Title, Author and Publication
The Sun Also Rises was written by Ernest Hemingway. Published by Charles Scribner & Sons of New York, it first appeared in 1926.Setting
Hemingway's classic novel, The Sun Also Rises is set in the Europe of the 1920s. The story takes place in Paris' fashionable Left Bank and in Pamplona and Madrid, Spain. The era in which the novel is set is one of expatriate artists and decadent living. Contemporary to F. Scott Fitzgerald's Great Gatsby, Hemingway deals with many of the same themes arising for this generation.Characters
Jake Barnes: the narrator and protagonist of the novel. Jake is a WWI veteran who has been rendered impotent by a war injury. He is gravely disillusioned and seeks to redefine himself through the drinking and debauchery of the expatriate experience.Lady Brett Ashley: a wealthy, promiscuous and seemingly independent woman. Brett is the love interest of most of the male characters in the novel. She is representative of the post war's "lost generation"; through indulgence and decadence she seeks but does not find authentic connections with the men who love her.
Robert Cohn: a Jewish American expatriate who falls obsessively in love with Brett. Cohn is the object of much scorn from the other male characters in the novel as much for his lack of war experience as for his religion.
Plot
The Sun Also Rises follows Jake Barnes and his compatriots as they travel from Paris to Pamplona to Madrid. Their journey acts as an allegory for their personal quests to rediscover themselves in the aftermath of WWI. Each of the characters seeks a means to happiness through drinking and sensory fulfillment, but each of them finds that path to be filled with violence and cynicism.Questions to Ponder
Consider the following questions as you read.1. Examine the development of character through the novel.
- How does Jake's emasculating injury affect his relationships?
- Is Brett really an independent woman? Why or why not?
- How does the bullfighter Pedro Romero act as a foil to Jake?
- Who or what is the antagonist in this story?
2. Examine the idea of the "Lost Generation".
- In what ways are the characters of the novel directionless?
- What criticisms of society are present in Hemingway's writing?
- How does Hemingway use sexual promiscuity to explore this theme?
3. Consider the structure of the novel.
- How does Hemingway's prose style contribute to the emotional level of the story?
- What significance does the title have to the theme or themes of the novel?
Possible First Sentences
The following prompts might help you get started on your own paper.
- Jake Barnes is the epitome of Gertrude Stein's "Lost Generation".
- The ravages of war extend far beyond a declaration of peace.
- What is masculinity?
