In the Beginning...

Before the story begins, Hemingway starts his readers out with some "food for thought." The epigraphs posed at the beginning provide hints at the themes and messages found throughout The Sun Also Rises. Even though Hemingway quotes one Gertrude Stein saying, "You are all a lost generation," for some reason I don't think Hemingway is bothered by this. Hemingway spent his prime years in the 1920's. In his mind, his generation wasn't lost, but rather enjoyed the constant drinking along with no set lover which led to a carefree kind of life. The next quote is from the bible, which I found particularly interesting considering the subtle dissing Hemingway seemed to resort to. It starts, "One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh..." and one gets the feel that it's just a constant cycle. No two generations are the same: take the '70's Hippie days and compare it to the proper manner of the '40's. Today's music, fashion, and sayings differs almost comically at the opposite end of what was popular 100 years ago. Hemingway poses two different questions for me despite all this: Did he use this novel to point out the things he was disappointed in? How can a generation really be lost?

"The sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down...." Hemingway seems to use this theme that the world doesn't stop. In research I've done, I find an overwhelming amount of struggles faced in Hemingways life from war to drinking problems. He seemed to choose the brighter part of the previous quote for the title of his novel, perhaps in hope that he would be able to see the up-side of things instead of the sun going down to darkness so to speak. By saying the sun ALSO rises, he's indicating that there is another side other than darkness in life.

And How!

Just like the fashion of a decade, phrases develop and change. The diction in The Sun Also Rises reveals the time period's dialect and the slang words used at the time. On page 107, Bill reports that he "has some darbs." Darbs can be referred to as money or even clothing, though in this case it seems as if Bill is referring to 'darb' as a type of person, possibly a Jewish man. Also throughout the story, the word 'tight' is used to described those who have had too much to drink. Bill says Jake and himself will "get tight now at lunch on the wine of the country" on page 108, and he goes on to add that they will then take a "swell bus ride." When people use the word 'tight' today it means 'cool' or 'awesome'. The word 'swell' equates with 'fantastic' or 'wonderful.' The language of the 20's was more proper than that of today, but the slang terms exist no matter the decade or area of the country.

Talking to Yourself?

I thouroughly enjoyed Jake Barnes' inner discussions with himself throughout the story. They subtly revealed the not-so-nice-nature of Jake and his willingness to harbor feelings, especially when it came to Brett. The first person account of the novel made it easy to dig deeper into Jake's character since we can literally read his thoughts. One of my favorite inner conversations Jake has with himself appears on page 105 of The Sun Also Rises. He feels "the impulse to devil [Cohn]" as jealousy of Cohn and Lady Ashley's relationship get the best of Jake. He goes back and forth with himself talking about the reasons he hates Cohn, especially because he acted "superior at lunch" that day. Jake decides to stash the telegram from Brett and hide the news from Cohn. This part of the story reveals the human weakness of jealousy in all of us. When it comes to those we love, it is easy to find competition threatening to our relationships. Although Jake can't be with Brett, he tries to protect their complicated love in all ways possible.

Power of Prayer

With all the references to the Catholic Church, Hemingway is trying to get a point across. For the most part, he thinks some people who call themselves "Catholic" are jokes. As it is constantly discussed, dislike of the church is a common theme throughout the novel. The character Jake is one of those people who calls himself Catholic, but when it comes down to it, he can't "walk the walk." The first night in Spain, Jake finds himself in a cathedral where he begins to pray for everyone he thought of. The syntax changes during his prayer; the sentence drags on as Jake's thoughts shift from topic to topic, seemingly unable to stay in prayer. The length of the sentence enables readers to see the guilt Jake feels for his inability to pray and being "a rotten Catholic." Along with guilt, Jake is feeling sleepy, so his thoughts seem endless and random. He's shameful that he doesn't feel religious when he prays (pgs. 102-103). On page 129, Bill asks Jake if he's really Catholic, as if the answer will effect their friendship. Jake response is simple, but speaks volume: "Technically." How many people today would come up with the same answer!? I believe Hemingway is incorporating his feelings into Jake's character: although we may call ourselves Catholic, it is often difficult to live out that lifestyle in the world and customs that surround us.

Catholic References

Throughout The Sun Also Rises, Hemingway incorporates many references to the Catholic Church and seems less than pleased with the way the Church takes a stance on issues. The protagonist, Jake Barnes, happens to be Catholic. For instance, Jake Barnes says the Church's advice to dealing with unwanted people is "to hell with them" (pg. 39). Of course, this is not the Catholic Church's response, but it seems to be what Barnes has taken away from it even though he knows it's impossible to think carelessly about people one's angry with. Also, the tension between Protestants and Catholics of the 1920's is displayed on the train to Spain. I'm semi-unclear as to the exchange between Jake, Bill, and the priest on page 93, but this is what I took from it: Catholics got special treatment for dinner on the train, and when Bill asks the Priest when the Protestants got to eat, the priest says "haven't you got tickets?" This aggravates Bill enough that he responds, so the priest can hear, "It's enough to make a man join the Klan." Bill is alluding to the Ku Klux Klan, particularly to point out the hate for Catholics since the Klan is known for its despising of Catholics. Religious tensions, no matter where in the world, still exist. It seems humanly impossible for people to overcome differences of religion.

Just Drink Up, Bill!

Jake Barnes puts off every emotion and feeling he might have by consuming alcohol. Along with the men that make up his circle of friends, Jake is a WWI veteran which may play a role in his heavy drinking. He writes all problems off by offering a drink to someone. I turned three pages at most without Jake having some sort of liquor in his hand! Bill Gorton is a friend of Jake's and a war veteran as well whom Jake describes as "very happy" because he had a lot of money from his last book; to me this showed clearly the money-dependent lifestyle which people took on in the 1920's. I found it especially ironic how on page 76, Bill is describing his trip in Vienna and how it was not good because he was drunk all the while. Jake, who obviously cares little about what the man is saying, replies with an oblivious answer of "that's strange. Better have a drink" even though Bill has just said the drinking is what made his trip miserable!

What's in a Name?

I couldn't help but notice one of the earlier characters name and what it might signify. Hemingway didn't simply conjure up the name "Count Mippipopolous." No, I believe the name played a part in the characterization of the so-called count. He was described as a big man; likely so considering he "owns a chain of sweet shops in the States" (pg 40). His big, goofy name enables readers to understand more the silliness of his manner and speech. I can picture his walrus-like face calling Brett "dear" and talking about how having a title can cost one money (64) as the elk tooth which hangs around his necks dangles in the air. Just picture the guy! He resembles very nicely a Mippipopolous. His name also provokes the grandeur of his character compared to Jake and the friends he hangs around with because the Count is more proper in a sense that he does not jealously handle Brett; rather, he acts in a mature, sophisticated way.