A Farewell to Arms Frederic Henry Quotes

Frederic Henry

Quote 1

"But there in my county it is understood that a man may love God. It is not a dirty joke." (11.72)

The priest is visitor number two to Frederic’s sickbed. We see how hurt he is by the captain’s jokes. But the joke is only half about masturbation. The captain is also implying strongly that World War I is proof either that God doesn’t exist, or that God is evil. Either way, the priest becomes a bad guy, for loving God. But Frederic loves him. And their love is complicated.

"I only wanted to for you."

"There isn’t any me. I’m you. Don’t make up a separate me." (18.21-21)

Frederic is talking about marriage, but Catherine is suggesting, as she does many times in the novel, that marriage for them is anti-climactic. Since they are already so close that they are a single person, formal marriage seems pointless.

Frederic Henry

Quote 3

"I had liked him as well as any one I ever knew." (30.67)

This sentence is ambiguous for sure, because Frederic uses the word "like" instead of "love," but, unless one takes a cynical approach, it actually expresses a deep love for Aymo.