`Hemingway broaches the brutality of war while juxtaposing it against the complexity of human emotions in his novel `A Farewell to Arms.` Set in Europe during World War I, `A Farewell to Arms` is a classic American text that elucidates the role of women in the time of its publication as well as revealing the author’s own feelings towards the roles of men and women in society. The narrator and protagonist is a man conflicted about his position in the army and his position as a lover. Frederic Henry dismisses the philosophical nature of war and heroism, downplaying the loftier causes of the Great War. Mirroring his conflict about warfare is his relationship with Catherine Barkley. Catherine initiates their affair in a playful and frivolous manner, but because a genuine love and trust develops between the two, Henry’s character matures and his priorities are realized: romantic love usurps his desire to be a hero. Amid this background and setting of death and bloodshed, Hemingway introduces the theme of the fundamentally bleak nature of human existence, for in spite of their love, Henry and Catherine cannot find lasting happiness. The conflict between love and war and the universal struggle for meaning is played out against this backdrop. Frederick Henry’s internal strife parallels the bloody fights that surround him, and through his role in the army and his role in his relationship with Catherine, the character proves the primacy of love.`