Farewell To Arms with Phil Devlin

April 11th, 18th, 25th, and May 9th. Join us for a guided discussion of A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway, led by Phil Devlin.
April 6, 2017, will mark the 100th anniversary of American involvement in World War I. It is hard to imagine an historical event in the 20th century whose long-term consequences for Western civilization have been as profound as those of World War I, the event ironically called “the war to end all wars.” American writer Ernest Hemingway participated in the First World War as a young, volunteer ambulance driver for the Italian Army. It was a life-changing event. In his 1929 masterpiece, A Farewell to Arms, he dramatizes the life and adventures of a young volunteer ambulance driver named Frederic Henry. During the centennial anniversary of World War I, we will approach the novel as a fictional definition of the Great War to see how the work embodies so many of the patterns and themes found in that most consequential war.
Retired long-time HKHS teacher Philip R. Devlin will be your guide. Since his retirement 10 years ago, Mr. Devlin has conducted dozens of public presentations to school and civic groups about a variety of historical and literary topics. He is especially interested in the profound effects that World War I has had on the course of Western Civilization– including many of the major issues that face the country today. Mr. Devlin taught American literature, Latin, and history at HK for over 30 years, where he was named high school teacher of the year twice and district teacher of the year once.
The event is free but advance sign up for the series is required. Mr. Devlin would like to provide participants with some background information before they begin reading, so copies of the book will be handed out at the first session, on April 11th.