One theme that emerges over the course of the novel is that war is a savage, ugly affair that permanently changes those soldiers who survive it. how does this section of the novel work to develop that theme?

by establishing that henry initially views war as wholly noble and soldiers as entirely gallant and heroic, the novel creates a situation in which henry's actual experiences as a soldier in a war will fundamentally change his understanding of it.

by intentionally depicting henry's mother, who lives her life in safety, in such a negative fashion, the novel suggests that those who do not personally experience war often tend to have unrealistic or incorrect conceptions of it.

by showing the internal struggle that henry endures as he decides whether or not to enlist in the army, the novel creates a scenario in which henry is shown to have an instinctive understanding of the dangers of war from the very start.

by focusing primarily on the life of the main character before he enlists to serve in the army, the novel establishes the idea that, even though he does not realize it, henry's experiences on the farm have prepared him for the harsh realities of war.