Similarities Between Ernest Hemingway And Henry

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“If something in life hurts you in life, use it in your writing.” This quote is by Ernest Hemingway, and he made this statement apparent when he wrote his book, “A Farewell to Arms.” In this novel there are many similarities between Hemingway and the main character Fredrick Henry. Once Ernest Hemingway enlisted into the war and was deferred because of his poor vision he became an ambulance driver as did Fredrick in the book. While running a mobile canteen he was hit by a mortar fire and was injured from the waist down. Other similarities include how both Hemingway and Fredrick were not close to their family at all, and how they both fell in love with a nurse while in the hospital for their injures. “Farewell to arms” is an exemplification of his love life as well as his war life as an ambulance driver in World War I. In Hemingway's book the injuries sustained and the love life formed by the main character shows a striking correlation to that of Hemingway's actual war life experiences. Hemingway entered World War I in May of 1918 as a volunteer ambulance driver for the Red Cross after being deferred enlistment due to poor vision. According to the Lost Generation, Hemingway "had a bad left eye that he probably inherited from his mother, who also had poor vision. In early June Hemingway traveled to Milan and upon his arrival he was quickly initiated into his job when a munitions factory exploded and left many dismembered bodies for Hemingway to transport to a morgue. On July 8, 1918, only a few weeks after arriving, Hemingway was seriously wounded by fragments from an Austrian mortar shell which had landed just a few feet away" (Lost Generation). Though he was badly injured he managed drag an Italian solider out of the fire and was given a badge of honor and courage for his act in duty. Though getting his badge of honor from the government, the injury humbled him

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