Finding the truth in the lies in A Farewell to Arms The foundation of Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms is based on lies. Hemingway exposes the reality, or truth, of love and war by presenting the story of Lieutenant Henry and Catherine Barkley, lives ironically entrenched in lies. Henry in particular takes on a different role each time, pretending, for example, to be a soldier, a civilian, a doctor, or Barkley's dead boyfriend. The lies in Henry's life begin when he joins the Italian army. Here he pretends to be "one of the boys", silently siding with their bawdy humor and macho activities and not with the priest's morality. Hemingway shows this conflict best in the scene where the priest urges Henry to visit Abruzzo while the captain insists that Henry visit the brothels of Naples. Henry says nothing during this conversation. However, his silence shows that Henry takes the priest's side. Eventually, Henry joins the captain at the brothel, the equivalent of giving in to peer pressure. Soldiers traditionally see sexual conquests as a prerequisite for a lifestyle of war and violence, and following this precedent, Henry plays into this stereotype even though he would prefer to stay in the comfort of Capracotta, welcomed by the priest's family. Just as Henry pretends to being a soldier, then pretends to be a civilian. Mistaken for a spy during the retreat, Henry escapes but hides his identity as a soldier so as not to be recognized and punished as a deserter. A wine shop owner warns Henry "Don't go out in that coat. ... On the sleeves you can see very clearly where the stars have been cut off" (Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms, 239). Henry made an effort to hide his rank and avoid capture. Later, ... in the middle of the paper ... room", Henry changes his mind (318). Now that Henry plays the role of a doctor, if the doctor can eat, so can he: "A At two I went out and I had lunch" (318). Henry even goes so far as to say that he looks like "a fake doctor with a beard" and starts giving orders to the nurse when the real doctor is absent like "get another cylinder" (319, 322). Henry pretends to be a doctor, thrown into this role by the situation and playing it very convincingly After reading this novel, I still have no real understanding of the character Henry plays so many different roles that I don't know whether to see him as a. authentic lost soul or as the ultimate con man. Every aspect of his life is a big game of "let's pretend" - when do the lies end?, 1995.