In A Farewell to Arms, Catherine is not fully appreciated by Henry though her portrayal as a woman is strong and logical. She has been through her first love and death of a finance which has made her much more realistic about what she wants in life and what is important to her, even if it doesn’t match with the society roles at the time. As you really get into critiquing the details of her actions throughout the book you realize she is not a submissive woman and actually has a lot of control in the relationship.
In Sandra Spanier’s critic Catherine Barkley and the Hemingway Code: Ritual and Survival in A Farwell to Arms she points out that “[Henry] is blithely oblivious to the fact that she is using him.” Catherine at one point is just feeling lonely and wants Henry to say he loves her though she completely knows that he means nothing by saying it. Henry follows as she says even though he feels guilty for being so submissive. Catherine does have control in this relationship and this is the first sign to proving it. She also talks about regretting to save herself from marriage and this leads to the point that she really wants Henry for a physical love. She does seem to care for him more as the novel progresses but initial this girl just wants to have fun.
Henry does not realize that Catherine really is a smart woman and this kind of just makes him look less important and not as knowledgeable. She is a well-known nurse which was probably the best job for a woman during the war and she assisted in taking extra time to check on Henry. He did not exactly respect her career the way he should have, he called on her when he was lonely and made her entertain him on her off hours rather than allowing her to sleep basically. Catherine never complains and remains working and by Henry’s side, which is way more than most women today can even handle. Her boss eventually tells Henry he needs to let her rest but never once does she complain to him and say he wants to much from her. This is not depicting her as passive or submissive but stronger than him because she is providing for his needs and many others.
Catherine may not be viewed as smart from Henry but she is much more realistic than him. When she informs Henry that she is pregnant and going to have his child he immediately thinks marriage is the answer to the problem. Catherine knows that getting married would solve nothing just wants to to fulfill the social expectations of the time. Spanier’s says, “Catherine is beyond that point.” She convinces Henry that it is not a good idea to get married while still playing the submissive and gentle woman. The book goes farther to say that she had tried to already eliminate the situation, with an abortion, but it didn’t work. This really highlights her independent thinking, without his approval she almost took away their chance of having a child. She does not want the responsibility of bringing up a child, though she knows she can handle it, especially with henry out fighting. Realistically she knows it is dangerous and bringing up a child possibly as a single parent is not her cup of tea. Henry only begins to feel guilt about having a baby and considering her part when she starts getting very sick. Catherine ends her life having his child that she never wanted to have to begin with. Spanier describes her as a ‘Hemingway code hero’ and this ending only magnifies that argument.
