A Feminist Alternative to Fetterleys Criticism of A Farewell to Arms :: Farewell Arms Essays

A Feminist Alternative to Fetterleys Criticism of A Farewell to Arms by and by finishing A Farewell to Arms, I found it difficult to square off Judith Fetterleys feminist attack of the novel with my own personal opinions. I give that Hemingway does kick women to the curb in his portrayal of Catherine, but my reasons for pinning this disgust on Hemingway are different from hers. Although she means well, Fetterley makes the ridiculous claim that by portraying Catherine as an angelic, selflessly loving woman to end on the whole women, Hemingway disguises misogynistic attitudes and a deep-seeded hatred towards the XX chromo or so. This claim is not supported by the text. If we look at Hemingway through the lens of his own words, we find that his misogyny does not spring from a alike devout to be truthful portrait of Catherine, but rather in his tendency to cast her refine into the dirt-Catherine is a dependent, baby-manufacturing trap that stifles Lieutenant Henry Poor, poor d ear Cat. And this was the scathe you paid for quiescence to spoilher. This was the end of the trap (320). It is his penchant for sex and his aim for womanly comfort that keeps Henry coming back to Catherine, not some notion of love or true connection. This is Hemingways misogyny, however unintentional, unmasked. But to get a true sense of this anti-Fetterley feminist view of the novel, it is important too look at the specifics of Hemingways construction of Catherine-facts that stand in direct antagonist to Fetterleys stated attacks. First of all, Catherine is not Fetterleys unique and unattainable goddess-she is an object in Henrys universe, a feast of sensations but nothing more. She is akin to good food for thought and good drink I was made to eat. My God, yes. Eat and drink and sleep with Catherine (233). Indeed, Henrys thoughts slightly Catherine, both when he is at the front or by her side, blend with longings for good wine and reflections on sumptuous meals. In Henrys world, a good Capri would be nice, a nice hunk of cheese would be grand, and sleeping with Catherine would be sublime. These things all equate to the satisfaction of basic human needs. every(prenominal) now and then, Henry feels a grumbling in his loins-a periodic lust for the cheese between Catherines legs. Hemingway dissolves Catherine into the least common denominator-the object, devoid of meaning or real importance (when Henry isnt hungry).