The Sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway

Summary

The Sun Also Rises tells the story of Jake Barnes, an American expatriate journalist living in Paris in the 1920s. A World War I injury has left him impotent, which profoundly affects his relationships, particularly with the magnetic and promiscuous English socialite, Lady Brett Ashley. The novel follows Jake and his circle of friends, including the insecure American writer Robert Cohn, the jovial Bill Gorton, and Brett's fiancé, Mike Campbell, a perpetually bankrupt Scot. Disillusioned and heavy-drinking, the group travels from the cafés and nightclubs of Paris to the vibrant, traditional San Fermín festival in Pamplona, Spain. As they immerse themselves in the bullfighting and revelry, romantic tensions escalate, primarily driven by Brett's allure, Cohn's persistent infatuation, and the arrival of a young, talented bullfighter, Pedro Romero, who captures Brett's heart. The novel explores themes of lost generation disillusionment, unattainable love, damaged masculinity, and the search for meaning in a post-war world marked by hedonism and emotional emptiness.

Book Sections

Section 1 (Book I: Chapters 1-7)

The novel opens in Paris, introducing Jake Barnes, an American expatriate journalist. Jake's life is presented as a series of social engagements in cafés, bars, and clubs, where he frequently interacts with other expatriates. It's quickly revealed that Jake sustained a debilitating injury in World War I, rendering him impotent. This injury is a constant source of quiet anguish for him, especially in his deep, unrequited love for Lady Brett Ashley. Brett, a beautiful, free-spirited, and promiscuous English socialite, is also drawn to Jake, but their physical limitation prevents their relationship from progressing beyond intense emotional connection and platonic affection.

The narrative introduces Robert Cohn, a wealthy American writer and former Princeton boxing champion. Cohn is naive and insecure, often feeling out of place among the more cynical expatriates. He is deeply infatuated with Brett, having had a brief affair with her, and his persistent pursuit of her becomes a source of tension among the group. Brett, meanwhile, is engaged to Mike Campbell, a charming but perpetually drunk and bankrupt Scottish war veteran. The characters frequently drink, socialize, and discuss their complicated relationships. Jake observes the dynamics, often reflecting on his own pain and the superficiality of their lives, while subtly managing Cohn's jealousy and Brett's capricious affections. The Count Mippipopolous, a wealthy and philosophical Greek, is also introduced, offering a contrasting perspective on life's pleasures and challenges.

Character	Characteristics	Motivations
Jake Barnes	American expatriate journalist, WWI veteran, impotent, deeply in love with Brett, observant, stoic, often melancholy.	To find connection and meaning despite his physical and emotional wounds; to cope with his unrequited love for Brett; to live authentically.
Robert Cohn	American writer, former Princeton boxer, insecure, naive, persistent, Jewish, often socially awkward.	To escape his past and perceived failures; to prove himself as a man and a writer; to find true love and acceptance, particularly with Brett; to experience life fully.
Lady Brett Ashley	English socialite, beautiful, independent, promiscuous, alluring, charming, but also self-destructive and restless.	To seek pleasure and distraction; to escape commitment and emotional pain; to find fulfillment, though often through destructive relationships; to feel loved despite her own emotional unavailability.
Count Mippipopolous	Wealthy Greek, hedonistic, philosophical, resilient, claims to have been through four wars and two revolutions.	To enjoy life's pleasures; to observe and understand human nature; to live by his own sophisticated code of detachment and acceptance.

Section 2 (Book II: Chapters 8-16)

Jake leaves Paris for a fishing trip in Burguete, Spain, with his American friend Bill Gorton, a jovial and witty writer. Their time together is peaceful and restorative, filled with camaraderie, fishing, heavy drinking, and philosophical discussions about life, masculinity, and the "lost generation." They discuss Cohn's obsessive behavior and Brett's complex nature, with Bill offering a pragmatic, if cynical, view.

Meanwhile, Brett arrives in San Sebastián with Mike Campbell. The entire group eventually converges in Pamplona for the annual fiesta of San Fermín, renowned for its running of the bulls and daily bullfights. The atmosphere in Pamplona is electric, a stark contrast to the melancholy of Paris. The friends join the festivities, drinking heavily and observing the local traditions.

The presence of the entire group in Pamplona, combined with the intoxicating atmosphere, intensifies the existing tensions. Cohn's jealousy grows more pronounced as he watches Brett openly flirt and dance with other men, especially after Mike Campbell's arrival. Mike, frequently drunk, becomes increasingly resentful of Cohn's past affair with Brett and makes disparaging remarks, exacerbating Cohn's feelings of alienation.

A pivotal character, Pedro Romero, a young, exceptionally talented, and noble bullfighter, is introduced. Brett is immediately and powerfully attracted to Romero's grace, courage, and authenticity, seeing in him a purity that is absent from her own life and that of her circle. Her infatuation with Romero further isolates Cohn, who eventually confronts Jake, hitting him for seemingly facilitating Brett's relationship with the bullfighter. Cohn also physically assaults Mike and even Romero, driven by desperation and humiliation. His actions further alienate him from the group, which largely sides against him, viewing him as a disruptive and unwelcome presence. Brett begins an affair with Romero, much to the chagrin of Mike and the quiet despair of Jake.

Character	Characteristics	Motivations
Bill Gorton	American writer, Jake's good friend, jovial, witty, heavy drinker, insightful, a voice of reason (or at least grounded cynicism).	To enjoy life, friendship, and good times; to escape the anxieties of his own life; to observe and comment on the human condition.
Mike Campbell	Scottish war veteran, Brett's fiancé, charming but broke, alcoholic, prone to jealousy and making cruel remarks when drunk.	To be with Brett; to maintain his social status despite financial ruin; to escape his debts and responsibilities through alcohol; to assert his masculinity.
Pedro Romero	Young, extremely talented, courageous, and honorable bullfighter, embodying a sense of traditional purity and artistry.	To perform his art with integrity and courage; to uphold the dignity of bullfighting; to live authentically and passionately; to pursue his desire for Brett.

Section 3 (Book III: Chapters 17-19)

The fiesta concludes, and the group's relationships are in disarray. Brett, having left Mike, goes off with Pedro Romero. The remaining characters disperse from Pamplona: Jake, Bill, and Mike stay together briefly, reflecting on the events, their shattered friendships, and their feelings of disillusionment. Mike, in particular, is left devastated by Brett's departure and his financial woes. Bill, ever the observer, offers a pragmatic perspective on the futility of their pursuits.

Jake travels to San Sebastián, attempting to find some peace through swimming and solitary reflection. His solitude is interrupted by a telegram from Brett, who is in Madrid. She asks him to come to her, stating she's "in trouble." Jake immediately goes to Madrid, finding Brett distraught. She has sent Romero away, recognizing that her lifestyle and influence would ruin his promising career and inherent purity. She explains that she didn't want to be "one of those bitches that ruins children."

Their final scene takes place in a taxi in Madrid. Brett expresses her yearning for a conventional life with Jake, wishing they could be together and have a normal relationship. Jake, acutely aware of his impotence, responds, "Isn't it pretty to think so?" This poignant line encapsulates the impossibility of their love and the persistent gap between their desires and the harsh realities of their lives. The novel ends with Jake and Brett still deeply connected but ultimately separated by their unchangeable circumstances, left with the lingering sense of a beautiful but unattainable dream.

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Literary Genre: Modernist novel, Lost Generation literature, Roman à clef, Psychological fiction, Bildungsroman (in a non-traditional sense, showing a character's attempt at growth despite stasis).

Author Facts:

• Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist.
• He is renowned for his concise, minimalist prose style, known as the "iceberg theory," where much of the story's meaning is implied rather than explicitly stated.
• Hemingway served in World War I as an ambulance driver, where he was severely wounded, an experience that deeply influenced his writing and portrayal of disillusioned characters.
• He lived as an expatriate in Paris during the 1920s, becoming a central figure in the "Lost Generation" literary circle.
• His adventurous life included big-game hunting, deep-sea fishing, and bullfighting, which frequently provided settings and themes for his works.
• Hemingway won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1953 for The Old Man and the Sea and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954.

Moral: The Sun Also Rises does not offer a straightforward moral but rather explores the consequences of disillusionment and the search for meaning in a post-World War I world. It suggests that individuals, scarred by trauma and societal changes, often struggle to find authentic connection and purpose. The novel portrays a generation struggling with emotional emptiness, excessive drinking, and destructive relationships, highlighting the difficulty of living honorably and finding redemption when deeply wounded. It posits that while traditional values like courage and integrity (embodied by Romero) still exist, they are often out of reach for those who are "lost" and caught in cycles of self-destruction and unfulfilled longing.

Curiosities:

• Autobiographical Nature: The novel is famously a roman à clef, meaning many characters are thinly veiled representations of people from Hemingway's own life. Jake Barnes is largely based on Hemingway himself, Lady Brett Ashley on Lady Duff Twysden, Robert Cohn on Harold Loeb, and Bill Gorton on Bill Smith. The events mirror Hemingway's actual trip to the San Fermín festival in Pamplona in 1925 with his friends.
• "Lost Generation" Epigraph: The novel features an epigraph from Gertrude Stein: "You are all a lost generation." This phrase, which became synonymous with the post-WWI era of disillusioned expatriates, was popularized by Hemingway's use of it, giving a name to the spiritual emptiness many felt.
• Censorship: Due to its frank depiction of sex, promiscuity, and heavy alcohol consumption, the novel faced some censorship, particularly in early editions and translations.
• Title Origin: The title is derived from the biblical book of Ecclesiastes (1:5): "The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose." This evokes a sense of cyclical time, endurance, and the unchanging nature of the world despite human suffering and striving, offering a stoic counterpoint to the characters' "lost" state.
• Impact on Modernism: The Sun Also Rises is considered a groundbreaking work of modernist literature, celebrated for its spare, direct prose style and its exploration of existential themes, significantly influencing subsequent American fiction.