A Farewell to Arms

Frederic and Catherine go to the races with Helen and Crowell Rodgers, one of the patients at the hospital. Mr. Meyers, who always seems to know the winners, rarely gives tips out to anyone, but he likes to give Crowell tips. The races in Italy are fixed. The four of them choose to bet 100 lire on a horse named Japalac, based solely on his color, which they think might be artificial. The odds are great against him, 35 to one. He wins, and they are excited, expecting to get 3500 lire, but then they find out that the bets came in right before the race and they will like only get a little above what they put in. They are disgusted with the crooked race. They next bet on Meyer’s choice, which wins but doesn’t end up paying anything.

When Catherine is alone with Frederic, she admits that she does not like to be with so many people and she detests the “crooked” (113) racing. She wants them to bet on a horse not chosen by Meyers, which they do, and it finishes fourth out of five. They have a drink and then Catherine realizes that Frederic wants to join the others, so they do.

The summer is almost over, and the cooler day of September have arrived. The news from the front is worse. The Italians are unable to take San Gabriele and have suffered heavy losses, losing 150,000 men, plus 40,000 at Carso. There are riots in the streets against the war. Frederic discusses the war with a British officer who repeatedly says that the countries who are fighting the war are done:“The last country to realize they were cooked would win the war” (116). As he walks home, an old man is cutting silhouettes of passersby, and when he asked to take his silhouette, Frederic insists on keeping his hat on, and the old man agrees: “It will not be so beautiful […] but […] it will be more military” (117).

At the hospital he receives letters, including an official letter informing him that he will have a three-week convalescent leave before returning to the front. He goes to a restaurant to read the other letters. His grandfather sends him some news and 200 dollars. He also has a “dull letter” (118) from the priest and a note from Rinaldi, as well as a letter from another soldier. He goes back to the hospital and reads the newspapers that Mrs. Meyers had brought. He focuses on baseball but still he finds it hard to find any interest in what he is reading, especially since the war news is old.

When Catherine arrives, they discuss his leave and where they can go. Frederic asks her what’s wrong. She reveals that she is pregnant. She worries that Frederic will be upset by this news and she tells him he will have nothing to worry about because she won’t make trouble for him. They sit on the bed not talking and not touching until Catherine asks him if he feels trapped, and he says, “You always feel trapped biologically” (121). She is upset by his use of the word “always,” but then she assures him that they must be united and not let anything come between them. Frederic calls her "brave" (121), and she says she’s not, but she would like to be. Catherine then leaves to take care of her patients.