A Story of the Lesser Men: Male Characters in Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises Essay Example

- for example Cohn, a jewish writer and Jake's long-time friend, at the very beginning of the book.

He reveals to him that he'd like to travel to South America, to experience adventure and live his life fully. What follows is a very important statement by Jake: "You can't get away from yourself by moving from one place to another. "2 He's judging Cohn, but in the process he reveals a painful truth about himself and his friends, for they all regularly travel all over the world (Spain in Jake's case, Vienna and Prague in Bill's etc. in search of meaning of life. This is a perfect representation of how Jake reveals his own insecurities - he exposes them in others.

Other examples are numerous and it is no coincidence that they are often connected with the topic of sexuality. In the first chapter Jake implies that Robert Cohn is rather insecure with women, thus ironically stressing his own problem. When he meets homosexuals, he remarks: "Somehow they always made me angry. I know they are supposed to be amusing, and you should be tolerant, but I wanted to swing on one . . .

3 In this case his anger results from his fear, because the condition of gay people somehow reminds him of his own problem, a problem which strongly decreases his masculinity. His impotency. Even though early in the story it's never clearly revealed, through subtle implications the reader learns that Jake is crippled from the war and his injury makes him unable to have sex. This is the core problem of his character, because whatever he does, it remains clear to him,

that he will never be on the same level as other men. Bill Gorton is a different case.

He shares the passion for drinking as a superficial solution for the generation's problems, he travels often and overall bears an obvious resemblance to Jake. However, where Jake remains detached and reserved, Bill often uses jokes to ease the tension, even in case of sexual topics. During his and Jake's trip to Burguete, a peaceful Spanish town, he tells Jake: "I'm fonder of you than anybody on earth. I couldn't tell you that in New York. It'd mean I was a faggot.

That was what the Civil War was about. Abraham Lincoln was a faggot. He was in love with General Grant. So was Jefferson Davis.Lincoln just freed the slaves on a bet. The Dred Scott case was framed by the Anti-Saloon League.

Sex explains it all. "4 Yet despite his lightheartedness Bill is far from being a secure character. For one he is afraid of being called a "faggot", which means he shares Jake's hidden fear of diminished masculinity. He also despises Catholics, calling them a "Klan"5. The reason for this behavior is his resentment for people with strong beliefs and values, a typical trait of the Lost Generation.

Michael Campbell is the third war veteran of the story, yet another character to share the typical vices of his friends.However, where Jake suffers because of his injury and Bill makes jokes to ease his war trauma, Mike's insecurity manifests in his extreme lack of direction. He is a son to wealthy parents, a spoiled child, absolutely unable to recognize the value of money or find a proper

job. He openly admits: "I'm a tremendous bankrupt. (..

. ) I owe money to everybody. "6 He is also rude and aggressive. This becomes evident every time he gets drunk - he absolutely lacks moral scruples. When Robert Cohn starts coming on to Brett, Mike keeps insulting him in fruitless attempts to drive him away from his girlfriend.He openly declares what others only secretly think, among other things that Cohn is a Jew who didn't go to war, which makes him a target for general hatred.

Yet his insecurities are quickly revealed when dealing with Brett's unfaithfulness. Instead of confronting her directly, instead of revealing that Jake is her lover too, instead of facing Pedro Romero, he keeps attacking the weakest opponent, Cohn. He is not strong enough to confront the ones superior to him. All these insecurities become even more obvious when the main heroes are juxtaposed with their foils.

In Ernest Hemingway: a Literary Life Linda Wagner-Martin describes one of the Lady Brett Ashley's suitors - Count Mippipopolous - as a man "who knows his values. "7 And it is exactly because he knows what his values are, that he is able to enjoy his life. Similarly, Pedro Romero, the Spanish bullfighter from Pamplona, is a symbol of passion and authenticity, because the meaning of his life lies in bullfighting. That's the reason why he can be so proud, noble and so much more than the men from Lost Generation.

His values are his life.Furthermore, when the main male characters are compared to women, immediately they become tools and the roles of typical male-female relationships are switched. Lady Brett Ashley is a woman that

every man wants, but none can get. She is free-spirited, always having an affair with a new suitor, which makes her a prototype of a lady-killer in female form. In hope of finding what they have lost through relationship with her, the men fight for her and behave like crazy - Mike insults Cohn aggressively and drinks even more heavily, Jake betrays all that holds some value for him.

However, while others' actions are often acts of infantilism, aggressiveness or cowardice, Jake's behavior is more complex. Jake's character is Hemingway's style personalized. His statements are always undermined, he never truly opens to anyone, he is economical in his speech, never too long or too detailed. Yet underneath it a whole ocean of deep meanings is waiting to be discovered, understood after close examination.

If he wasn't forced to it by others, he would never even openly admit his impotency to the reader!Also, he would never try to make enemies with anyone and even after he gets into a fight with Cohn, he is then the only one who accepts his apology - though it's obvious he doesn't really feel like forgiving. Yet this very description shatters under the influence of Brett Ashley. Even though he concludes at one time that life is about learning "your money's worth"8, he continues to follow her around even though he knows he'll never get anything in return. He even leaves the tranquility of Burguete where, for the first time in many years, he experiences peace and beauty, to chase for her.He gives Pedro, Jake's only real idol, willingly into Brett's hands, knowing she will destroy him. He even attempts to

hit Cohn, all because of her and his vain hope.

.. for what exactly? Not even Jake probably knows that. In the third part of the book Jake's character may be changed, more bitter and reserved after the Fiesta events, but his relationship to Brett still stumbles on the same place, in the same darkness of desperation. "He has grown, as his recounting of the events demonstrates, but he has also made many mistakes, betrayed many values that were important to him.And it has become clear that Brett is the central figure in his psychic drama, the memory he cannot escape, the core of his life even though they can never be married,"9 says James Nagel in "Brett and the Other Women in The Sun Also Rises".

Love for Brett and his injury - that is his never-ending struggle. In the end the only thing that transforms is the fact that Jake eventually realizes his own weakness, how foolish and manipulated has he become. "We could have had such a damned good time together,"10 says Brett in the last chapter and he answers: "Yes, isn't it pretty to think so? 10 The weaknesses, aimlessness and (in Jake's case) impotency of the main male characters of The Sun Also Rises, their inability to be strong-enough men with clear set of values, result into their insecurity, which drives them from one place to another, forming a story of endless search for purpose. Jake keeps his neutral attitude, yet behind it cowardice hides, for he is a character so afraid of his diminished manhood that he can not face anything, not even his own feelings.Bill tries to evade facing

the reality by making fun of it.

Mike drowns himself in alcohol in order to get enough courage to stand up to Brett and let her know her affairs hurt him - yet he never really does so. Their main problem lies in the fact, that they are all unable to clearly state for themselves, what do they expect from the world and what are they willing to accept. For such an act is the ultimate key to self-realization and leading a meaningful life.