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Definition of Idiom
An idiom is a phrase that conveys a figurative meaning that is difficult or impossible to understand based solely on a literal interpretation of the words in the phrase. For... read full definition
An idiom is a phrase that conveys a figurative meaning that is difficult or impossible to understand based solely on a literal interpretation of the... read full definition
An idiom is a phrase that conveys a figurative meaning that is difficult or impossible to understand based solely on... read full definition
Chapter 1
Explanation and Analysis—Time to Kill:
In Chapter 19, during Henry's convalescence, he finds himself wanting to spend time only with Catherine. Who he spends his other time with or what he does is unimportant to him, per this idiom:
I did not roam around the town; but wanted to get home to the hospital from the café. All I wanted was to see Catherine. The rest of the time I was glad to kill.
This device works particularly well because its idiomatic use of the word "kills" matches the gruesomeness of the war and the constant presence of death in the novel. The manner in which the word "kill" is stated so casually also matches the tone of Henry's detachment in Chapter 1:
At the start of the winter came the permanent rain and with the rain came the cholera. But it was checked and in the end only seven thousand died of it in the army.
As the war progresses, Henry becomes increasingly numb to the pain of loss and the stench of death. Even after Catherine dies, Henry remains emotionally numb. He simply walks back to his hotel as if he had not just lost the love of his life and newborn child.
The idiom also crudely foreshadows Catherine’s tragic death. Nevertheless, it is ironic that while all Henry wants is Catherine, he ultimately loses her to childbirth. In the end, he has nothing but time to kill.
Related Themes:
Chapter 19
Explanation and Analysis—Time to Kill:
In Chapter 19, during Henry's convalescence, he finds himself wanting to spend time only with Catherine. Who he spends his other time with or what he does is unimportant to him, per this idiom:
I did not roam around the town; but wanted to get home to the hospital from the café. All I wanted was to see Catherine. The rest of the time I was glad to kill.
This device works particularly well because its idiomatic use of the word "kills" matches the gruesomeness of the war and the constant presence of death in the novel. The manner in which the word "kill" is stated so casually also matches the tone of Henry's detachment in Chapter 1:
At the start of the winter came the permanent rain and with the rain came the cholera. But it was checked and in the end only seven thousand died of it in the army.
As the war progresses, Henry becomes increasingly numb to the pain of loss and the stench of death. Even after Catherine dies, Henry remains emotionally numb. He simply walks back to his hotel as if he had not just lost the love of his life and newborn child.
The idiom also crudely foreshadows Catherine’s tragic death. Nevertheless, it is ironic that while all Henry wants is Catherine, he ultimately loses her to childbirth. In the end, he has nothing but time to kill.
Related Themes:
