The Sun Also Rises Written by Ernest Hemingway

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. Jake also has the inability to do what he should towards Brett. He admits it when he says "That seemed to handle it. That was it. Send a girl off with one man. Introduce her to another to go off with him. Now go and bring her back. And sign the wire with love. That was it all right" (p 243). This shows how he is unable to act the way that he should, especially if he is supposedly in love with Brett.

All of the charters shoes signs of extreme alcoholisms such as whenever Barnes is at a club, his house, hotel room he is drinking. At San Sebastian, Cohn and Brett were said to be drinking. While Jake and Bill were on their fishing trip they were drinking wine the whole time and everyone was drinking during the weeklong fiesta. During this time in the US drinking was illegal, and Hemingway was showing a lack of respect, and care for the law. He was able to illustrate the modern world and its increase in alcoholism and its decrease of the moral values during the 1920’s. Ernest Hemingway shows his brilliance by displaying the decay in moral standards.

Another one of those moral standards is the openness of people being attracted to the opposite sex, or same sex. Brett was definitely the center point and having everyone attention; all the men that she comes in contact with fall in love with her. In the beginning of the book Brett was with a group of really gay men. The gay guys were dancing with each other and being real open about their sexual preference. This really didn’t happen before the war. Throughout the book Brett and Barnes flirt a lot and they also kiss several times. Brett also has and affair and sleeps with Cohn at San Sebastian. Brett also chooses to flirt and lead on Count Mippipopulous. She also has another affair with Pedro the bullfighter. This whole time Brett is engaged to marry Mike.