Rain As A Symbol example essay topic

In this world people use symbols to represent the significance of something invisible but of great importance. They are used to signify ideas or anything that suggests an idea. In literature, as in life symbols are used to represent something important yet invisible and abstract to the reader, about which the reader has to think to understand their significance. In his novel A Farewell to Arms Ernest Hemingway uses a lot of symbols and foreshadowing to represent darkness, sadness and death.

He uses rain as a symbol to accentuate the feeling of sadness, sorrow and loss because of the war, and many other symbols throughout the book. In the novel, rain suggests the loss of happiness in life. Hemingway is foreshadowing death and sadness through this meteorological phenomenon. His girlfriend, Catherine, whom he loves very much, admits that she is afraid of the rain and says that "it's very hard on loving" (126) and claims that it can have a negative effect on lovers. She also says to Henry, who is the main character in this novel, that "Sometimes I see you dead in it" (126) meaning the rain.

Catherine's words proved to be true when at the tragic end of the novel, after she dies Henry walks back to the hotel in the rain. This storm at the end of the book reminds the reader of Catherine's' fear of the rain. In a symbolic way Henry is dead like Catherine saw him in the rain because he lost in the war, lost honor and love. Hemingway uses other symbols as well. Symbolically, the war between Austria and Italy is used to illustrate another war, a war between good and evil. This war is in turn represented by two symbolic characters.

The priest, who represents the good and is a friend of Henry, and Rhinaldi, a symbol of the evil who is Henry's closes friend. Both of them want Henry on their side and to become like them. "This war is killing me, I'm very depressed by it" (167). This is Rhinaldi talking about the abstract war, since he is a doctor he doesn't fight on front but still he says "is a terrible war" (167) and it's killing him, but what he really is talking about here is the war between him and the priest. Through Henry's conversations with the priest about the war, it is obvious that they are not talking about the real war, but the conflict that goes on between the two sides. "I think it will be over soon.

I don't know why, but I feel it" (177). The priest feels like Henry has not yet lost all faith in God, love, honor as Rhinaldi has, and he thinks that this war will be over, because he won't have to fight anymore to get him on his side. "Many people have realized the war... officers whom I thought could never realize it realize it now" (177). Officers that used to tease him and that were like Rhinaldi who doesn't believe in God or anything, realize that it is worth believing and committing themselves to something, rather than to feel the horror when there is nothing in which to believe. They are more like the priest now, who is committed to serving God and through this he thinks that he is winning this abstract war and feels like this battle between good and bad it's going to be over soon. Conflict is symbolized in several ways by Hemingway in his novel.

Rain is a symbol that has a gloomy affect on the tone of the story, and the characters. The characters also represent symbolic qualities; they embody different attitudes towards the human crisis of war. Good versus Evil, faith versus despair, selfless love versus love of the self: the protagonist, the priest, Rhinaldi each face the difficult present in sometimes heroic, sometimes ambiguous, sometimes abject ways. Hemingway does not decide, he does not choose sides and it is difficult for the reader to do so. We are left with a sense of the impossibility of finding any permanent truth outside of what each man's consciousness dictates.