Chapter XXVII Farewell to Arms

Chapters XXVII–XXIX Summary Chapter XXVII Abstract words such as glory, honor, courage, or hallow were obscene beside the concrete … numbers of regiments and the dates. The next morning, Henry travels to the Bainsizza, a succession of small mountains in which intense fighting has taken place. Henry meets a man named Gino, who tells him about a battery of terrifying guns that the Austrians have. The men discuss the Italian army's position against Croatian troops; …

…brilliant depiction of the confusion and meaninglessness of war. This act seemingly comes out of nowhere. The reader doesn't expect the normally self-possessed Henry to display such aggression, nor does such behavior seem particularly justified. Bonello's ruthless, point-blank extermination of the man's life is equally senseless. That the engineer is guilty of no capital crime and thus merits no punishment so grave as death emphasizes that, oftentimes, one cannot account for men's behavior in war.