Essay on Hemingway's book: "The Sun Also Rises"

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Published in 1926, The sun also rises is considered as one of Hemingway's best novels. It depicts the circle of American expatriate writers living in Paris in the 20's. Through drinks, rides in Montparnasse, fiestas in Spain, the relationship between Brett and Jake and the remaining characters in the plot contributes to give a tragic side to the story, which is not a bitter satire, or just a shallow story as it may appear to be at first sight. The sun also rises is not a satire, though we could have could good reasons to think that way. Indeed, it is true that characters are grotesque, they characters of the plot even make fun of each other.

Extraits

[...] To conclude, The sun also rises is a tragedy, destinies of the characters will never actually meet. There is no convergence, as we can see through Brett and Jake relationship but also in situation the other characters face. Everyone seems condemned to despair and there is no way they can escape as it once happened in Greek tragedies. The tragic side of the novel reminds us of one of the hallmark of the lost generation Hemingway was part of : a broken generation sacrificed on the altar of World War one, desperately trying to dilute their trauma in alcohol, parties, fun, writing, whatever they're condemned to live in anxiety. [...]

[...] Essay on Hemingway's book, The sun also rises Topic : sun also rises is not shallow or a bitter satire but a tragedy Hemingway. Why do you agree (or do not) ? Published in 1926, The sun also rises is considered as one of Hemingway's best novels. It depicts the circle of American expatriate writers living in Paris in the 20's. Through drinks, rides in Montparnasse, fiestas in Spain, the relationship between Brett and Jake and the remaining characters in the plot contributes to give a tragic side to the story, which is not a bitter satire, or just a shallow story as it can wrongly appear at first sight. [...]

[...] Purity at the price of martyrdom. Since he can't transform his affection for Brett in reality, he does what he can to be with her, which enslaves him. The way he treats Romero is higly symbolic, he doesn't stop telling the others and Brett that the toreador is a damned good-looking boy (p.145), as if he was trying to draw Brett to Romero, as if he wanted her to be happy with Romero, who is being given his blessing. He even arranges the first meeting between Brett and Romero and once they got together, he asks Brett anything you want me to do Brett unfaithfulness is not an obstacle, he's always ready for her and the closing pages of the novel show it perfectly : he takes a train to join Brett in Madrid, after she broke up with Rome and Jake is not even resentful ! [...]

[...] It was certainly not Hemingway's purpose, but the contemporary French reader (especially) can see it this way. What is presented to us is an idle society of wealthy Americans, coming to Europe for cheap (allowed) unlimited alcohol and nice girls. They meet at bars, they smoke cigars, drink champagne (cf p 51 episode with the count). Except for Jake, they don't work, the don't mingle with the locals, they don't speak the language neither, they stay among themselves and drink all the night until next one. [...]

[...] Eventually, their relationship also broke up and, naturally, Brett goes back to Jake. Coming back more precisely to Brett and Jake relationship, the tragedy is ubiquitous, evidence of this is to be found almost on every page. The first element of this tragedy is maybe the fact that there is a lack of balance in the feelings they have for one another : Jake cares more for Brett than she does for him. Jake is in fact obsessed by Brett, subdued to her, even when she's away he keeps thinking of her, as when in Spain, he over slept and could not make it to a fiesta, he still asks Cohn how did Brett like it (p.139). [...]