Ernest Hemingway’s (1899-1961) novel “The Sun Also Rises” (1926) shows how World War I changed men and their ideas about masculinity. Before the war, men were often linked with courage, honor, and strength. But the war destroyed these old ideas. The characters in the novel feel broken and uncertain about what it means to be a man. Hemingway presents a new kind of masculinity that is fragile, wounded, and searching for meaning.

Jake Barnes and the Wound of War: Jake Barnes, the protagonist of the novel, fought in World War I. He suffered a terrible injury during the war that made him impotent (unable to have sex). This physical wound becomes a symbol of his broken masculinity. He cannot have a complete relationship with Lady Brett Ashley, the woman he loves. Jake asks her:

“Couldn't we live together, Brett? Couldn't we just live together?”

Loss of Traditional Masculine Ideals: Before the war, masculinity was often connected with bravery, honor in battle, and physical strength. But these ideas of masculinity became meaningless after the horror of World War I. Heavy machine guns, chemical weapons, and trench warfare left a permanent scar on the sense of masculinity. Men like Jake and his friends do not talk about bravery or patriotism. Instead, they live restless lives. They drink, travel, and try to forget the past. Jake himself admits:

“Under the wine I lost the disgusted feeling and was happy.”

Robert Cohn and the Old Romantic Masculinity: Robert Cohn is different because he did not fight in the war. He still believes in old ideas about love, honor, and romance. He follows Brett around and cannot accept rejection. The others laugh at him and see him as weak. Cohn’s old-fashioned masculinity looks useless to the war generation. This shows how the war changed the very definition of being a man.

Bullfighting as a Symbol of Masculinity: One of the strongest symbols of masculinity in the novel is bullfighting. The bullfighter Pedro Romero represents traditional courage, skill, and pride. He shows a kind of pure masculinity that the others admire but cannot live up to. Jake says,

“Nobody ever lives their life all the way up except bullfighters.”

Masculinity and Restlessness: The men in the novel often show their masculinity through drinking, traveling, and chasing women. They seem tough on the outside. But inside, they are insecure. Their restlessness is a way to hide their weakness. Jake himself knows the truth. So, he tells Cohn:

“You can’t get away from yourself by moving from one place to another.”

To sum up, in this novel, Hemingway shows how World War I destroyed the old ideals of masculinity. Men like Jake Barnes live with wounds that cannot heal, both physical and emotional. Honor, bravery, and romance are replaced with restlessness, drinking, and disappointment. The only true symbol of masculinity is Romero, the bullfighter, but he belongs to a world that Jake and his friends can never return to.