Discuss the Impact of World War I on the Lives of the Characters in “The Sun Also Rises.”
PremiumDiscuss the impact of World War I on the lives of the characters in “The Sun Also Rises.” [NU: 2018, 20] ★★★
“The Sun Also Rises” (1926) by Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961) shows how World War I (1914-18) changed people’s lives deeply. The characters in the novel feel lost, empty, and without purpose after the war. They try to find meaning in a world that has changed forever because of the war. These characters are often called the “lost generation.” They feel confused and hopeless as they move through life and try to forget the scar left by the war.
Jake Barnes – A Symbol of Post-War Loss: Jake Barnes is the main character. He fought in the war and got badly injured. His injury made him sexually disabled (impotent). This injury is a symbol of his deeper emotional pain after the war. Because of this injury, he cannot have a complete romantic relationship with Brett, the woman he loves. Jake says,
nter;">“Everybody's sick. I'm sick, too.” Here, he tells Georgette that he is “sick” when she asks why he does not want to kiss. This shows both his physical injury and the emotional pain that many feel after the war. Moreover, Jake’s love for Brett remains unfulfilled. This shows how all the characters in the novel are searching for something to fill the emptiness left by the war, but they cannot find it.Shattered Ideals of Masculinity: Before the war, people believed in honor, courage, and heroism. But the war, with its brutality, guns, and gas attacks, destroyed these ideas. For Jake and his friends, the war made them question what it means to be a man. After the war, they do not know who they are or what they believe in. They move from place to place and try to forget their pain. They often use alcohol to escape their feelings. Jake says,
This shows how Jake and others drink too much to forget their war memories and the emptiness they feel.“Under the wine I lost the disgusted feeling and was happy.”
Robert Cohn’s Struggle: Robert Cohn did not fight in the war, but the war still affects him. He feels out of place among his friends, who mock him for being romantic and soft. Cohn still believes in old ideas of love, honour, and heroism. But these ideas do not fit in the post-war world, where others feel empty and broken. Cohn’s search for something meaningful only shows how lost and empty the others feel after the war.
Brett’s Restlessness: Lady Brett Ashley is the main female character. She also suffers because of the war. She worked as a nurse during the war and fell in love with Jake. But Jake’s injury from the war means they cannot have a normal relationship. At one point, Jake asks Brett,
Jake is asking Brett if they can make a life together. But Brett rejects him. She knows she will always need passion and sex from other men, which would only hurt Jake more. Brett moves from one man to another. But she never found true happiness. This shows the post-war disappointment and loss of faith in love.“Couldn't we live together, Brett? Couldn't we just live together?”
To wrap up, World War I casts a long shadow over the characters’ lives in “The Sun Also Rises.” The war destroyed their dreams, their sense of purpose, and their beliefs in love and honor. The characters are lost, empty, and searching for meaning in a world that no longer makes sense. The novel shows how the war left a scar, not just physically but also emotionally.