Learning or Not Learning to Overcome Trauma: Jane Eyre and A Farewell to Arms

In the novels Jane Eyre and A Farewell to Arms, Charlotte Brontë and Ernest Hemingway both display characters that have experienced devastating trauma. In both novels, female characters demonstrate strength and mental support that their male counterparts are unable to reciprocate because they cannot move on from their past. Jane learns that letting go of past trauma will lead to her growth and success in life, which ultimately influences Mr. Rochester to be like Jane, and the novel ends with them happy and mentally healthier. On the other hand, Henry can’t let go of his past traumas and leans heavily on Catherine for security, but when she dies in childbirth, he is left isolated and traumatized