A Farewell to Arms: Characters

Lieutenant Frederic Henry – An American who volunteers for the Italian ambulance corps before the United States joins the war. Various Italian characters also refer to him as “Tenente” (Lieutenant) or “Federico” (Frederic). Henry is a classic Hemingway hero in that he is a stoic who does his duty without complaint. Yet Henry also undergoes tremendous development through the course of the novel. At the beginning of the novel, he has never experienced true loss, believes that war is dreadful but necessary, has a lust for adventure, drinking, and women, and sees Catherine as just another diversion. As the stakes of the war intensify, however, he becomes deeply pessimistic about the war and realizes that his love for Catherine is the only thing he is willing to commit himself to.

Catherine Barkley – An English nurse in Italy, she bears the spiritual scars of having lost her fiancé in the Battle of the Somme. When she meets Henry, she is ready to throw herself into a new relationship in order to escape the loss of the old one, enlisting Henry to pretend that they are deeply in love almost as soon as they meet. Emotionally damaged, she can never bring herself to marry Henry, but wants to be with him in an idealized union apart from the rest of the world. Through the constant understatements and deprecating humor in her dialogue, even at moments of extreme danger such as the labor that goes wrong, she reveals herself to be a stoic match for Henry, the female side of the Hemingway hero, who does much and says little.

Rinaldi – A skilled surgeon, ladies’ man, and Henry’s best friend in the Italian Army. His boastful rambunctious banter provides a counterpoint to Henry’s reserved stoicism.

Helen Ferguson – An English nurse’s aide and close friend to Catherine. As Catherine and Henry’s love affair becomes more consuming, Helen becomes concerned for her friend’s emotional well-being. Though she is confident and competent, Helen is also lonely.

The Priest – A military clergyman from a peasant community in northern Italy. He endures endless jibes from the soldiers about his celibacy, but with good humor. He and Henry have several conversations about manhood, religion, and values.

The Major – Another officer serving in the town of Gorizia, he delights in taunting the priest, who he thinks is pathetic for not sleeping with women.

Count Greffi – A 94-year-old former diplomat, he is a father figure to Henry. He beats Henry at billiards and engages him in a philosophical conversation about love and war.

Dr. Valentini – A capable, boisterous doctor who operates on Henry’s leg, providing a contrast with the timid trio of doctors who wanted to wait six months before operating.

Ettore Moretti – A decorated Italian-American war hero whom Henry finds tedious.

The American Soldier – A fellow American serving in the Italian army who purposely tries to magnify the severity of a hernia he has in order to get out of combat.

Gordini, Passini, Manera, and Gavuzzi – Ambulance drivers under Henry‘s command.

Mrs. Walker – An overly anxious nurse at the hospital in Milan where Henry is taken to recuperate from his injury.

Miss Gage – A young nurse at the hospital in Milan who is fond of Henry.

Miss Van Campen – The head nurse of the hospital. She and Henry dislike each other.

The Porter – An underling at the hospital. He works for tips.

The Barber – Hired by the Porter to shave Henry, he nearly ends up cutting Henry’s throat because he thinks Henry is an Austrian.

Crowell Rodgers – A young American soldier who has injured himself while trying to remove the cap of a trench mortar shell to keep as a souvenir.

Mr. Meyers – A shady fixer of horse races in Milan.

Gino – A patriotic Italian youth.

Bonello – A bloodthirsty ambulance driver who finishes off a man that Henry has shot, and then jokes about it.

Aymo – An ambulance driver who is killed by friendly fire from the panicked Italian rear guard during a disastrous retreat.

Piani – Another ambulance driver.

The Sergeants – Given a lift by Bonello during the Italian retreat, they refuse to help when the vehicles become stuck. Henry and Bonello shoot one of them.

The Lieutenant-Colonel – A dignified officer who is executed by military police, in front of Henry, for some imagined treachery or cowardice during the retreat.

The Proprietor – A man who serves Henry wine and then offers to let Henry, clearly a fugitive at that time, hide in his house.

Ralph Simmons – An American opera singer, Simmons helps Henry after Henry deserts from the Italian army.

Emilio – The bartender at the hotel in Stresa where Henry is reunited with Catherine. He helps Henry and Catherine escape the military police.

Mr. and Mrs. Guttingen – The kind proprietors of the chalet where Henry and Catherine live in Switzerland.