Irony and the Brutality of War in A Farewell to Arms - Literature Essay Samples

In 1929, Ernest Hemingway wrote A Farewell to Arms. During this era, there were many books centered on the Great War. Percy Hutchinson, a contemporary writer for the New York Times, predicted that Hemingway’s book â€Å"[†¦] is to be given classification, [it] belongs to the rapidly crowding shelf of war novels.†Ã‚  While many other authors, however, focused on the bravery and sacrifices of war, Hemingway wrote his novel from a different perspective. Hemingway broke away from the norm and instead used literary forms to shed light on different aspects of war. Hemingway’s use of irony in  A Farewell to Arms  gives valuable insight into the reality of war, from the perspective of an apathetic soldier. Frederic Henry, the main character in Hemingway’s story, is an enigma. His dialogue and actions are constantly contradicting each other, and he frequently finds himself in surprising situations. For example, Henry seems to give little thought to the Ita lian army or even the war itself. He carries himself nonchalantly, yet he volunteered to be in his current situation. The audience would expect a volunteer to be zealous and dedicated, but it appears that Henry is only there for the booze and women. This contradiction is even more unusual when one considers his role in the army. Henry was an officer in the ambulance corps. He was responsible for those injured and wounded on the battlefield. More than this obvious role, ambulances played a greater charge in the war. Moss and Wilson clarify: â€Å"The immediate and effective evacuation of the wounded not only avoided the permanent loss of many soldiers’ battlefield services, but also helped the morale of those who remained fighting.† More than a medical taxi service, the ambulances served as a beacon of hope and faith for the men on the front lines. Henry obviously had an important part in the war, but still seemed uncaring about the events around him. Henry and Cather ine enter into a relationship, and at one point in the novel, Catherine gives Henry a St. Anthony medal to protect him while he is on the battlefield. Not long after, Henry is injured while in the trenches. Regardless of Catherine’s attempts to keep Henry safe, he is nonetheless injured. Even in the midst of this debilitating injury, however, Henry still cannot seem to take the situation seriously. He jokes with his doctors about amputating his leg so that it can be replaced with a hook. Ordinarily, people react to near death experiences with a somber and earnest attitude. Henry’s attitude is the complete opposite of what the audience would expect in this kind of situation. Dodman speculates that there is more to Henry’s manner than indifference. He writes that, â€Å"His perceptions of his wounding experience emphasize the passivity and helplessness of his situation.† It is probable that Henry’s attitude was a mental defense mechanism against the horrors of his current environment. His apathy was not just created in order to contrast the seriousness of the world around him. After becoming involved with Catherine, Henry is all too eager to escape the war he volunteered for. This change of heart initially seems extreme – after all, he fought in the war by choice, not because of a draft. As demonstrated, however, Henry had no real, personal stake in the war, regardless of the important role he played. He and Catherine exhibited some semblance of guilt and responsibility, but brushed off their feelings of remorse. They excused their abandonment by rationalizing that it was only the Italian army. Their blasà © demeanor, however, does not settle well with the audience, giving the impression that there is more than what meets the eye. In her article, Heather Lansdown speculates, â€Å"Henry’s need to escape the cruel reality of the war in A Farewell to Arms also depicts his need to escape the cruel reality of life. † There is truth to this insight. After Henry’s knee was injured, he discovered what it would be like, being with Catherine, without the backdrop of the war. It is entirely plausible that after this small taste of â€Å"what if†, Henry looked for any excuse to take him away from the war. By escaping the war, he also escaped the sight of bloodied and injured soldiers. Catherine escaped the memories of her fiancà © dying. By understating Henry and Catherine’s reactions to abandoning the war, Hemingway emphasizes the grand impact of their action. Hemingway is known for his distinct style. Cynthia Giles writes, â€Å"He always stressed the importance of providing ‘facts’ and allowing the readers to fill in the emotions. By selecting just the right facts and then presenting them with apparent objectivity, Hemingway’s narrators often frame events to create a camera-like effect.† The â€Å"Hemingway Effect† in A Farewell to Arm s is apparent in some of the ironic situations Henry finds himself in. Early in the story, Henry promises Fergy that he will not get Catherine into trouble. By the end of the novel, however, they abandoned the war, lied to policemen in order to enter Switzerland, had a child out of wedlock, and Catherine died. Henry may have fully intended to keep Catherine out of trouble, but once again, a series of events occurred and Henry contradicted what was expected to happen. Regardless of good intentions, Henry was unable to keep his promise because of the world around them. If not for the war, the couple could have married and lived happily, without having to worry for their lives. Hemingway uses small instances such as this to illustrate the magnitude of the Great War and the power it has over Catherine, Henry, and their lives. The brutality of war is also demonstrated during the time Henry is recovering from his leg surgery. It is at this point in time that Henry and Catherine’s mutual interest blooms into an abounding relationship. As previously stated, the couple got to be together without worrying about the war around them. This is the only time in the novel that Catherine and Henry get to be together, without overwhelming complications. While they are enjoying their bliss, however, the war raged on and grew in intensity. By the time Henry returns to the front, the Italian army is much weaker and the future is murkier. Ramos concludes, â€Å"In Book Three, Henry goes back to the front and understands his place in the war. He saw the true vision of the war, and he becomes sick of it and finished with fighting for a nation that is not even his own; Henry is well content to make his ‘farewell to arms’ and to desert his post in the Italian army.† No longer is the Great War just a backdrop to the novel; the war becomes a character and force in itself, opposing Frederic Henry’s resolve to leave. The irony in this section intensifies because Henry comes closest to death after he has decided to leave the war for Catherine and Switzerland. The final source of irony in A Farewell to Arms lies within the birth of Henry and Catherine’s child. The couple, who overcame so much, were finally happy and safe. However, a complicated labor and delivery leaves Henry with a stillborn son and Catherine dead. The day his son was born should have been the happiest day of his life. Instead, it was filled with more pain and anguish than he ever could have imagined. As A.E. Sundstrom so eloquently phrased it, â€Å"While the two survived the war and escaped the country, it was the birth of a child – an occasion that should bring joy – that ended their love.† The ultimately irony of Catherine and Henry’s love is that in the end, it died, just as Catherine did in that hospital bed. Despite everything that the pair went through, it was meaningless in the end. Hemingway never sought to romanticize the Great War or imply that each of his characters would receive a happy ending. By the end of the book, Henry seems to be surrounded by a war that will never leave him. He changed from being a carefree army officer to a broken man. He has no honor because he deserted the army. He no longer has Catherine’s love because she died. The war was the cruelest character in the story; it brought Henry and Catherine together, and yet destroyed them in the end. The ending of the narrative causes the audience to wonder whether or not Henry would have been better off not joining the Italian army in the first place. Whether the pain and suffering of the war had been worth it for a few moments of beautiful bliss and happiness. In this daunting conjecture, however, the reader comes to the realization that this was Ernest Hemingway’s intention from the beginning. Experiences and tragedies are not something that can be run away from. They stay with us, and they leave a lasting mark on us. The ending also has something to say about the specific nature of the Great War. Even those who didn’t care about the war suffered in indescribable ways. The war was far reaching in the emotional and physical damage it caused. While so many of Hemingway’s contemporaries wrote about the glory and honor of the Great War, Hemingway painted the war as it really was – a heart-breaking force that permanently scarred all involved. A Farewell to Arms.  Literature and Its Times:  Profiles of 300 Notable Literary Works and the Historical Events that Influenced Them. Joyce Moss and George Wilson. Vol. 3: Growth of Empires to the Great Depression (1890-1930s). Detroit: Gale, 1997. 112-118.  Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 14 June 2014.Dodman, Trevor. Going all to pieces: A Farewell to Arms as trauma narrative.  Twentieth Century Literature  52.3 (2006): 249+.Literature Resource Center. Web. 14 June 2014.Hemingway, Ernest, and Cynthia Giles. A Farewell to Arm s.  The Literature of War. Ed. Thomas Riggs. Vol. 3: Impacts. Detroit: St. James Press, 2012. 134-137.  Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 14 June 2014.Hutchison, Percy. Love and War in the Pages of Mr. Hemingway. Rev. of  A Farewell to Arms.  The New York Times  29 Sept. 1929: n. pag. Print.Ramos. Literature.HTML.  Literature.HTML. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 June 2014. .Sundstrom, AE. Themes and Symbols.  A Farewell to Arms RSS. The WordPress Experts, 31 May 2008. Web. 13 June 2014.Warasworld.  Warasworld. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 June 2014. .

Education Effect on Fishermen Welfare/Prosperity - 1375 Words

Education Effect on Fishermen Welfare/Prosperity (Essay Sample) Content: Education and the welfare of fishermenNameInstitutionEducation and the welfare of fishermenIntroductionFish constitute 20 percent of animal protein consumed by human beings in the world; more than 40 percent of the global production is consumed internationally (Eggert, et al., 2012). It is also noted that the net export of fisheries in the developing world has increased in the 21st century; for instance, the net export increased by $ 24.6 billion in year 2006 (Eggert, et al., 2012). Fish export, therefore, exceeds other agricultural products that are traded internally such as tea, coffee and rubber (Eggert, et al., 2012). Most of the fishing grounds such as Lake Victoria, and coastal waters, for instance, the Indian Ocean, are open access that enables anyone with enough capital to venture into the business. The majority of fishermen are peasants who envisioned fishing as the sole source of income; however, the output realized from the business cannot improve the livin g standards of their homes (Hidayat, et al., 2014). The welfare of the fishermen continues to deteriorate despite the positive changes that have been noted in the industry. Poverty in the fishing community is attributed to several factors such as trade liberalization, the expanding number of fishermen due to the high level of unemployment rates in the third world countries, and disparity in the education. According to Maddox (2007), the fishing communities, like any other rural communities have low levels of literacy and education compared to their urban counterparts. This paper examines how education affects the welfare of fishermen.The majority of fishermen envision fishing as a traditional small-scale business venture where little investment is made while expecting high returns. However, little investment will attract less return to the capital invested. Since fishing attract the population that lives adjacent to the waters, the young fishermen in the developing countries, such a s South Africa, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Thailand, are likely to adopt fishing methods used by their old family members if they do not have enough education to adapt on the changing circumstances (Eggert, et al., 2012). The traditional small-scale fishing that is practiced in many developing countries employs the traditional fishing methods that have a limited catch whose income cannot correspond to the family needs. According to Hidayat and others (2014), there is about 23.1 percent of fishermen whose income is below the minimum wage of the country; for instance in Bangladesh. Lack of education by some of the fishermen has a direct impact on their income that limits their access to investment opportunities, hence, attracting the vicious cycle of poverty that leads to lower level of living standards. There are changes in the fishing industry that demand the upgrading of the fishing methods to realize high returns. For instance, trade liberalization that has seen the price of fish b eing controlled at the international markets; introduction of technology in fishing and an influx of fishermen in the industry due to lack of employment opportunities in other fields, have changed the landscape of fishing that render the traditional styles obsolete and unproductive. Hence, the educated fishermen can invest enough capital in fishing, making them realize high returns. The successful fishermen can capitalize on the technology in fishing; this ensures that there is little input and high out in fishing. The welfare of the educated fishermen, therefore, improves despite changes that occur in the industry since they can easily adapt to the dynamics that occur in it.The lack of education leads to fishermen in developing countries unable to balance other economic activities with fishing to boost the income of the family (Darwis, et al., 2015). According to Hidayat and others (2014), lands that border fishing waters are fertile capable of attracting other agricultural activit ies such as crop cultivation and rearing of livestock. In this case, it requires a substantive knowledge in agriculture to realize good returns in all the ventures. In the developing world such as Tanzania, women and children are involved in the crop production, animal-keeping, and marketing of fish to supplement the income of the household fishermen (Bambang, 2005). However, since little capital is invested, the total income realized can only support the welfare of the family without expanding the source of income. There is a lack of specialization of income activities in fishing communities that contribute their poor state. According to Darwis and others (2015), "a household perpetuate life and livelihood rests on livelihood assets owned or accessible." It requires education to manage natural resource capital assets. According to the study conducted by Darwis and others (2013-2015), fishermen who utilized their lands on crop plantations were more likely to get out of poverty trap compared to those who planted crops and kept livestock at the same time. This, according to them, is a short orientation and subsistent. Hence, the nature of management of natural resources available at the disposal of the fisherman will determine whether he/she remains in poverty or not.Education is an asset for ownership and proper management of financial capital asset (Maddox 2007). Studies reveal that, the income of fishermen who are trapped in poverty is the same as the revenues realized by fishermen moving out of the vicious cycle of poverty. According to Darwis and others (2015), fishermen trapped in poverty generate more income from fishing and little income from other businesses such as farming. However, although the successful fishermen have small income from fishing, the revenues generated from crop plantation exceed that of a subsistent farmer. The difference comes in spending; the revenues of the poor fisherman are trapped in the household spending; he/she tends to inv est the cash on the basic needs of the family and material goods that cannot expand his/her source of income. The successful fisherman anticipates savings by investing in the direct investment in the assets. Education makes a difference by proving knowledge on how the fisherman can manage the revenues to get out of the poverty; in this case, the issue is not about low income, but rather, it is about financial management and making proper investment.There is need for the fishermen to have skills necessary in managing the social capital. According to Darwis and other (2015), the social and economic relations between the fishermen in poverty and the fish dealers, is lacking. There is a passive connection between the fishing groups, social groups, and the household that contributes to poverty among the fishermen. Research demonstrates that fishermen who demonstrate an active connection between them and the fish dealers, fishing groups and social groups, are moving out of poverty ties co mpared to the fishermen who are passive (Darwis, et al., 2015). Being passive creates an opportunity for exploitation where the subject is presumed to be comfortable on any decisions that are made by the other party on the subject. Education enables the fishermen to understand the repercussions of their passiveness and work towards improving their social capital, hence getting out of the poverty ties.The knowledge of owning and managing the physical capital asset for fishing is not available to the poor fishermen (Darwis, et al., 2015). Having the means of production does not necessary imply that high returns will always be realized; according to Darwis and others (2015), the standards at which the physical capital is subjected will be reflected on the output it gives and duration of its service. The fishermen who are poor cannot invest their scarce budgeted revenue in the maintenance of their boat engines and other inputs used in fishing, provided they can still function. This redu ces the efficiency of their performance and lifespan that is likely to affect the service output they provide to the fisherman; hence, low returns and lack of funds to repair the physical capital, are likely to hold them in poverty. Research indicates that proper management of physical capital has the potential of giving more returns to the fisherman and reduces their early depreciation, hence compelling the fisherman to move out of the poverty (Darwis, et al. 2015). Education enables the fisherman to subject the physical capital to proper usage and maintenance; this avoids the unnecessary expenses that can negatively affect the normal fishing patterns, and hence, income flow. For instance, the economic life of the fishing boat, the total hours of fishing, and the tonnage of fish that can be supported by the fishing equipment, are important tenets to be observed when using the physical capital (Darwis, et al., 2015).How education can improve the welfare of fishermen.The proper educa tion that targets the welfare of the fishing community is significant in making the connection between work, and the everyday encounters of the fisherm...