A Farewell to Arms Book 5, Chapter 38 Summary

  • It is fall, and it has not snowed yet. Frederic and Catherine are living in a nice house in the mountains. There is much natural beauty, and a few people around.
  • Frederic reads the papers, and sees there is still some battle. He feels far from the war.
  • They enjoy the town, and Frederic reads that things are going badly with the war.
  • Catherine says that she will marry him after she has had the baby and lost weight. She talks about going to America with Frederic.
  • It snows on December 22, and Frederic and Catherine lie in bed together, watching it.
  • They take a walk, but don’t get far.
  • That afternoon, Catherine says that she wants Frederic to grow a beard and he agrees.
  • They talk about Rinaldi having syphilis, and Frederic tells Catherine that he had gonorrhea.
  • Catherine says Frederic should let his hair grow and that she will cut hers, so that they will look the same except that she is blond and Frederic is dark-haired. Frederic doesn’t want her to cut it.
  • They agree that they are the same person, and talk about being together forever.
  • They fall asleep and wake up in the night. Catherine tells Frederic she remembers being crazy when they met, but that she is never crazy now.
  • They decide to go back to sleep and to fall asleep at the same time, but Frederic stays awake longer.