A Farewell To Arms: Chapter 22 - Summary and Analysis

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CHAPTER 22

SUMMARY

Stricken by Jaundice
      It turned cool that night. Henry got wet in the rain. He felt sick and brandy didn’t help. The next morning he felt nauseated and the doctor told him that he had contracted jaundice. He had been sick with it for two weeks and so couldn’t spend the time with Catherine as planned.

Locking Horns with Miss Van Campen
      Miss Van Campen, the superintendent nurse at the hospital came into his room. Her suspicion had most probably been aroused when she saw the porter leaving with empty bottles of alcohol. On searching Henry’s room, she finds eleven empty bottles of brandy. She is outraged and says that she had pitied him for catching jaundice but now she doesn’t because she feels that he had deliberately brought jaundice upon himself through drinking too much. She threatens to report against him and Henry argues with her, however, the result is that Henry loses his leave of convalescence,

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Miss Van Campen’s Actions Unfair
      Miss Van Campen’s report against Henry, results in his convalescent leave being canceled. The unreasonableness of her attitude and the unfairness is brought out when he inquires of Miss Van Campen if she knew any man who tried to disable himself by kicking himself in the scrotum? Because that is the nearest sensation to Jaundice. Moreover, Henry is not the kind to shirk duty through foul means.

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