Essay about The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

“Oh, Jake, we could have had such a damned good time together.’ ‘Yes, Isn’t it pretty to think so?”. Their final discussion is right where they started in the back of a cab. Brett has just dug a hole even deeper into the abyss of disappointment that Brett has already given him. Jake has lost his masculinity in more ways than one. He has to live without Brett, and with his disability, denying him any chance at all with women. He has finally accepted the loveless relationship that has become of them, and will push forward knowing how it will never be.

          The most prevalent theme in this story is loneliness. Jake is obviously lonely, so much so that he stoops to such pathetic lines as, "I'm kinda hoping so, just so it takes a little more time and we can talk some. Or else you can give me your phone number now and I won't have to lay my regular b.s. on you to get it later." His loneliness also shows when Gilb describes how, "her hand felt so warm and soft he felt like he'd been kissed." Jake seems to crave the human intimacy of love, and yet all he does is flirt with a woman whom he does not even care for enough to be truthful to. This is also situational irony. Corresponding with this theme of loneliness is the concept that everyone is looking for love. This need is very evident in Jake and is also displayed in Mariana. No intelligent female would even relent a little in the face of such an apparent swindler as Jake. However, Mariana must be a little flattered and lonely because she smiles at his attentions and even makes small talk with him.

Jake is consciously aware that there is a problem, which is more than can be said about his friends. Perhaps the people that surround Jake are the issue, though. His close friends and the people whom he travels with include Lady Brett Ashley, Robert Cohn, Bill, and Mike. Brett, the target of Jake’s unrequited affections, is likely someone whom he should stop spending time with; however, it seems that he just can’t get away from her. She is a very strong and independent woman who isn’t known to behave in a traditionally feminine way. Jakes does remark that although she is very independent, “She can’t go anywhere alone.” Robert Cohn is a Jewish, wealthy expatriate; but unlike many of his friends, did not spend any time in the war. Cohn also falls head over heels in love with Brett, who soon rejects his affections as well. As a wealthy, Jewish, non war veteran Cohn stands out in the group and his fumbling attempts to court Brett are the source of much mockery and leads to many fights. Bill is also an American veteran who seems to be always drinking. He tends to use humor to try and deal with the emotional scars of war; however, is not immune to the immaturity and cruelty sometimes characterized by Jake and his friends. Finally, Mike is a very heavy drinking Scottish war veteran who is completely bankrupt. He is seen to have a terrible temper, which most often displays while he is drunk. Mike is also not comfortable with the

Often times, violence is prevalent in literature. It is captivating, it enhances the plot, and it creates feelings of suspense and tension within the reader. However, in well-crafted works of literature, scenes of violence serve an even greater purpose. Violence is frequently used in order to contribute to the meaning of the complete work, and Ernest Hemingway utilizes violence in order to highlight the meaning in The Sun Also Rises. In the novel, Robert Cohn verbally attacks protagonist Jake Barnes and his friend Mike Campbell after questions arise pertaining to the whereabouts of widely-coveted Lady Brett Ashley. Jake then strikes Cohn, and a fistfight between the three men ensues. Hemingway utilizes the violence between the men in order

By pushing men away, Brett is really displaying codependent behavior. She acts like she does not need the men to fulfill her emotions, but without men competing for her, her life is empty. Not only does she lean on Jake for emotional fulfillment, but she counts on men obsessing over her. She acts as if she would be alright if no men exclaimed their love for her, but she in fact thrives on it. Her fuel to live is turning men down, and she depends on that behavior to get by in her already empty life.

This quotation means that Jake got hurt in the war and the implication of this quote is that because of the injury that Jake suffered during the war, he is unable to have sexual relationships with females. This evokes my sympathy for Jake because he is such a nice and stand up guy, but he is unable to be

The value of monetary exchange extends to his relationships, particularly with Brett: “I had been getting something for nothing. That only delayed the presentation of the bill. The bill always came. That was one of the swell things you could count on” (Hemingway, 152). In this instance, Jake is referencing that his friendship with Brett, has given him the benefits of having as much of a romantic relationship as he can, which makes him feel he has cheated Brett of deserving payment. This explains why Jake supports Brett’s sexual promiscuity, as other men are capable of giving her what he cannot, sexually.

Throughout the novel the reader quickly learns of the love that Jake has for Brett. Jake is struggling personally with his manhood due to an injury

Jake is shown strolling down the road toward the house where he has been living with his friend Finn, and his girlfriend, Madge. Finn tells Jake that Madge has told them to leave her home. Jake and Finn are to pack their possessions and move that very day. Finn is debilitated, and Jake is a bit put-off by the sudden difference in Madge’s attitude, yet he isn't entirely stunned. He realizes that Madge desired marriage. Jake had even considered it at a certain point,

Hemingway chooses to quote the book of Ecclesiastes within the Bible, “‘One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; but the earth abideth forever… The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to the place where he arose… All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the  rivers come, thither they return again’” (Hemingway, 1926)(Page 7). The title of the novel originates from this quotation, and thus the main idea of this book is found as well. The values and beliefs of one generation may be applicable and acceptable at one moment in time, but values and ideas do not stand the test of time. Hemingway ponders this idea directly through Jake, “The world was a good place to buy in. It seemed like a fine  philosophy. In five years, I thought, it will seem just as silly as all the other fine philosophies I’ve had” (Hemingway, 1926)(Page 1367). Hemingway is able to show that philosophies, ideas, and values change with time, and that although they were appropriate at one moment, they can be disadvantageous at the

Because of this injury, Jake cannot be with the woman he loves- and this plot line serves as a catalyst for the larger and far more important theme about the American Dream - and chasing everything desired, but never truly being able to achieve these dreams to satiation.

   The imagery of bulls and steers pervades Hemmingway's novel, The Sun Also Rises. Bullfighting is a major plot concern and is very important to the characters. The narrator physically resembles a steer due to the nature of his injury. Mike identifies Cohn as a steer in conversation because of his inability to control Brett sexually. Brett falls for a bullfighter, who is a symbol of virility and passion. However, there is a deeper level to the bull-steer dichotomy than their respective sexual traits. The imagery associated with bulls and steers is more illustrative than their possession or lack of testicles. In their roles and in the images associated with them, bulls are glorious,

Jake is not a wealthy man; however, his ego gets the better of him. Time and again, he keeps a tight check of his bank account balance. But when Brett starts hanging out with Count Mippipopolous, Jake is not averse to offering up his money when they all go out together. Money takes a back seat to Jake's ego. Once, Brett sends the Count out for champagne so that she could be alone with Jake. Whereupon she talks to him about her fiancé, Michael and this shoots down Jake's already bruised ego to its lowest. However, For Jake, just to be with Brett is pure happiness. He is so blinded with love for her that he doesn't even flinch when she does

Jake also at times seems to realize how bad his life is, but then never regrets it. He is in love with Brett Ashley, but she is always with other people, including Robert Cohn, which makes Jake jealous. This jealousy turns to anger when Jake gets into a fight with Robert and is then knocked out.

Jake Barnes is a journalist who lives in Paris, Barnes is in love with Brett Ashley but can never have a relationship with her because the war has left him impotent. Lady Ashley has control over Barnes, and he is willing to do anything for her. The reason Lady Ashley keeps Barnes along is because he is no threat to her. Brett knows Jake is too emotionally attached to leave her, but he cannot be intimate, therefore Jake could not hurt her. Robert Cohn is a Jewish man who Jake dislikes, Cohn never witnessed the war and believes in romance and codes. Jake is stuck in the same routine in Paris in which Brett uses him emotionally, and Cohn annoys him. Barnes takes a yearly trip to Pamplona to watch the Running