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The Sun Also Rises Modernism Analysis

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During the early twentieth century, the philosophical and artistic movement of Modernism permeated the world of literature. Thusly, Modernism, as a philosophy, is defined through the loss of traditional values and meaning in life; men, women and all people are isolated and alone, unable to fully communicate through language. Modernist writers portray the world as a harsh and unjust place in which their characters struggle alone with unrealistic and futile dreams. With this in mind, The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway is a novel that details the story of Jacob Barnes and his circle of friends. Most of the friends, including Jake, are World War I veterans who have been harshly afflicted by their experiences in the war and heavily indulge …show more content…

Jake tries to be a good Catholic; he goes to the Cathedral and he prays in a very scattered way, first for his friends, then bullfighters, then money, and then his mind wanders onto other subjects. Jake tries to be a good Catholic by praying and attempting to be spiritual, but much like his own spirituality, his prayer is choppy. He does not usually go to church nor does he usually pray. Jake does not feel religious, and this is what he deduces makes him such a “rotten Catholic.” He regrets this notion and this is a symptom of a much larger problem for Jake: he craves authenticity and spirituality and innocence, but he has been corrupted by the great war. It took not only his fertility but also his spiritual potency. Further proof of his desire for spiritual authenticity and purity is when he sees Pedro Romero, the young, talented, and captivating young Spanish bullfighter, in a bullfight. Jake

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