A Farewell to Arms Summary

The story revolves around a young American, Lieutenant Frederic Henry, who serves as an ambulance driver in the Italian army during the tail-end of World War I. He spends winter touring Italy, returning in spring to his duties at the front. There, he crosses paths with Catherine Barkley, an English nurse’s aide at a nearby British hospital. Despite Catherine initially being an object of affection for Henry's friend Rinaldi, it is with Frederic that she begins a playful, complicated romance. Catherine, still grieving the loss of her fiancé, seeks comfort in love, even if it's an illusion. Her sentiments awaken in Henry a longing for emotional connection, something he lost in the brutalities of war.

When Henry gets injured in battle, he is transported to a hospital in Milan. Despite initial suggestions of a six-month bed rest followed by knee surgery, Henry opts for an immediate operation conducted by the audacious Dr. Valentini. Meanwhile, Catherine gets transferred to Milan, further nurturing their growing relationship. Their love, once a game of hollow promises and light-hearted flirtations, evolves into something profound and genuine. After his recovery, Henry is granted a brief three-week leave. Catherine reveals her pregnancy to him, and they plan a trip. However, a diagnosis of jaundice and accusations of deliberate self-harm to avoid service result in the revocation of Henry's leave.

Henry is sent back to the front, where Italian forces are suffering losses. During a retreat, Henry leads his ambulance drivers away from the main route, resulting in a violent altercation with two engineers, one of whom Henry shoots. The retreat continues on foot after their vehicles become stuck. Chaos ensues, with commanding officers being executed, and Henry narrowly escapes being seized by battle police. He escapes by diving into a river and stows away on a train to Milan, deciding his war obligations are over. He reunites with Catherine in Stresa, and they flee to Switzerland, where they build a peaceful life, putting the war behind them. However, their tranquility is shattered when Catherine's labor results in a stillborn baby and ends in her tragic death from a hemorrhage. Grief-stricken Henry, unable to say goodbye, walks back to his hotel in the pouring rain.