Characterization in a passage from A Farewell to Arms Anger has been swept away into the river along with every obligation. Although everything stopped when the policeman put his hands on my collar. I wanted to take off my uniform even though I didn't care much about outward appearances. I had removed the stars, but it was for convenience. It wasn't a point of honor. I wasn't against them. I was done. I wished them all the luck. There were the good ones, the brave ones, the calm ones and the sensitive ones, and they deserved it. But it wasn't my show anymore and I wished this damn train would get to Mestre and I could eat and stop thinking. I should stop. (Hemingway 232) This precedent is an excellent example of how one passage in the book can relate many of the feelings demonstrated throughout the entire novel. The events and feelings of this step determine the outcome. Some examples of symbolism are presented clearly, and such symbols can also help the reader better understand the character's situation. The passage also illustrates how the character has evolved and developed since the beginning of the story. The transition is also a big event because it is the first major pivot point that occurs in the entire novel. By carefully analyzing this passage we can make many predictions that Hemingway was foreshadowing regarding the end, with the use of symbols and character development. The two most obvious symbols in the passage are the river and the stars on Frederic's uniform. As in many stories, the river represents a change or a baptism. In this case the river represented Frederick's departure from the war front. On one side of the river he was still an ambulance driver for the Italian army during the First World War; on the other hand, however, he is a civilian in the middle of a war that is now alien to him. The stars also serve as a symbol but represent the same thing that the river does. When he removes them, he is simply saying stop and withdraw from the war.