A Farewell to Arms

A novel by Ernest Hemingway

A Study Guide

Sample Chapter Activities

Book One

Chapters 1-4

1. Describe the image presented in the opening paragraph.
2. The opening chapter describes the setting and introduces us to images of war. Which of the images leaves the strongest impression on you? Why?
3. What is your first impression of the military personnel in chapter 2? Why do you think they make jokes at the priest’s expense?
4. Why does the priest want the narrator to go to Abruzzi? At the end of chapter 2, do you think the narrator will take the priest’s advice?
5. Who is Rinaldi?
6. How does the narrator feel about the war? Explain how you came to this conclusion.
7. Describe the first meeting between the soldier and Miss Barkley at the end of chapter 4. What do we learn about the characters during this exchange?
8. What is your impression of Rinaldi after reading these opening chapters?

Vocabulary – artillery, ammunition, cholera, plateau, attention, tunic, atheists, offensive, lieutenant, sufficient, battery, evidently, infantry, impression, moderately, beautiful, translated