Escapism in A Farewell to Arms In Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms, Fredric Henry becomes involved with Catherine Barkley to escape the madness of war. Frederic loves Catherine. Catherine loves Frederic. The extreme situation of war and destiny allowed both of them to unite and fall in love. This mutual love was an escape into another world for Frederic. It provided him with a private place emotionally, where he could go to separate himself and evade the horrible realities of war occurring in and around him. In any other normal circumstance this love would probably never have existed, but the pitcher had the curveball for Frederic from the very first pitch. He wanted him out. From the beginning, Frederic and Catherine's relationship began in a strange state. Frédéric knew that Catherine was a bit eccentric, but he continued to court her anyway. He didn't even love her at first, but he still needed a way to escape his current situation, so he decided what the hell and went after her. Besides, he didn't really think he had anything to lose. There were no named stakes from the beginning. He didn't really care if he lost anyway. "I didn't love Catherine Barkley nor had I any idea that I loved her. This was a game, like bridge, where you said things instead of playing cards. Like bridge you had to pretend to play. For money or playing for some stakes. Nobody he had mentioned what was at stake. It was all right with me (Hemingway, 30-31) But this is where Frederic made his mistake and to love. He had separated himself from the war and seemed to have no place in it, mentally or physically (for example when he is in the hospital in the second book when Aymo is killed by his own army, Frederic discovers the reality that he he is not at all separated from this event. He is an integral part of this war, whether he likes it or not. At this point, he also seems to go crazy and gets scared. He needs a way to escape immediately and ends up separating again for love, Frédéric he was not prepared for the stress and pressure of the reality from which he had mistakenly deluded himself.