he tries to piece together what has happened to him. Another thing that makes this section powerful is the plight of, Passini, and how he dies. Henry still shows no emotion because for one, he has trained himself to be stoic either to cope or to give hope to his fellow soldiers; two, he probably does not fully comprehend what has happened to him yet. It must have been at least thirty minutes between when the dugout was shelled and Henry was picked up, because Manera and Gavuzzi had come back for him and Gordini was getting bandaged.
In response to Malinda: It made me laugh how completely honest Henry was with Rinaldi about what happened. How he actually does not really deserve the medal. Even though he did not do anything super heroic, it was powerful that he was thinking of the other drivers first and wondering what had happened to them. He did try to help Passini out even when he himself was wounded.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Brittany: I said the exact opposite of you in that I think Henry believes there is really no end to war and the soldiers do. I thought that when he was talking about being conquered, he was saying that whoever wins the war will continue the war afterwards in how they treat the defeated. There will always be bad blood between them, so the war never really ends.
1. i think the purpose behind catherine giving henry the st. anthony is so it gives her a little peace of mind. him having the st. anthony necklace is in a way giving him some protection when he gets into the war. henry sees this gift as nothing really. he accepts it because catherine wants him to have it but it really doesnt mean anything to him.
ReplyDelete2. i think hemingway ends the chapter so abruptly because he wants the readers to think that the war through henry eyes is something that is always changing and has abrupt ending and that there should be little emotion associated with war.
3. because of the way henry veiws the war he thinks that if you dont attack it is basically the same thing as giving up and being defeated and giving the other side victory. the otheres just want to get the war over and done with so they can return to their old way of living.
4. the other soldiers find that the war is almost like a waste of time and useless. they just want thing go back to the way they were before the war ever started and soon as possible.
5.this section of the chapter is so powerful beacuse the readers finally see how henry reacts to war which is still the same as he was before and he still shows no emotion because that is just how he treats everything in life. he almsot just died and he shows no reaponse or emotion to that, its just how he handles things in life so he doesnt become too attached. this corse of events happens in about the time of one night.
response to Carrissa's number 5:
ReplyDeletei like what you said about how hemry is now involved in the war and involved with the most difficult part of war.
response to malinda's number 3:
i like how you said henry understands that war is war and that he is unmoved by war death and destruction. i feel that it was a good way of saying how henry treats his emotions. he takes things for what they are and looks no deeper into it.
1. I believe the purpose of the St. Anthony necklace is to 1) show that Miss Barkley truly cares for Henry, and 2) to possibly foreshadow the bombing that happened earlier in the section. When Henry gets the necklace he seems to care little about it, and doesn't even put the necklace on until a an Italian soldier urges him to.
ReplyDelete2. To be honest, I can't really think of a good reason why Hemingway would end his chapters so abruptly. The only possibility I can think of is to show a characteristic of Henry's. Henry seems to view many things with little importance, and seems to care about little. With the way Hemingway writes, it reflects how Henry seems to feel about life as a whole.
3. Henry understands the fact that if the Italians were to quit fighting, they would not end up winning the war. The Italian soldiers all feel that if they were to just stop fighting and back out of the war that it would all stop. Henry attempts to tell them that the opposing army would still keep invading, take prisoners, and even keep killing, but they do not understand it.
4. In my opinion, I feel like the conversation reveals the Italians ideas that the war is completely pointless. They all also feel like the war is less serious than it truly is.
5. The section describing the attack that Henry endures is so powerful because Henry goes into great detail with his descriptions, which requires gore and a lot of sick images. He talks about how Passini had his legs severed and how they "twitched and jerked", as well as his own injuries, and his knee cap being down on his shin.
I believe when the attack was happening Henry had to have been terrified, but he still showed no emotion, and I'm not sure why. It may be because he is looking back on it and regrets it, or something along those lines.
I'm not exactly sure how much time passed after the injury until he was picked up, but I do know the entire event happened over one night.
In response to Carrissa's #2, that's a pretty good thought as to why Hemingway ends the chapter, I just don't feel like anything in the novel has ended abruptly. Now that I think about it, though, Hemingway may be saying that life can end at any time with the situation that followed.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Malindas' #1, I Agree with almost all of your points concerning the reason why Miss Barkley gave the St. Anthony necklace to Henry. The only point I disagree with is your idea that it was given to him in order that he'd remember to be wise. I feel like Miss Barkley simply wanted a sense of security.
1. The purpose of the medal is to protect Henry. This is one of the superstitions that Catholics have that one can be given something of a saint and that it will provide that person with protection or some super natural power or something. Henry views this as a gift that really is unneeded but enjoys the idea of being given it and takes it very whatever.
ReplyDelete2. I believe that he does this as a writing strategy that keeps the reader drawn in to his story and keeps the reader flipping pages and not stopping. Also this was originally published in magazines as episodes thus probably this was like well tune in next for the next installment of the series.
3. He understands that if the Italian army stops fighting that even though the men would not be fighting anymore that the other army would win and bad things would happen as the result thus it the men want to be happy they must keep fighting and win the war.
4. The conversation reveals that the soldiers are sick of the war and that they want to go home in fact they want be done with this dumb thing and that the only way they believe the war can end if only some side stops fighting.
5. It is so powerful because before this point nothing that intense happened so thus the war finally hits the reader and shocks him with the details given. Henry is in shock from the sheer collision thus other than being a guy that does not show much emotion Henry is like this because he is in shock and his body is not quite sure what happened actually. Probably the event happen in one night or there abouts.
i agree with cole and what he says to these questions and I also I thought some of hise ideas about the chapter were very insightful such as when miss barkley gave him the medal it was because she really and truely cared for him and also i liked how cole quoted from the chapter.
ReplyDeletein response to molly i also fully agree with what she says about the chappters and how she answered the question and i feel that it makes alot of sense that miss barkly was trying to give henry a piece of mind and that henry would see the gift as truely nothing.
1. The purpose of the St. Anthony necklace is to protect him and to show that he is hers. St. Anthony is said to be a protector. Also she gave him something of hers. This shows that she is very fond of him becuse she trusts him to have something of hers.
ReplyDelete2. The reason he does this is to be able to start the next chapter with something big. He doesn't want to start the adventure and then stop it right in the middle. At first the reader may not know why but then the next chapter is full of adnventure.
3. The others do not understand that if they just get up and leave the war does not end. They think and want to just get out of the war and to go home. What they do not understand and what Henry does is that they opposite troops will come and find them. The war will not be over for them and so they will persue and attack them when the find them. Henry tries to explain this to them but they just don't understand or want to admit that he is right.
4. They just want out. They don't care what it takes they just want to go home. They dont' care what happens if they up and leave they just want to leave.
5. The reason his account is so powerful is the way he describes everything. He talks about what he sees. Then proceeds to talk about what he hears and feels. When he finally comes back to earth it gets even more real. He makes the reader see what he sees, hear what he hears, and feel what he feels. When he sees his other soldier it gets grusome. He holds back no details back when he describes it. I think he is too in shock to feel emotion he doesnt have time to think about what just happened. I think the time that elapses is close to a half and hour, that gives him enough time to lay there and then to go see the other soldier.
in response to brittany-I like how she describes it the way he hasn't shown emotion and it's good point that he hasn't shown emotion up until this point but it's confusing to why he wouldnt to such a traumatic event.
ReplyDeletein response to grace- Yes she gave it to him for protection but if there was no meaning behind it she could have given it to anyone. She likes him and wants him to be safe so she gives it to him and not any other soldier.
In response to Elissa: i like how you brought up the fact that he might be in shock and that is the reason that he's showing no emotion. when he's in shock, it's very likely that he couldn't feel the extent of his injuries.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Carrissa: i like how you said that the soldiers just want to find the safest way out of it and go home. I don't think we've really thought about anyone on the front line getting hurt or anything, but it is a real possibility that they all could never get the chance to go home, as we see happens to Passini. safety isn't a huge importance to any of the characters that we have met, but it is a huge part of war.
1. I think Catherine understands the reality of war and it is her way of telling him to be careful. While she hasn't really done anything to show that she has feelings for him, she does care about his well being and staying safe. Henry doesn't think much of it just like everything else in his life. Nothing ever seems to be a big deal to him.
ReplyDelete2. I feel like the abrupt endings make it feel even more like a diary or journal. It already seems that way from Henry's descriptions and attention to pointless details, but a diary entry would also end and start up without much transition at all.
3. Henry understands that giving up the war does not meant they can just go back to their normal lives. If they were to leave the war, that would just mean that the other side could come in and destroy and raid everything. Henry has perspective on the consequences that come with war.
4. They all are tired of being there and dream about what it would be like to go back to their old lives. They see the war as pointless simply because it seems to be doing nothing for them personally.
5. The section is powerful because it gives a realistic look into what war is actually like. And it comes without any warning, and things are just suddenly horrible for Henry. A lot of times people think that war is a bunch of planned battles, but in reality it can just happen at any time. He doesn't show much emotion which stays true to his character, but also probably because he is in shock as well as panic mode.
1. The purpose of the St. Anthony that Catherine gives to Henry is to make him feel safe and possibly a symbol of hope that Catherine is expressing so that she will be able to see Henry again. Henry does not seem to react all that much to Catherine's gift. I think this is most likely because his role in the war puts him in a situation where he views all of the death that occurs, but he himself is not constantly threatened by death in the war. So maybe because of this, he feels like he will see Catherine again no matter what.
ReplyDelete2. I think Hemingway ends the chapter in this way to introduce my suspense before Henry's injury. Ending the chapter in this way leaves the reader curious and suspicious of what will soon occur in the story.
3. Henry understands the consequences of surrendering in war. He knows that this means defeat and that many things will change, most of them for the worse for the Italians. However, the Italian soldiers want to have their life of comfort back which is what they are assuming will come once the war ends, whether they win or lose.
4. This conversation reveals that the Italian soldiers have no true motivation to win this war. The only reason they fight is in hopes it will end as soon as possible, whether by winning or by being defeated. They really do not care how it ends, so long as they can resume their normal lives prior to when the war started.
5. This section is powerful because it actually makes Henry realize what war is truly like. His position let him see the effects of war, but after this event, he experienced them firsthand. He most likely shows no emotion because is in some type of panic during this event. His adrenaline is kicking in so that he can survive. The way the event is retold makes it appear as if the time from when the shelling occurred to when the help came was a short amount of time. However, given that this is written in almost a diary-like style, it could also have been a long time before they were rescued.
1. The purpose of the st. anthony medal was to protect henry while he was away in battle. It was also a momento of catherine's which makes me think that she gave it to him as a way of telling him that he better come back and give it back to her. Henry does not think much of the medal, this is shown by him putting it in his pocket at first rather then wearing it.
ReplyDelete2. Hemingway ended the chapter quickly, just like every other chapter. The reason I think he does this was because he did not want to get into the fighting section of the story and have to stop partway through because the chapter would get to long.
3. Henry knows that the only outcome of an Italian withdrawl would be the defeat of Italy. This is unsettling to him because he just wants to go back to his normal life. But he understands that his plans would be worthless if the war was still going on.
4. None of the troops want to be part of the war, they just want to go back to their normal lives. They do not care whether they win or lose the war that they are fighting.
5. I believe that this sections power comes from the largely descripted scene. If the scene were not so colorfully narrated, then the reading would lose it's power. Herny's lack of emotion is shown because for the most part he thought that he was dead. After he realized he wasn't the adrenaline was probably numding the pain from his leg. By the way that the passage is written the time that passed seemed longer then it actually was. I would say the whole ordeal took about three minutes or so.
In response to Mark J #5: I like the way that you said the reader was shocked by the event, which gave the section its power. I agree with the way that you decribed the emotional response that Henry had to the event.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Molly #1: I agree with what you said about Henry seeing the necklace as nothing, and having no special qualities. From Catherine's point of view, I think that the necklace was given as a sort of assurance of Henry's safe return to her.
1a. I think the purpose of the St. Anthony medallion is kind of like a good luck charm, and it will kind of make Catherine feel better.
ReplyDelete1b. Henry views it as an unnecessary and superfluous thing.
2. I think he ends his chapters so abruptly so that it becomes an obvious change of thought and setting.
3. He understands that the conquering army will do as they please and that most of the time they wont just look around and then leave. They will do something to the people of the conquered country. He tries to explain it but they don’t listen.
4. They hate it, they want it to be over.
5a. Henry doesn’t show much emotion partly because he isn’t really thinking about himself, he’s thinking about the ambulance drivers that he commands, and partly because he was not expecting the mortar shell.
5b. I think it was probably about an 30 minutes to an hour before he was picked up, partly because the orderlies would have wanted to wait until it was clear before they went to get anyone.
1)I think that Catherine gives the St. Anthony to Henry to show that she does care about him and she wishes the best for him. I researched what St. Anthony means to the Catholics and it said that he is the patron of lost items, the poor and travelers. Whether Catherine knows the meaning of the St. Anthony or not, she gives it to Henry to show her “commitment” of sorts. I think that it gave her peace of mind to give Henry this token of protection to the poor and travelers. Henry just shrugs off the gift and forgets about it. He doesn’t even wear it until he gets in the car and the driver tells him that “It’s better to wear him. That’s what it’s for.”
ReplyDelete2)I think that Hemingway ends his chapters so abruptly to keep the reader’s attention. He ends it suddenly and the reader wants to know what happens next. I also think that he ends his chapters this way because he is writing from Henry’s perspective and the rest of the story is Henry’s stream of consciousness so that could just be how or when Henry stopped thinking about the story.
3)Henry understands that the war isn’t just over when people just decide it is, or when they want it to be. The Italians seem to think that if they just quit fighting then the war will be over and they can go back to living the way they did before the war. But the reality is that if the Italians quit fighting then the enemy will just overpower them and take prisoners and kill and life will not be the same for the Italians after the war- no matter who wins.
4)They all hate the war and see no point in it. They all just want to be done and go home.
5)For me personally, I felt that the passage was so powerful because he described everything in such great detail and almost passionately. I can say that I definitely felt sick at times when he is describing Passini and his own injuries. I think that he is feeling overwhelmed at everything that is going on, but he shows no emotion and keeps calm because he is an ambulance driver and it’s just what he knows to do in these situations. It’s also so intense because nothing like this has happened in the story yet. I think that this all happens in the time span of one night, but I’m not positive.
In response to Bethie:
ReplyDeletein your number 2 you said that you thought Hemingway abruptly ended chapters because of the change in setting. Well as you will see if you just simply look at page 46 and page 47, you will see that he ends chapter eight describing the road that he is riding on. He starts chapter nine out describing the road again. So Hemingway does not abruptly end his chapters because of an "obvious change in thoughts or setting". Just saying. To be fair I will say that you may be correct in some chapter endings so abruptly because Hemingway/Henry's thoughts change or the setting does. But I think that there are also other reasons too.
1.) the purpose of the st. anthony's medal is to show that Katherine is replacing her deceased fiance with Henry. She is trying to move on. For literary reasons, the medal foreshadows that something will hurt henry, despite the Saint's protection. Henry does not feel one way or the other about the medal.
ReplyDelete2.) The abrupt ending is a literary hook to pull the reader into the next chapter. As it is a stream of consciencness manuscritp, the ending could signify the end of action, a forgetting of what occured, or a statement by the narrator that this is very importaant.
3.) henry understands the necessity of war where the others do not. They think that if there was no war, everyone would just get along and leave each other alone. Henry knows that that would not happen. This explains some of Henry's lax attitude toward some of the events.
4.) The other soliders neither like the war nor see its purpose. They feel as though they are fighting someone else's battles. This is interesting as it is really Henry who is fighting a battle that is not his.
5.)Henry's lack of emotion is why this passage may be considered powerful. It is graohic but there are no feelings involved. henry shows no emotion because he has never showed emotion and it is a statement that he is able to continue this attitude.
In response to Grace's #5:
ReplyDeleteI really liked what you thought about Henry's lack of emotion and the intensity of that section. I didn't really realize that Henry could be so void of emotion because he did not know what was happening yet. But that makes perfect sense.
I believe Catherine gives Henry the St. Anthony relic to give Henry faith and peace amidst the violent war fare. Henry is appreciative of the gift yet is more enthusiastic in the fact that Catherine cares for him instead of the relic in and of itself.
ReplyDeleteEnding the chapter abruptly gives the reader a sense of anticipation for what is to come. By coming to a sudden stop Hemingway grabs the reader’s attention encouraging him to read further.
Henry sees going back and retreating as defeat. While the other soldiers wish to retreat in order to return to the comforts of their normal lives. Although Henry longs for home as well, he realizes that he must make sacrifices and not easily accept defeat.
The conversation indicates that the soldiers are present physically yet their spirits long for home. They look unfavorably upon the war, and admit to wanting it to be over even if it comes at their own expense.
War is unlike any circumstance that Henry has witnessed. The passage proves powerful because it does not describe Henry trembling with fear or raging mad. Instead he simply describes that he has been injured and is in agony. Henry’s indifference in such a horrific situation makes the reader question if Henry is an emotionless individual or a courageous man trying to keep his sanity by putting on a façade of apathy.
1) Catherine gives Henry the St. Anthony for two reasons: one, the obvious reason, to show some sort of affection and give a reminder to Henry of her. This is not really a tool of assurance, because Henry is not religious. The second reason Catherine gives Henry the icon, the stronger reason, I think, is for herself. It's her way or materialistically, visually, imoarting some sort of vibe of "saftey" she wishes she could bestow upon him with a magic wand. Her action was more for herself than Henry. This is obvious because Henry reacts unsentimentally towards her gift.
ReplyDelete2)Hemingway ends his chapter so abrubtly for a stylistic reason to keep the plot moving. His style of ending is to characterize Henry even further, just as Henry's brain moves from one thing to the next without any usual connection or hanging on to the latter thought, so the chapter ends. And, now that Henry is going to war, this is new chapter is like a new thought in the book.
3)Henry knows if the Italians pull out, they will lose the war. His contributions in the conversation pointing to the fact that the war will go on even if the Italians do not, which would result in worse circumstances than actually presently fighting in the war.
4)The soldiers are ready for the war to be over. Their self concern points to them wanting out for rest instead of looking at the bigger picture and fighting for a longer rest than if they were to pull out and lose victory.
5) When a severe injury occurs, often times a body can go into severe shock. This lack of connection from the brain to the nerve/pain receptors as a result of the shock can make the experience of being horribly mangled an out of body experience, like that in a dream. For example, I get to kiss the handsome celebrity in my dream but I am watching myself kiss him at a distance, like I am another person but I am still me, at the same time. I think this is the same experience Henry is going through, and that is why he sounds so detached. This section is so powerful because of the tone used to describe it. It is extremely gory , and yet Henry describes it calmly. It's camparable too waltzing at prom to a rap song.
1- I think the purpose of Catherine giving Henry the St. Anthony was to provide both her and Henry with a sense of protection. She felt him having St. Anthony would provide protection from the war, which would in turn protect herself from getting hurt again by losing someone she cares about. Henry views the gift as pointless and meaningless, considering he doesn't love Catherine and he doesn't believe in God.
ReplyDelete2- I personally think Hemingway ends the chapter so abruptly to provide suspense for what is coming. I think it was to prepare the reader for the war that hits in the next chapter. I also think he ends it abruptly to fit Henry's character. He has blunt, abrupt thoughts and he is just continuing that characteristic.
3-Henry understands that the war cannot just end, and that if they were to stop fighting the other side would take advantage of that and come full force. They don't understand that just because one side stops that both stop.
4-The conversation reveals that the soldiers feel the war is pointless and they are done with it. They want to go home and be done with all the death, fighting, and stress the war brings.
5-Henry's encounter was very vivid and gory. It was so powerful because he goes into detail about the injuries and cries that occurred. He relayed the truth, to his readers, about being bombed without trying to soften it up. Henry feels lost and in shock. He doesn't know how to react. For the first time he realizes that he is a part of this war and can be injured in it, and I think this all took place in the span of an hour or two.
In response to Rachel's question 5 I thought you analogy of both kissing the celebrity in your dream and waltzing to a rap song was very interesting. It was creative and I liked the comparison. I didn't think to look at it from common situations today that all of us teens can relate too, but it makes sense.
ReplyDeleteIn "response" to Molly's number 5. Do you not think there is more to it? Don't you think he explained it to be gory and how an actual war would be, which in turn made it more powerful, especially to people like us who have never experienced war. Also, do you think he honestly didn't care about being attacked or that maybe he was just in shock and as a result of his personality he didn't know how to handle the situation?
1. I think that the St. Anthony was given to Henry because Catherine wants him to be safe. I think its a sign of protection, but also, I would guess that it is more to remind Henry of Catherine. If he dies, she wants to at least feel he cared enough to wear it and he was probably on her mind right before his death. He doesn't think much of it, however.
ReplyDelete2. I think Hemmingway ends the chapters abruptly because it makes people want to keep reading. If you wanna know whats going on you have to keep reading. Also i think it has a little to do with the character of Henry, and even a himself, just as the story goes, we see it through their eyes.
3. Henry looks at the bigger picture. Not too worried about his own life, he realizes that the army can't stop fighting - They need to keep fighting if they want to win. The other soldiers look at the small picture, at their own personal life, and they want it to be over for their sake, instead of realizing it is for the good of the country, as Henry realizes.
4. The soldiers hate the war and they just want to go home.
5. I think a main reason Henry doesn't show emotion is because he is an ambulence driver. Death and injury are normal to him, because he is around it a lot. That might be why, despite Passini's death, Henry doesn't really grieve. He understands death happens. This is so powerful because the tone has been set in the story from the previous chapters, and here it takes a radical turn. It probably wasn't more than an hour before he got picked up, but the whole thing happened over a night
1. I think that Ms. Barkley gave Henry the St. Anthony to tell him that she actually cares for him. By giving him this she is saying that he is important to her and she doesn't want to lose him or anything bad to happen to him. Henry views it as just a little gift from her because she was being nice rather than it being something serious that should protect not only him but their relationship.
ReplyDelete2. I think that Hemingway ends his chapters abruptly because he is talking from Henry's point of view. The story is told by Henry. Each chapter could be similar to a journal entry. Each one has a different length and one specific topic. They may end all of the sudden because he did not have time to finish his entry with complete thoughts and he had to do it quickly
3.Henry understands how devastating defeat is. The other soldiers' only focus is the war ending, but they do not care if it ends in defeat. Henry tries to explain to them that if Italy is defeated, then life after the war is going to be even worse than during the war. The only way to live a good life after war is through victory.
4. The soldiers feel that there is no point to fighting in the war. They believe that everything would be better if they just stopped fighting. They also feel that they are fighting someone else's war and there is not a need for themselves to be involved in the fighting.
5. I think that this section of the book is a turning point in the characters development. The other soldiers have always looked up to Henry and show respect to him, but he was never able to understand why. When he is injured he does not even notice. I think he is so calm because he focused on making sure that everyone in his troop was taken care of before he even thought about the pain that he was experiencing. He shows no emotion because by the time he has figured out what is actually going on he has already thought about everything else, so his injury was not comparable. Enough time has passed for Passini to die and the other two soldiers to look for stretchers.
In response to Carrissa to the first question…
ReplyDeleteYou made a good point on how she used the pendant as a way to say her goodbyes, and say that he is protected. It must be hard for her having feelings for someone who is in the war, since she already lost someone she loved because of the war. I feel that she might be scared to allow another man that she loves to go out in danger without allowing him to know how she feels about him. I am not suppressed to Henry reaction because he is also scared of death so he detaches himself from the feelings that he has.
In responce to Erin to the fourth question...
ReplyDeleteYou brought up a good point about Henry fighting someone else’s battle. I never thought of this, but it is true he was fighting in war for something he did not necessarily believe in since he was an American, which was not part of the war yet; he still enlisted and fought for a different country. It’s very honorable for someone to do that and not complain about the war and fighting someone else’s battle.
In response to Rachel: I liked how you compared the style of the book to that of a dream. Your description fits perfectly. The book is almost set up like him reliving all of his experiences in his dreams. This way we can see what Henry is feeling and experiencing, but at the same time, we also sort of see it from a third person view as well.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Erin: I agree that the way Hemingway ended the chapter was almost like a loss of a train in thought. Going off of Rachel's dream like description, maybe the sudden transition was supposed to be like one in a dream, which tend to be very choppy and throw out minor details. Perhaps this is a way to show the specific events that Henry remembers surrounding that event.
In response to Rachel 1: Good response I never considered that Catherine would give Henry St. Anthony in order to bestow good luck and protection for him. I agree that giving St. Anthony was more for her assurance and gain than for Henry himself.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Kierstyn 2: I like your analogy of Hemingway’s abrupt style to that of Henry writing in a diary. This diary form would explain the changes in mood, plot and emotions within the book.
In Brittany's response to question 4 i thought it was interesting that you realized there were no breaks in the paragraph because i would have never noticed it, but it definitely adds to to suspense and the intensity of the reading.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Malinda's response to my response to question 1: I did not really think about how the pendant could have that much of a deeper meaning to both people. Catherine feels like she cannot allow a strong bond to form, so she gives him an object instead of trying to give him a way to truly connect with her on a more emotional level. However, it still shows her feelings for him. Henry on the other hand feels so detached from the rest of the world that the necklace was the one item that connected him to something. I think he was afraid to put it on because he did not want to be attached to anything.
to brittany-
ReplyDeletei agree with ur response to the first question! i said pretty much the same thing about how it shows that she wants to stay connected to him.
To Rachel.
I like the way you said Catherine uses the St Anthony to reassure herself, but you said it in a better way. You compared the St. Anthony to a magic spell kinda, and I totally agree that that is what Catherine was going for. Not literally, but she did wish with all her heart for Henry to be safe.
@Sarah - I agree with how you say that Henry cares more about the fact that Catherine is thinking about him than the necklace itself. A lot of times guys don't fine the sentimental value in objects that girls might, but they still like to know that they are cared for.
ReplyDelete@Noah - While I agree that Henry looks at the big picture more than his comrades, I also think that he doesn't really see the BIG picture. He gets absorbed in just day to day activities, and he doesn't seem to make any effort to look down the road in his life.
In response to bball44: Is the medal meant to protect Henry or Katherine's idea of a lover? Does she want him to be safe or does she wish she had given it to her fiance?
ReplyDeleteIN response to Kayla: gory was a good word used to describe the scene. it was almost painful listening to the details of the injury
1. I think that the purpose of the St. Anthony Catherine gives to Henry is symbolic of her wishes towards him concerning safety. Henry's reaction is somewhat unexpected for receiving the gift. He doesn't really seem to react all that excited whatsoever. This may be because the war is making him a tougher guy, and he knows that since he is not in a spot of danger, he is going to see Catherine again no matter what.
ReplyDelete2. Hemingway ends the chapter in such an abrupt manner to increase the suspense. A few pages later, we learn of Henry's injury. It's kind of a way to get the reader to continue reading while being filled with suspense.
3. Henry understands that defeat is out of the question, because, for the Italians, it would not be a pretty sight. Almost everything would change for them for the worst. The Italians aren't really thinking ahead, as they are just wanting their regular routine lives back.
4. The Italian's really couldn't care less about the war and winning. Whether they win or lose, they are just fighting to end it in some way possible so they can go back to their normal lives, as stated above. There is no motivation at all here.
5. Since Henry is now in the position he is in, he views war completely different. It's a reality check for him. He shows little emotion because of the adrenaline 'fight or flight' mode that the human body goes into when it is in danger or panic. Since the story is written in a 'diary' or something to this degree, I can't really explain how fast he got picked up, but I would assume that it was only a little while since the army is concerned for the safety of it's soldiers.
Response to Malinda: In #1, I didn't think of the chapters ending so abruptly as being symbolic of the quick events of war and Hemingway's way of portraying this. Remembering my grandpa's stories of war, this makes perfect sense of what Hemingway is doing!
ReplyDeleteResponse to Noah: Your response to #3 is basically what I said, but the part you mentioned about Henry looking at the big picture and the soldiers viewing the small picture really stuck out to me. Thinking back on what we've read through, doesn't it seem like the soldiers just want to go stop fighting to gte back to their routine lives? Perhaps this is THEIR big picture. I don't know, just a thought..