Frederic Henry

Frederic Henry is the protagonist of the story. Readers do not know his first name until Chapter 5 and hear his last name in Chapter 13. He is an American but serves as a volunteer ambulance driver for the Italian army during World War I. Ernest Hemingway based the character of Frederic Henry on his own experiences during the war. Henry is the first of Hemingway’s trademark “Code Heroes” – characters who live by their own code of conduct and do heroic things in the process. Though Henry does not always follow the rules or live strictly by the military code, he is respected by his peers, commanders, and the unit priest for his personal ethics and respect for other people.

Not much is described about the physical characteristics of Henry; his thoughts and personality are emphasized instead. Henry is typical in many ways, making him a sympathetic protagonist...