Sun Also Rises
Are there any Morals anymore?
The Sun Also Rises is a brilliant book written by Ernest Hemingway that illustrates the decadence during the 1920's. Throughout the book Hemingway expresses at the time an illegal habit in America, alcoholic drinking. He also displays the beginning of open sexual-physical contact, flirting with more than one person, and having more than one sexual partner. Hemingway's characters shows criticize in their work habits. Throughout the book Hemingway displays many examples of the modern world in the 1920's, and the decrease in American moral standards.
The First character that is introduced into the novel is Robert Cohn. He, as an outsider, is Jewish. Throughout the novel he is looked down upon in one way or another, but already he is separated from the rest which is shown when he is being described: "He had a hard, Jewish, stubborn streak" (p 18). Even thought he is discriminated against, he is one of the very few that inform his friends exactly how worthless they are when he says to Jake "You know what's the trouble with you? You're an expatriate. One of the worst types... Nobody that ever left their own country ever wrote anything worth printing. Not even in the newspapers" (p 120) as well as he says "Hello, you bums" (p50). He really rubs into Jake's face what kind of a loser he has become since he left his country. Surprisingly the one who is really disliked and discriminated against; is the one that sees the worthless characteristics of the all the others.
Jake remembers from the war that "There was much wine, an ignored tension, and a feeling of things coming that you could not prevent happening. Under the wine I lost the disgusted feeling and was happy. It seemed they were all such nice people" (p 150). This shows how alcohol helped the now veterans escape reality, which is a habit that follows them even after the war. It lets them, for a little while; forget who they really are and all their troubles....
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