Jake and Brett’s Quests for Happiness
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway is a classic Lost Generation novel that is set several years after the conclusion of the Great War. Characters in this novel are part of the Lost Generation, those who appear “disillusioned by the staggering number of WWI casualties” (De Greef, Worksheet). Both having returned from war, Jake, the narrator, and Brett, the main female character, epitomize this sense of disorientation and desire for joy. Throughout The Sun Also Rises, Jake and Brett are lost in their searches for happiness, but ultimately realize the futility in their efforts. Believing that the happiness she seeks for is dependent upon her independence, Brett refuses to commit or constrain herself in any way. Her opposition to rules is exemplified in her refusal to conform to social norms, and more specifically, to the image of a conventional woman. Brett chooses to wear her hair “brushed back like a boy’s,” wears “a man’s felt hat,” and refers to herself as “chap” (Hemingway 30, 35, 29). Furthermore, although her real name is Lady Ashley, she adopts a more masculine nickname, Brett. Brett’s conscious efforts to defy the conventional image of a woman by resembling a man demonstrate her aversion to restrictions and thus, her desire for independence. …show more content…
Despite their many attempts, they fail to find the happiness that they so desperately seek. Ironically, their evasion of heartache only leads them to more. Their erroneous methods of searching for happiness cause them to only experience a superficial happiness that overlays a much more deep-rooted and unresolved misery. Both characters are left in the end with a heightened sense of hopelessness and resignation that is embodied within the last phrase of the
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway is a classic Lost Generation novel that is set several years after the conclusion of the Great War. Characters in this novel are part of the Lost Generation, those who appear “disillusioned by the staggering number of WWI casualties” (De Greef, Worksheet). Both having returned from war, Jake, the narrator, and Brett, the main female character, epitomize this sense of disorientation and desire for joy. Throughout The Sun Also Rises, Jake and Brett are lost in their searches for happiness, but ultimately realize the futility in their efforts. Believing that the happiness she seeks for is dependent upon her independence, Brett refuses to commit or constrain herself in any way. Her opposition to rules is exemplified in her refusal to conform to social norms, and more specifically, to the image of a conventional woman. Brett chooses to wear her hair “brushed back like a boy’s,” wears “a man’s felt hat,” and refers to herself as “chap” (Hemingway 30, 35, 29). Furthermore, although her real name is Lady Ashley, she adopts a more masculine nickname, Brett. Brett’s conscious efforts to defy the conventional image of a woman by resembling a man demonstrate her aversion to restrictions and thus, her desire for independence. …show more content…
Despite their many attempts, they fail to find the happiness that they so desperately seek. Ironically, their evasion of heartache only leads them to more. Their erroneous methods of searching for happiness cause them to only experience a superficial happiness that overlays a much more deep-rooted and unresolved misery. Both characters are left in the end with a heightened sense of hopelessness and resignation that is embodied within the last phrase of the