A Farewell to Arms MCQs

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Author: Nasir Iqbal | Assistant Professor of English Literature

A Farewell to Arms mcqs
Updated on: October 24, 2025
Estimated Reading Time: 19 min

A Farewell to Arms MCQs

1. Where did the narrator first live in the late summer of that year?

A. A house in Gorizia
B. A house in a village across the river
C. A bawdy house in Udine
D. A field hospital near Plava

B. A house in a village across the river.
The narrator lived in a house in a village looking across the river and plain to the mountains.

2. What came with the start of winter that caused many deaths?

A. Heavy snow
B. Shelling
C. Permanent rain and cholera
D. The German offensive

C. Permanent rain and cholera.
At the start of winter, persistent rain arrived, bringing the cholera epidemic to the army.

3. What is the narrator’s job in the Italian army?

A. Artillery spotter
B. Infantry officer
C. Ambulance driver/Lieutenant
D. Surgeon’s assistant

C. Ambulance driver/Lieutenant.
The narrator is referred to as “Signor Tenente” (Lieutenant), driving ambulances for the sick and wounded.

4. Where did the narrator first go to meet Catherine Barkley?

A. The bawdy house for officers
B. Rinaldi’s mess hall
C. The British hospital garden
D. A café in Udine

C. The British hospital garden.
Rinaldi took the narrator to call on Miss Barkley at the British hospital, where she was in the garden.
5. What object did Catherine Barkley carry that reminded her of her dead fiancé?

A. A lock of hair
B. A thin rattan stick
C. A silver locket
D. A small Bible

B. A thin rattan stick.
She carried a thin rattan stick that belonged to her fiancé, who was killed the previous year in the Battle of the Somme.

6. What Italian area did the priest initially want the narrator to visit on leave?

A. Naples
B. Palermo
C. Abruzzi
D. Florence

C. Abruzzi.
The priest invited the narrator to see Abruzzi and visit his family at Capracotta, which he described as clear and dry.

7. What type of shell wounded the narrator and killed his driver Passini?

A. High explosive
B. Shrapnel
C. Trench mortar shell
D. Naval gun

C. Trench mortar shell.
They were hit by a shell that shook the earth, later diagnosed as fragments of an enemy trench-mortar shell.

8. Where exactly was the narrator when he was severely wounded?

A. Crossing a bridge
B. In a field hospital
C. Sitting in a dugout, eating
D. Driving an ambulance

C. Sitting in a dugout, eating.
The narrator was sitting in the dugout with the drivers, eating macaroni and cheese when the shell burst outside.

9. What did the driver, Passini, repeatedly shout after he was hit?

A. The war is finished!
B. My sister! My sister!
C. Mama Mia! and begged to be shot
D. Viva l’esercito!

C. “Mama Mia!” and begged to be shot.
Passini was badly wounded and screamed “Mama Mia!” while begging Jesus or Mary to shoot him to end his suffering.
10. What medal was the narrator proposed for, according to Rinaldi?

A. The Iron Cross
B. The silver medal of valor
C. The gold medal of honor
D. The bronze star

B. The silver medal of valour.
Rinaldi told the narrator they were trying to get him the “medaglia d’argento” (silver medal) for being gravely wounded.

11. What did the priest bring the wounded narrator at the field hospital?

A. A book and fruit
B. Mosquito netting, vermouth, and papers
C. Spaghetti and wine
D. A new uniform and gloves

B. Mosquito netting, vermouth, and papers.
The priest brought the narrator mosquito netting, a bottle of vermouth, and a sheaf of English papers, like The News of the World.

12. What was the first difficulty the narrator faced upon arriving at the American hospital in Milan?

A. No available doctors
B. The lack of clean beds
C. The stretcher wouldn’t fit in the elevator
D. The nurses spoke no Italian

C. The stretcher wouldn’t fit in the elevator.
The ambulance men and the porter discussed lifting him because the stretcher would not go into the small elevator.

13. What did the élderly night nurse, Mrs. Walker, do when the narrator arrived?

A. Took his pulse
B. Checked his wounds
C. Started to cry
D. Immediately called the doctor

C. Started to cry.
Mrs. Walker claimed she could not read Italian or do anything without orders, and then she commenced to cry.

14. What misunderstanding caused the barber to be extremely cautious while shaving the narrator?

A. The narrator refused to pay
B. He thought the narrator was an Austrian officer
C. He was secretly an anarchist
D. He was afraid of blood

B. He thought the narrator was an Austrian officer.
The barber mistakenly believed the narrator was an Austrian officer, making him hostile and cautious with the sharp razor.
15. Which doctor refused to operate on the narrator’s knee immediately, advising a six-month wait?

A. Dr. Valentini
B. The house doctor
C. The bearded first captain
D. The X-ray specialist

C. The bearded first captain.
The first captain (Dr Varella) stated he could not operate for six months, waiting for the projectile to encyst.

16. What was the final, successful surgeon’s profession and rank?

A. Captain, General Surgeon
B. Lieutenant, Orthopedist
C. Major, Surgeon
D. Colonel, Internal Medicine

C. Major, Surgeon.
Dr. Valentini, described as tanned and laughing with mustaches, was a Major and a surgeon from the Ospedale Maggiore.

17. What did Catherine confess to the narrator when they were first alone in Milan?

A. She had decided to leave the hospital
B. She was too scared of the fighting
C. She was three months pregnant
D. She wanted to get married immediately

C. She was three months pregnant.
Catherine told the narrator that she was going to have a baby, being “almost three months along.” This was a major surprise.

18. What natural element did Catherine confess she was afraid of?

A. High winds
B. Earthquakes
C. The rain
D. Fire

C. The rain.
Catherine admitted that she was afraid of the rain, although she liked to walk in it. The rain often symbolizes death in the novel.

19. What did the narrator lie about to Catherine while they were talking on the bench?

A. His military rank
B. Saying “I love you”
C. His feelings about the war
D. His friendship with Rinaldi

B. Saying “I love you”.
While standing under a tree, the narrator confesses internally, “Yes, I lied. I love you.” He had not said the words before.
20. What did the narrator and Catherine name the horse they backed that won but paid poorly?

A. Light For Me
B. Black Pig
C. Japalac
D. Franz Joseph

C. Japalac.
They backed a purplish black horse named Japalac, which won the race, but crooked betting reduced the payout to almost nothing.

21. What was Catherine Barkley’s formal hospital designation?

A. Registered Nurse
B. Civilian Aide
C. V. A. D.
D. Surgical Assistant

C. V. A. D..
Catherine stated that she was “something called a V. A. D.,” which she explained was a shorter route than being a full nurse.

22. What character visited the hospital and brought gifts for the “dear boys”?

A. Helen Ferguson
B. Miss Van Campen
C. Mrs. Meyers
D. Rinaldi’s mother

C. Mrs. Meyers.
Mrs. Meyers, a big-busted woman, visited the hospital, bringing cakes and Marsala for the boys there.

23. What accusation did Miss Van Campen make about the cause of the narrator’s jaundice?

A. Poor sanitary conditions
B. Contagion from a patient
C. Alcoholism/drinking too much brandy
D. Exposure to cold

C. Alcoholism/drinking too much brandy.
Miss Van Campen found the empty liquor bottles and claimed the narrator had produced jaundice through “alcoholism.”

24. What was the result of Miss Van Campen finding the bottles?

A. The narrator was promoted
B. Catherine was sent away
C. The narrator lost his three-week leave
D. Rinaldi was reprimanded

C. The narrator lost his three-week leave.
Miss Van Campen successfully argued that self-inflicted jaundice did not entitle the narrator to the three weeks’ convalescent leave.
25. What did Rinaldi say was killing him when the narrator returned from Milan?

A. His failed novel
B. The war and depression
C. The lack of girls
D. His hand shaking

B. The war and depression.
When the narrator returned, Rinaldi was depressed and admitted that “This war is killing me.” The combat had worn him down.

26. When the narrator returned to the front, what did the priest say was causing many people to feel gentler?

A. The approaching peace
B. The army had been beaten
C. Increased faith in God
D. The end of winter

B. The army had been beaten.
The priest noted that “We are all gentler now because we are beaten,” meaning the soldiers and people had realized the war.

27. What was the Major’s primary feeling when the narrator returned to the front?

A. Optimistic about the offensive
B. Tired and done with the war
C. Angry at the lack of supplies
D. Excited for his decoration

B. Tired and done with the war.
The Major looked “older and drier” and admitted to the narrator that he was “very tired of this war.”

28. Where was the narrator sent to take command of ambulance cars upon his return?

A. Gorizia
B. The Bainsizza plateau
C. The Carso
D. Caporetto

B. The Bainsizza plateau.
The Major told the narrator that the fighting was over, but he should go take over four cars on the Bainsizza plateau.

29. On the Bainsizza, what did Gino, the driver, complain was short, hurting the soldiers’ morale?

A. Ammunition
B. Uniforms
C. Water
D. Food

D. Food.
Gino confirmed that food had been short, noting that troops in support were suffering because they were “big eaters.”
30. What characteristic did the narrator ascribe to abstract words like “glory,” “honor,” and “sacrifice”?

A. Uplifting
B. Obscene
C. Necessary
D. Forgotten

B. Obscene.
He felt these abstract words were “obscene” next to concrete terms like place names and regiment numbers. They lacked meaning.

31. What did the narrator observe about the retreat once it began?

A. It was swift and quiet
B. It was highly disorganized
C. It was orderly, wet, and sullen
D. It was marked by celebrations

C. It was orderly, wet, and sullen.
The large movement of troops, guns, and trucks away from the front was described as being “orderly, wet and sullen.”

32. What group did the narrator see being loaded onto a truck as they passed through Gorizia?

A. Wounded officers
B. Captured Germans
C. Girls from the bawdy house
D. British nurses

C. Girls from the bawdy house.
As they entered Gorizia, they saw the girls from the soldiers’ whorehouse being loaded into a truck to move to Conegliano.

33. Who was Aymo giving a ride to when the narrator found his car stalled?

A. A pair of engineers
B. Two young girls/virgins
C. Joseph Grand
D. A wounded major

B. Two young girls/virgins.
Aymo had two young girls on the seat with him whom he could not understand, described by the narrator as “Real virgins.”

34. What did Bonello kill and why?

A. A German sniper, for revenge
B. An Italian sergeant, because he was an anarchist
C. A cat, for fun
D. A sick horse, out of mercy

B. An Italian sergeant, because he was an anarchist.
Bonello finished off the sergeant the narrator shot because he was an anarchist who had “always wanted to kill a sergeant.”
35. What military vehicle was first spotted by the narrator crossing an upstream bridge?

A. An armored personnel carrier
B. An artillery truck
C. A yellow mud-colored staff car
D. A motorcycle convoy

C. A yellow mud-colored staff car.
After crossing the railway bridge, the narrator spotted a “yellow mud-colored motor car” with men wearing German helmets crossing the upper bridge.

36. What group fatally shot Aymo after the first German sighting?

A. German bicycle troops
B. Italian rear-guard/battle police
C. Austrian snipers
D. German staff officers

B. Italian rear-guard/battle police.
Aymo was shot from the side-road by frightened Italian rear-guard troops (Italians), who mistakenly fired on them after the desertion.

37. What did Bonello choose to do rather than continue the retreat with the others?

A. Find another car
B. Be taken prisoner
C. Try to swim the river
D. Return to Gorizia

B. Be taken prisoner.
Bonello left the narrator and Piani in the barn to become a prisoner, explaining that they did not believe in the war.

38. When the battle police began executing officers, how did the narrator escape?

A. He fought the guards
B. He ducked and jumped into the river
C. He showed his fake papers
D. He hid in a truck

B. He ducked and jumped into the river.
Seeing the officers being summarily shot, the narrator ducked down and ran for the river, jumping in with a splash.

39. Where did the narrator feel his obligation to the army ended?

A. When Aymo died
B. When he was wounded
C. When the carabiniere grabbed his collar
D. When he saw the German car

C. When the carabiniere grabbed his collar.
The narrator felt his “obligation” to the army was completely “washed away in the river,” ceasing when the carabiniere seized his collar.
40. What type of war material was the narrator hiding among on the flat-car heading toward Mestre?

A. Ammunition boxes
B. Trench mortars
C. Guns/artillery
D. Medical supplies

C. Guns/artillery.
The narrator ducked under the canvas covering a low, open car (gondola) and found himself lying on the floor among wrapped guns.

41. When the narrator went to Milan in civilian clothes, what did his friend Simmons offer him?

A. Money for the train
B. His own civilian clothing
C. A place to stay in Rome
D. Help getting a fake passport

B. His own civilian clothing.
Simmons told the narrator not to buy clothes, insisting that he would give him everything he needed from his own closet.

42. Where did the narrator tell the hotel manager in Stresa he was going?

A. Back to the front
B. To Rome to see family
C. To meet his wife
D. To start a new job

C. To meet his wife.
Upon arriving at the Isles Borromées, he told the concierge that he was expecting his wife, Catherine Barkley.

43. When Ferguson saw the couple together in Stresa, what emotion did she display?

A. Jealousy and relief
B. Anger and violent crying
C. Immediate happiness
D. Pity for the narrator

B. Anger and violent crying.
Ferguson was enraged by the pregnancy and the narrator’s desertion, denouncing him as a “dirty sneaking American Italian” and sobbing violently.

44. What poem did the narrator quote in the hotel room that Catherine identified?

A. Othello
B. The Plague
C. Time’s winged chariot hurrying near
D. If winter comes…

C. Time’s winged chariot hurrying near.
The narrator quoted “But at my back I always hear Time’s winged chariot hurrying near,” which Catherine knew was by Marvell.
45. How did the narrator and Catherine travel from Stresa to Switzerland?

A. By train over the mountains
B. They walked across a border post
C. In a rowboat across the lake
D. In a stolen ambulance

C. In a rowboat across the lake.
The barman helped them escape the police by providing his boat to cross Lake Maggiore to Swiss territory.

46. What object did the narrator use to drink icy water during the escape across the lake?

A. A champagne glass
B. The tin pail used for bailing
C. A leather canteen
D. A boot

B. The tin pail used for bailing.
After drinking brandy and feeling thirsty, the narrator asked Catherine for the “bailer” (a tin pail) to drink water.
47. How did the narrator feel upon stepping onto the Swiss quay in Brissago?

A. Terrified of arrest
B. A sense of exhilaration/grand feeling
C. Deep remorse
D. Immediate hunger

B. A sense of exhilaration/grand feeling.
After tying the boat, the narrator felt a “grand feeling” upon stepping onto the wet stone in Switzerland, calling it a “lovely country.”

48. Why were the Swiss custom officials in Locarno polite to the couple?

A. They were Americans
B. The couple had money and valid passports
C. The war was confusing
D. They were sympathetic to desertion

B. The couple had money and valid passports.
The officials were impressed and became less haughty when the couple showed their passports and a good amount of money (lire).

49. Where did the couple live for the final months of Catherine’s pregnancy?

A. Milan, at the hotel
B. Geneva, near the lake
C. A brown wooden house on a mountain near Montreux
D. Locarno, in a rented villa

C. A brown wooden house on a mountain near Montreux.
They lived in a brown wooden house in the pine trees on the side of the mountain near Montreux, experiencing a fine winter.
50. What was the immediate cause of death for Catherine’s baby boy?

A. Infection
B. The cord was wrapped around his neck
C. High fever
D. Difficulty breathing

B. The cord was wrapped around his neck.
The baby boy was stillborn; the nurse explained that the cord was caught around his neck, preventing him from breathing.

Brief Overview

The novel, by Ernest Hemingway, is set during World War I. Frederic Henry, an American, is an ambulance driver in the Italian army. He lives near the front line in Italy.

Henry meets Catherine Barkley, a British nurse. Her fiancé died in the war, and she is mourning. Henry and Catherine begin a relationship in the garden of the British hospital.

Henry is badly wounded by a trench mortar shell while eating. He is sent to a hospital in Milan to recover. Catherine joins him there. While in Milan, they fall deeply in love. Catherine tells Henry she is pregnant.

Henry returns to the front later that fall. The Italian army suffers a massive defeat and retreats. During the chaos, military police execute officers. Henry deserts the army to avoid being shot. He floats down a river to escape.

Henry and Catherine reunite in Stresa. They row across a lake to Switzerland to escape arrest. They live happily in the mountains while waiting for the baby.

In Lausanne, Catherine begins labour. She has been in pain for many hours. The doctor performs a Caesarean operation. The baby boy is stillborn. Catherine suffers haemorrhages and dies. Henry is left alone.

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