As an avid Shakespeare critic, when I first saw the Othello mention, I was delighted. But then Frederic Henry had to ruin it like he ruins almost everything else.

Regardless, I find it fascinating how deeply Frederic takes offense at Catherine comparing him to Othello, even though many of his traits align with the character. Beyond the negative racial stereotypes Othello embodies, he is primarily defined by his jealousy. In this section of the novel, it seems fair to suggest that Frederic is envious of Catherine’s active lifestyle and the sense of purpose in her daily routine. She engages meaningfully with her work—has some kind of direction that Frederic has been searching for since the beginning, particularly as an American man with no direct ties to the Italian army. This could also connect to Frederic’s isolation after abandoning the Italian army, much like Othello’s social isolation as a “Moor” in Venice. And while I hesitate to equate the experiences of a white man with a black man, Frederic’s reaction nonetheless highlights the racial connotations at play: at a moment of personal low, Catherine associates him with a black man, reinforcing an existing racial hierarchy. It is subtle, and perhaps not something Hemingway intended, but it remains a valid critique: Ernest Hemingway’s work cannot be exempt from criticism regarding his ignorant attitudes toward race, which contribute to the broader association of non-whiteness with inferiority. Even if Catherine’s intention was merely to reference Frederic’s desertion, his offended response reveals how deeply race and insecurity intertwine in this scene, and Catherine’s own statement could easily be tied to stereotypes around non-whiteness and instability.