Written just after the First World War, Hemingway offers a subtle anti-war novel. World War I ended in 1918; A Farewell to Arms was published eleven years later. While eleven years seems like enough time to forget, no amount of time can allow Hemingway to forget the effects of the First World War. After the First World War, Hemingway was struck by countless nightmares. Hemingway uses these nightmares and flashbacks to write A Farewell to Arms (Analysis 1). Reflecting on the novel, one blogger writes: “A Farewell to Arms is a war novel, not in the sense that it glorifies war, but as everyone knows, it describes the cruelty, the madness of war that deprives human life and happiness. ” (Analysis 1). Throughout the novel, Hemingway shows his anti-war message by showing how characters indulge in distractions to escape the reality of war. Love and sex, alcohol and religion are all ways characters distract themselves. In A Farewell to Arms, Hemingway uses love and sex as a reference point for his anti-war message. Love and sex are the strongest elements used by Hemingway. Love and sexual encounters were the way main in which Hemingway's characters distracted themselves. Although love is usually a special time in life, Hemingway shows how war creates heartbreaking relationships throughout the novel. At the beginning, both Henry and Rinaldi visit numerous brothels with insignificant women (aesundstrom 1). All men have many senseless affairs with women. Even the priest is teased for being with numerous women at the same time. At dinner the men continually irritate him for his love for multiple women. Later, Henry and Rinaldi begin a harmless flirtation with some nurses. Catherine is one of the nur...... middle of paper...... all that remains is to pray. As a last resort, many characters rely on God. World War I leaves many writers with many painful thoughts. Hemingway uses these horrific flashbacks to write a great anti-war novel. Combined with his anti-war views, Hemingway includes his views on alcohol and religion to strengthen his novel. To create his novel, Hemingway makes his characters indulge in many distractions to survive the war. In A Farewell to Arms, the characters use love, alcohol, and false religion to distract themselves. Works Cited aesundstrom. A farewell to arms. Edublogs, May 29, 2008. Web. March 1, 2014.Hemingway, Ernest. A farewell to arms. New York: Scribner, 1929. Print.Kershaw, Tom. The religion and political views of Ernest Hemingway. Hollowverse, August 20, 2012. Web. April 5, 2014. Analysis of the anti-war theme in A Farewell to Arms. Predoc, 2014. Web. 1 March. 2014.