Affects of war in the novels You Went Away and Farewell to Arms

Any war takes a great toll on human life in terms of death, suffering, and loss. In You Went Away, it is the marriage of Graeme and Mi that is suffering due to infidelity on both of their parts and Graeme’s heavy drinking and withdrawal from his family relationships. War, however, can also thrust an individual into a new relationship with someone that happens to be in the same place at the same time. In A Farewell to Arms Frederick Henry and Catherine meet during WWI. His injury necessitates a long hospital stay during which time romance blooms. Later, after becoming disillusioned with the war, Frederick Henry deserts the army and he and Catherine flee to Switzerland where their union is strengthened. Both scenarios are the focus of this essay as the novels A Farewell to Arms and You Went Away are compared. Both novels are set during wartime and revolve around a couple’s relationship which in one novel, the war strengthens, and in the other, is ripped apart.
In A Fare...