The Sun Also Rises Hemingways Ideal Man
Of the segments of American society scarred by the anguish of the First World War, the damage was most severe amongst the younger generation of that time. Youthful and impressionable, these people were immersed headlong into the furious medley of death and devastation. By the time the war had ended, many found that they could no longer accept what now seemed to be pretentious and contradictory moral standards of nations that could be capable of such atrocities. Some were able to brush off the pain and confusion enough to get on with their lives. Others simply found themselves incapable of existing under their country's thin facade of virtuousness and went abroad, searching for some sense of identity or meaning. These self-exiled expatriates were popularly known as the "Lost Generation" a term credited to Gertrude Stein, who once told Hemingway: "That's what you all are. All you young people who served in the war. You are a lost generation... You have no respect for anything. You drink yourself to death."1 Many of these individuals tended to settle in Paris, a suitable conduit through which to pursue their new lifestyle. Content to drift through life, desperat
As is consistent with the realistically human portrayal of Jake's character, his role as a heroic figure is stifled somewhat by the constraints of society. Rather than exhibiting gallant feats of bravery consistent with the romantic definition of a hero, Jake's valiance is displayed in a subtler, less tangible manner. By displaying the virtues of tolerance, honesty, patience and understanding, Jake proves himself to be as much of an heroic figure as can reasonably be expected in the real world under conventional circumstances. Jake's maturity and understanding of the limitations of modern society is shown particularly in his remark that: "Nobody ever lives their life all the way up except bull-fighters." (18) "Sit down," I said. "Don't be a fool." "Listen, Jake," he said, "are you really a Catholic?"
Some common words found in the essay are:
Pedro Romero, Brett Jake, Hemingway That's, Stick We're, Holy Grail, Minotaur Romero, World War, Romero Unlike, Jake Barnes, Cohn Romero, pedro romero, lost generation, sun rises, robert cohn, cohn romero, heroic figure, especially brett's, jake barnes, failure live, sorely lacking,
Approximate Word count = 1740
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
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