Title of the novel: The Sun also Rises

 

           “The Sun Also Rises” is a novel about a lost generation. Lost generation is the term used for those who participated in the First World War and were wounded physically or spiritually. These wounded people began to take little interest in realistic activities of life and engaged themselves in evil things like too much drinking, dancing, and having free sex. This generation has two groups. One of them was settled and the other was a group of expatriates who wanted to learn how to live in this world. But as their attitude toward life was unmanly so they were unable to learn how to live in this world. This added to their frustration and to this group Hemingway is concerned.

            This group of expatriates comprises Jakes Barnes, Lady Brett Ashley, Robert Cohn, and Mike Campbell. Robert is physically wounded while others are spiritually wounded. Jake Barnes has lost his manhood by receiving a genital wound and other lost their values. Brett Ashley has lost her moral values for she has been and still is indulging in making free sex. She has had affairs with Robert Cohn, and Jake Barnes and still yearns to make more and thus in the end has an affair with Pedro Romero. Mike Campbell is shown or told bankrupt which indicates that he has lost economic value. Robert is also a victim of these evils. First, he helps his mistress Frances and then spends with Brett Ashley who on one hand is trying to get a divorce from her husband Mr. Ashley and on the other hand is engaged to Mr. Mike. Jake in the end pimping with Brett reveals that he has lost social values as well. This generation which is lost and has lost its value is compared with the setting sun.

            On the other hand, Pedro Romero, the young bullfighter extends to content the group of expatriates. He is 19 years old and represents the young generation. He is called “Messiah” and is said to have come to save bullfighting from decadence. The bull is the symbol of evil and the the corral is the symbol of life. Pedro’s fight, in corral, with a bull is in fact man’s struggle or fight against evil in life. Hence we can clearly observe that the group of expatriates is the victim of evil for they indulge in dancing, drinking, The term and sex but Pedro Romero’s fight against bull reveals that he is fighting against evil. Term “Messiah” has especially been used for Romero which means saviour. The sentence that he has come to save bullfighting means that he has come to teach the people not to be victims of evil but that they should master up courage to fight against evil. His young age and his fighting spirit indicate that he is the rising sun. Hence the sun that has set is rising again and this is the title “The Sun Also Rises”.