Ernest Hemingway S The Sun Also Rises

by

Charles Carlini

Ernest Hemingway was born in 1899, in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois. He grew up in a prominent family, with a doctor father and an opera singer mother. His mother was very strict and ensured that the family would live a pristine Protestant lifestyle. One element of Ernest s childhood that would have a profound impact on him as an adult is the fact that his mother dressed him up in girl s clothing. She did this because she was so disappointed over not having twins, and would pair him up with his slightly older sister. Hemingway was a well-rounded student and an active participant in his high school, but English class was where he was really given the opportunity to shine.

Rather than heading off to college, eighteen year old Hemingway instead opted to become a journalist. He did this for awhile, and then decided that he was going to be involved in the military somehow. After failing an examination which disqualified him from active duty, Ernest joined the Red Cross. This did not prevent him from seeing the harsh realities of war, and the images would provide much of the inspiration for some of his most famous novels.

One of these novels about war was The Sun Also Rises, which focuses on the Lost Generation, the nickname given to young people who had been through various aspects of World War I. The characters in the novel are all trying to pick up the pieces after witnessing some of the horrors and the evil side of humanity. Their interactions with one another are plagued by issues of sexuality, racism and strong psychological reactions to their situations. Hemingway liked to explore the depths of human relationships, both abnormal and normal, with a major event serving as the backdrop for the characters to reference. Furthermore, the way in which the characters speak to one another is a technique that Hemingway uses in many of his works. He prefers a more direct tone, rather than offering lengthy sentence structure and reflection. The characters and settings, while symbolic, talk in the way that we would have an every day conversation on the street.

A major theme of this story lies with the main character and narrator of the story, Jake Barnes. The war has left him impotent, and thus unable to pursue a sexual relationship with the main female character, Brett Ashley. Brett, while beautiful, is somewhat masculine in nature, which provides a stark contrast. Hemingway uses a role reversal to play with our thoughts on war. This hero comes back unable to show the ultimate in manhood, which would be making love, while his female counterpart is quite promiscuous and nonchalant about her affairs, as men would stereotypically be.

Another element widely used in The Sun Also Rises is the absence of trust and insecurity. While this is blatant in Brett Ashley s characterization, there is a more subtle trust issue among the men within their friendships. The character of Robert Cohn is the target of much scorn and resentment from the others. On a superficial level, many of the men distrust him because he is Jewish, and this was a time of anti-Semitism, due to the gradual rise of Hitler during the World Wars. But, there is deep-seeded hatred that Jake feels because he feels somewhat stripped of his masculinity by Cohn. Not only does he get the woman that is the object of his desire, but also he has not fought in the war. His romantic notions of war having not suffered tragedy breed hatred toward him.

Sexuality of course is a recurring theme throughout the novel, but its overall destructiveness and corruption of behavior can also be found. The bullfighting is a great symbol used to portray this downfall, because of the way in which it is described. It shows the duality of sex, in that it is seductive and creates a wonderful feeling throughout the body, as the initial charge of the bull does. But, just as there is an extreme brutality in the sport, so is there in a sexual relationship. When sex is frivolous, it is inevitably on the path toward destruction.

It was not uncommon for Hemingway to insert several personal elements in his writing. Heavy drinking occurs throughout The Sun Also Rises as a catalyst, it seems, for the honesty of the characters. Perhaps this was an early attempt for Hemingway to bleed his demons out onto the page, because he had suffered from alcoholism for a good portion of his life. To what extent this novel is autobiographical is not known, but it is a safe assumption that he did inject a part of his personality into the characters and plot.

Ernest Hemingway s writings are still discussed today, because of the complexity and symbolism of the characters and events. Combining historical facts with straightforward dialogue, The Sun Also Rises provides insight into the futility of war and the repercussions for a young generation who have seen immense tragedy.

Charles Carlini is the founder of www.SimplyCharly.com, an educational suite of websites for students and teachers that brings to life, in a compelling and engaging manner, some of the world’s most prominent historical figures.

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Ernest Hemingway s The Sun Also Rises