Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises is a novel which allows readers to interpret the numerous ways in which the author’s conception of authenticity, truth, and purity are expressed. Hemingway write through the character of Jake to reassert the importance of authenticity in ideas such as faith and religion, nature, and masculinity. I believe that The Sun Also Rises is a novel that flawlessly depicts the frailties of war and how its implications leaves those involved in an eternal state of confusion. Throughout the entirety of the novel, Hemingway makes references to the characters’ perceptions of faith and religion. It is through the narrator, Jake, that readers get a sense of the role that religion played in Hemingway’s life. Jake’s lack
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The character of Brett symbolizes pure masculinity in a rather distorted manner. Hemingway’s portrayal of her character makes her competent enough to be more masculine than most of the male characters in the novel. Brett is shown to a be an independent, domineering, and intimidating character. She challenges the conventional definition of masculinity by her appearance and manner. In fact, Hemingway’s very introduction of Brett is quite unusual. He writes, “She wore a slipover jersey sweater and a tweed skirt, and her hair was brushed back like a boy’s” (Hemingway 30). At the very end of the novel, Brett admits that Romero was ashamed of her for not being feminine enough. Brett states, “He wanted me to grow my hair out” in order to make her “more womanly” (Hemingway 245). The character of Robert Cohn is also someone who defines masculinity in a bizarre manner. Hemingway uses Cohn as a way to symbolize the absence of masculinity in a male character. In fact, Cohn is so removed from the traditional definition of masculinity that he allows others, especially women, to dominant him. This is especially evident when Hemingway describes the way in which Cohn is easily manipulated to marry Frances. When Frances realized that “her looks were going, her attitude toward Robert changed from one of careless possession and exploitation to absolute determination that he should marry her”
The character of Brett symbolizes pure masculinity in a rather distorted manner. Hemingway’s portrayal of her character makes her competent enough to be more masculine than most of the male characters in the novel. Brett is shown to a be an independent, domineering, and intimidating character. She challenges the conventional definition of masculinity by her appearance and manner. In fact, Hemingway’s very introduction of Brett is quite unusual. He writes, “She wore a slipover jersey sweater and a tweed skirt, and her hair was brushed back like a boy’s” (Hemingway 30). At the very end of the novel, Brett admits that Romero was ashamed of her for not being feminine enough. Brett states, “He wanted me to grow my hair out” in order to make her “more womanly” (Hemingway 245). The character of Robert Cohn is also someone who defines masculinity in a bizarre manner. Hemingway uses Cohn as a way to symbolize the absence of masculinity in a male character. In fact, Cohn is so removed from the traditional definition of masculinity that he allows others, especially women, to dominant him. This is especially evident when Hemingway describes the way in which Cohn is easily manipulated to marry Frances. When Frances realized that “her looks were going, her attitude toward Robert changed from one of careless possession and exploitation to absolute determination that he should marry her”