Ernest Hemingway called his novel A Farewell to Arms his “Romeo and Juliet.” The most obvious similarity between these works is their star-crossed lovers, as critic Carlos Baker notes; another is that the deaths of Hemingway's Juliet and Catherine are hastened by ironic accidents. In Catherine's case, the irony is that it was a biological error that killed her and not the war that she and her lover had managed to escape. Hemingway's novel also shares the five-part format of Romeo and Juliet (introduction, complication, climax, resolution, and conclusion) and integrates short scenes throughout the story of love and loss. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay In the first book, Hemingway introduces his main characters and setting with a slightly journalistic style, detached but sad as he sketches the harsh life of the world. battle front of a small Italian town Catherine, English nurse's aide at the town's British hospital. Henry is a conflicted soldier; having enlisted in the army without a thirst for glory or sincere faith in his cause, he is easily exhausted by the war. Catherine mourns the death of her fiancé due to the war the previous year. As the book progresses, their love story between the two revives their spirits after their suffering and loss. Another key character is Rinaldi, Henry's friend, a surgeon who uses sex as an escape but avoids love because he sees it as complicated. A final main character is the priest, a kind young man who provides spiritual guidance to the few interested soldiers and who serves as a foil to the mischievous Rinaldi. Often the butt of officers' jokes, the priest responds with good-natured understanding. The second book introduces the “complication” or rising action of the story. The most obvious is the complication of Henry's injury and how it changes his life and his relationship with Catherine, but love becomes a more dominant complication. Rinaldi, with his endless speeches about the need for multiple women, sex and alcohol, embodies the hyperactive male libido and his need to escape through physical pleasures. The priest disputes this idea in his conversation with Henry; according to him, sex is not enough to satisfy a man. The priest believes that Henry lacks someone to love, and when Henry protests, he makes a clear distinction between lust and love. As the second book progresses, true love develops. When Catherine arrives in Milan, the "game" between Henry and the nurse quickly turns into love. From the moment Henry sees Catherine on the threshold, he declares: “When I saw her, I was in love with her. Everything turned around in me” (98). Catherine's pregnancy further complicates the story. Catherine worries that Henry feels trapped, and he admits that he feels "biologically trapped" (103). Henry's comment shows his hatred for the world and the natural order of life, but not for Catherine herself – he blames biology and fate for his current position. The story in the third volume forces the reader to recognize the horrors of war. The book begins with the major admitting that he is tired of the war: "If I were away, I don't think I would come back" (175). His lack of energy and passion seems contagious since even the priest notes that all the men have become “gentle”. The men no longer have the drive they once had and are eager to return home, even at the cost of losing the war. At dinner, Rinaldi tries to relive the good old days by loudly attacking the priest, trying..