"You are all a lost generation."
- Gertrude Stein
Gertrude Stein is said to have spoken these words to Ernest Hemingway referring to a generation of American writers who became disillusioned after World War I by a society that they believed valued material wealth, power, and puritanical mores more than human life. Although he was unable to serve in combat as a soldier because of poor eyesight, Hemingway nonetheless enlisted and served as an ambulance driver in Italy, where he saw first hand the death and destruction of combat. He was seriously wounded in July 1918 and spent several months in Italian hospitals before returning home in January 1919. He would later return to Europe to join Hart Crane, Sherwood Anderson, F. Scott Fitzgerald, (among others) who congregated in London and Paris where they lived a lifestyle free of the puritanical confines of early twentieth century American society.
Hemingway's novel, The Sun Also Rises, tells the story of Jake Barnes, an American jounalist and WWI veteran who is living in Paris with a group of expatriates who seem to be living the bohemian lifestyle Hemingway and other members of the Lost Generation had adopted after the war. He is in love with a woman who is engaged to another man, and he spends his evenings going from one bar to another drinking heavily. What motivates Jake? Does he have a moral compass? How does this character reflect the "Lost Generation"?
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ReplyDeleteI believe that Jake is motivated by his grasp of surviving the war and being alive. In spite of that though, it feels as if Jake is living with some kind of haunting scar or secret of his past throughout the novel that he keeps hidden and to himself. That might not be true to an extent, as his relationship with Brett points out that she is a person that understands Jake's condition. Jake also understands Brett, but something curious disables them to be together.
ReplyDeleteJake's behavior towards his other friends and expatriates can be summarized as almost dismissive and half-committed. Although he does attend parties and dances, Hemingway does not narrate excitement or interest for Jake as he does for Brett. A peculiar example that comes to mind is when Jake is at the dance with Georgette and Brett arrives along with a batch of "young men" (p. 28). Jake later on narrates that he "was very angry. Somehow they always made me angry." Of course, after we've read further and discovered his relationship with Brett, it could be a possessive type of nature that has overcome Jake, but I believe it is due to Jake belonging to the "Lost Generation." His behavior with his friends aside from Brett, the count and Bill (even perhaps Harvey Stone) show his reaction as being part of the Lost Generation. A rather cruel example that applies, I think, is when Frances asks to speak with Jake at Robert Cohn's date (p. 53). The remarkable thing is that Jake buys a copy of the Paris Times and opens it. Talking with a person with a newspaper opened is kind of rude, but I guess its how Jake sees the situation before him. Either that, or its Jake's dedication to his journalist career which doesn't seem too convincing.
The moral compass on Jake, I feel, doesn't have a specific direction. Through Hemingway's narration, we do get a sense that Jake has sympathy (p. 56, for Robert Cohn), but Jake chooses not to act in that instance. There seems to be something really fixed with Jake though. How I mean is that a lot of characters in the novel undergo changes in their attitudes (whether is Cohn going to New York, or Brett going to England), but Jake stays the same. Whether that's the nature of the Paris atmosphere that Hemingway wants to touch on or not, its clear that Jake's outlook and attitude doesn't seem to change. Going back to the question of whether he has one or not, I would say he does, but its not a very clear compass. He clearly has a direction of what he wants to do and how to treat people, but he's constantly wanting to go home and only seemingly genuine to people he can trust. His secretary at his flat (p. 60) almost symbolizes a gateway of which only respectable people can reach Jake. Not to say that the non-respectable people can't reach him, its just that Jake could care less from what they say. That's how I feel, anyway.
I think that Jake’s memories are what motivate him. He doesn’t like to speak about his past and only uses vague references when asked about it, but it is clear that it affects him greatly. Brett is a large part of his past and he isn’t sure whether she is a good part or not. At the same time he loves her, he has to deal with her constant rejection despite her own love for him. This on top of the painful memories of how they met cannot be easy for him. His moral compass is just that, his moral compass. He is a good man and has all of the necessary social graces, but all he really wants to do is be happy himself. If achieving this means others get hurt in the process then so be it. It is in this sense that he is a very good representation of the “Lost Generation”. He spends his money freely and is not concerned about it; this is because ultimately he would give up everything he possessed if he thought that it would make him happy. His places far more value on things such as friendship, love, romance, and life experiences than he does on material items.
ReplyDeleteJake is motivated by his past which has caused him to become insecure and reserved about his true emotions. The war influences everything Jake does, and he constantly wants to hide the truth about how he feels, both from himself and from the other characters. For example, when Cohn asks Jake about Brett in chapter five, Jake refers to Brett as a ‘drunk’ and speaks of her very negatively, when in reality, he is in love with her. When Brett later tells Jake she has had an affair with Cohn, Jake simply answers “congratulations” (p. 89), and avoids Brett when she asks what he meant by it. Jake’s love for Brett therefore also motivates him. This furthers his insecurities as they cannot be together because of what happened to him in the war. Jake’s insecurities are shown by his way of hiding behind drinking and partying, where he makes shallow acquaintances and does not really seem to have anything real to live for.
ReplyDeleteJake does not really seem to have a moral compass. He is constantly drinking, and does not hesitate to pick up a prostitute simply because “it would be nice to eat with someone” (p. 24). He doesn’t really seem to care about other people, and refrains from telling the other characters how he really feels about them out of his own motivation to avoid the truth. For example, when Cohn asks him about Brett, he tells Cohn to “go to hell” (p. 47) but only takes it back to avoid a confrontation. Jack cannot really be held accountable for his lack of true morals as it is an outcome of the war, and this characteristic seems to be representative of the characters in the book as a whole.
Jake reflects the “Lost Generation” because the war has taken away his morals, and he lacks any real hope for love and a better future. When Cohn complains about his life in Paris and says he wants to go to South America to really live, Jake simply answers that “going to another country doesn’t make a difference” (p. 19). Jake seems bitter and without hope and thinks that those that do have hope are stubborn and naive. Jake is part of the “Lost Generation” because he does not have any real relationships or goals to live for and goes through his life going to meaningless social functions and drinking a lot of alcohol. The only relationship that really seems to drive him is his relationship with Brett but even this is filled with lack of hope as Jake has accepted that they will not be together. It is obvious he actually cares about her but Jake doesn’t take any real actions to try to convince Brett that their love is enough of a reason to be together. Jake has lost all hope to make himself truly happy.
I believe that Jake is motivated largely by his history with the war and also by his emotional attachment to Brett. It seems like the nature of his wound makes him insecure about his masculinity. He also sees this as the reason Brett refuses to be in a relationship with him because Hemingway portrays her character as someone who is quite promiscuous as she has numerous affairs while engaged to Mike. Although we know he is in love with Brett, Jake portrays himself as emotionally detached towards her. He knows about her sleeping with other men, especially his friend Cohn. Never does he become angered with her or try to convince her to be with him. He only appears to her when she is in need of him or wants him to meet her somewhere.
ReplyDeleteJake both does and does not appear to have a moral compass. He goes off drinking every night and wandering the bars at all hours. He even randomly picks up a prostitute to go out with for the evening. His capabilities to be cruel are shown mainly towards Cohn due to Cohn's relations with Brett. However, when Mike continues insulting Cohn, Jake realizes that it is wrong and at least tries to get Mike to calm down. He also knows that one cannot fulfill their life simply by moving around from place to place (as he does) as he tells Cohn in Chapter II when Cohn wants to go to South America. To me, he seems like he has the capability to have a good head on his shoulders and to have a good sense of moral direction, but his insecurities and his hopelessness with Brett drive him over the edge to becoming a demonstration of a person from the Lost Generation. He seems to do the same thing every night - drink. Sometimes, it seems as though he drinks to pass the time for no reason at all. He never really announces any purpose to his life or any goals but just living life as he wants. His existence seems to have no real meaning as he makes himself void of emotion and purpose.
It becomes apparent at the beginning of Hemingway’s novel The Sun Also Rises that the character of Jake is motivated by what most of the veterans of WWI were influenced by after the war, the hope for their lives to return to a state of normalcy. However, this state is impossible to achieve because of the awful environment that they are placed back into and the physical and emotional memories that they are plagued with everyday. Jake spends his days drinking heavily with friends who seem to have no have no point or purpose with their lives. They just seem to make it through each day in a hazy and alcohol filled existence. There is no purpose to their actions or everyday activities and most of their time is spent in a world that people would consider today to be morally wrong. Although Jake does have a moral compass, it has been greatly affected by the war leading him to conduct activities, such as picking up the prostitute just to eat with her, and speaking to people in ways in which he probably would not have before the war. He is obviously embarrassed by his scar, which inevitably brings his relationship with Brett to a standstill because she will never truly be with him. The character of Jake reflects the attributes of the Lost Generation because he goes through life one drink at a time, losing his sense of self and identity along the way. He has lost meaning and hope in the modern world and this perpetuates him to lose his purpose in life and just go through the actions of each day.
ReplyDeleteTo me, Jake is motivated mostly by anger and loathing, but not without warrant. It seems like since the war Jake has been looking at himself constantly in a pessimistic way, whether it be self-pity over his injury or something else at cause. For example, he gets extremely angry at the gay men who arrive with Brett, because these men still have the ability to be with her physically and at the same time have no desire for it. I think if we spent some time in his shoes we would see how unfair he feels the world has been to him.
ReplyDeleteSimilarly, I think that the "Lost Generation" concept is fuel to the fire of Jake's anger. Despite the fighting he did, and the most gruesome of injuries he sustained in the process, it really seems to me like he gets nothing in return for what he did, verifying that society cares less about his life than it's own pursuits.
As for Jake's moral compass, I believe he has one that he just ignores. He clearly loves Brett, and is bothered by her recurring infidelity. However, I think his perception of right and wrong is smeared around by the war and all the times he's been done wrong. In a sense, if the world isn't so nice to him, why should he reciprocate that as though it were?
I believe that Jake is driven by his desire to find a new form of excitement in his life. It seems that from his war injury he has lost the ability to have a physical relationship with a woman and therefore he and Lady Brett Ashley cannot be together like he wants. Therefore, Jake is driven by the desire to replace sex with some other forms of excitement. He solicits that girl to go to dinner with him, in order to have the feeling that he is not alone. He drinks, goes out to clubs and is out with friends often. He has planned a trip to go fishing in Spain and I believe that he needs to do these things in order to feel as if he is still a normal individual. Jake’s ongoing search for pleasure through these acts show how he fits in the “Lost Generation”. He has lost the ability to follow one of his most primal urges and now is in a desperate hunt to find everything and anything to put in its place
ReplyDeleteJake does not seem to have any motivation other than to do whatever it takes to get by. Hemingway does not lend much information about Jake; the only means of gathering information about Jake is through the way other people treat him. He does not speak about his job as a journalist as something he is passionate about. He seems to work simply so that he may spend money on food and drinks from Parisian cafes. Although he is in love with Brett, he does not pursue her with any fervent passion. When she is in town, he spends time with her and attempts to convince her to stay with him; however, his attempts are almost halfhearted for it seems that he has already bitterly accepted that she can never be with him. When she leaves town or tells him that she is going to marry another man, Jake does not chase after her, or try to convince her not to marry Mike.
ReplyDeleteJake does not appear to have much of a moral compass, or at least he disregards the one he possesses. Jake also does not pass judgment on others with the exception of a few cutting remarks about Robert Cohn. Jake does what might be enjoyable, like going to dinner with a prostitute, attending bullfights, and planning a fishing trip.
Jake is clearly a member of the “Lost Generation” because of his bitter and pessimistic view of the world. World War I affected him both physically and mentally; it took away his manhood and did not offer anything in return. The war did bring Brett to him; however she serves as a constant reminder of what he can never have. Jake doesn’t seem to see much sense in being passionate about anything, even his love for Brett. Instead, Jake numbs the pain the war has caused him by surrounding himself with friends and beginning to drink early in the day.
What we have to keep in mind about Jake’s drinking is that all of this is taking place in a different time and in a different culture. You’ll notice that both his friends and most of the other characters in the book possess the same love of alcohol that Jake does; this isn’t to say that his own personality and attitude didn’t help to attract these kinds of friends, but he certainly isn’t the only one in the book who starts drinking early in the day.
ReplyDeleteAs for his love and lack of compassion for Brett, this is obviously something that is not new to them. It is also implied that Jake has known about Brett’s wedding plans for some time. When Mike first enters the story on pg. 84 it is apparent that they already know each other, although Mike probably doesn’t know much about Jake’s love for Brett, or if he does he isn’t intimidated by it. This could very well be because Jake has already, at some point in the past, chased after Brett and pleaded with her not to marry Mike.
To some it may seem like he is coasting through life, having given up on his dreams and aspirations, but I think that he is probably just trying to re-evaluate his life and what he wants to get from it. He has already achieved what many people strive for – an education, a stable career he enjoys, enough money to provide him the simple pleasures he enjoys, and even the love of a strong and beautiful woman. Although it may not seem as if things will work out well between the two, they do love and understand one another. The time they spend together is not like the meaningless fling Brett had with Cohn in San Sebastian.
From the first 92 pages alone it is difficult to decipher what precisely it is that motivates Jake to act the way he does. There are times when the character's actions and reactions suggest he likes nothing more than to wind other people up. On page 47 he tells Robert Cohn to 'go to hell', only coolly retracting his sentence despite his friend's obvious offence at the remark.
ReplyDeleteUntil Jake steps into the taxi with Brett for the first time, he appears to be emotionally detached from the story he is telling. Before this point he appears almost exclusively as a commentator on events rather than as a character within a plot.
Although Jake does not commit any acts or speak any words which in themselves are outrageously void of any consideration for others, he pursues Brett despite being fully aware of Brett's relationships with other men. Furthermore, he speaks without any serious condemnation or doubt about others, particularly women, who seek to take advantage of Cohn. This initially suggests a failure on his part to see how such behavior with the same disgust as many others would.
Jake talks of the regularity with which he exits awkward situations, indicating a cynical streak within his character. Along with his opinion of the war as 'a calamity for civilization', this aspect of Jake reflects an attitude distinct to the "Lost Generation". He almost always talks of buying things, often food and more often alcohol. This may represent a generational tendency amongst the wealthy to readily spend money, as well as the era's pre-occupation, both conscious and unconscious, with intoxication. Jake's readiness to part with cash at particular moment could be seen as an attitude within the "Lost Generation" that problems can be forgotten about through needless expenditure.
I think it is true that Jake’s behavior of drinking all day is typical of the time and place in which he lives, but this simply shows that both he and the other characters are typical of the “lost generation”. It does not mean that because the other characters do it, we cannot judge Jake for this behavior. I still think it is an indication of his lack of morals.
ReplyDeleteI do not really think that Jake is going through life actually enjoying it. The fact that he has no future with Brett shows that he has given up on his hopes and dreams and therefore his relationship with Brett really is pointless. It simply serves to act as a reminder for Jake of the tragedies that happened in the war, and this is something he will have to live with for the rest of his life. Just as he can never get rid of his physical injury, the war has caused a mental, permanent injury that affects how Jake goes through life and that prevents him from acting morally. I do not think Jake is enjoying “simple pleasures”, but rather, that he acts the way he does to try to forget the past. Hemingway uses the Count to show that these are not simple pleasures for Jake, as the Count is perhaps the only one who is really able to enjoy both alcohol (he tells Brett to drink the champagne slowly, p. 66) and especially love (p. 67).
I agree that the war has affected Jake in a great way which is exactly what the Lost Generation was. The effects of World War I on many people around the world were that they began to put more emphasis and value in material things. This is basically what many of the characters are like in this book. The excessive drinking only adds to this feeling. However, I do not see a relationship between the drinking that they do and the moral compass which Jake is supposed to have. Just because Jake enjoys drinking throughout the day does not mean that he is being immoral. He is one of the only people that tries to keep his dates and appointments. There is a point in the book where it is mentioned that no one in that time period shows up for their appointments, and although Jake drinks, he still has enough there to follow through with his word. Jake is not getting extremely drunk and committing immoral acts because of this drinking. It seems that this drinking is a way for Jake, and everyone else, to make it through each day.
ReplyDeleteJake is motivated by the instinct for survival. Like Jimmie from the previous novel, his actions and lifestyle are not driven by the desire to achieve a better grasp on religion or to solve world hunger, they are driven by what he feels is necessary for him to make it from day to day. This is evident in every aspect of Jake's life; when he needs to work, he works, when he is lonely, he will pick up a prostitute (pg.22), and when he needs something to help him forget about his misery, he turns to the bottle. He lives solely for himself, not out of maliciousness towards others, but because he believes that he must put himself first in order to survive. Due to this, although he has many friends and claims to be in love with Brett, he is emotionally detatched from then. Such is evident when Brett tells Jake of her affair with Cohn (pg.89) and he responds with nothing more than, "Congradulations," despite the fact that he is in love with her.
ReplyDeleteJake does have a moral compass, although not the conventionally thought of one that is guided by religion or the desire to improve himself by improving the lives of others. He recognizes right from wrong, and does not seek to do harm on to others even though he may put himself first. This is clear in the way that he still cares for Brett and treats her well despite her constant denial of him despite her love for him. Although he does find pleasure in worldly things like bullfighting, drinking, and dancing, it is clear that he does have a moral compass because he is able to decipher what is right and what is wrong.
Jake is a perfect representation of the Lost Generation. He has been jaded by the horrors of war, which has put a permanent pessimistic lens over his view of life. It is clear that he is insecure because of his injuries from war, and it has effected his ability to have a lasting relationship with the woman he loves, denying him romance and companionship, aspects that are absent in many characters of the Lost Generation. Additionally, the way in which he lives his life on a day to day basis, with no dreams or hopes for the future, illustrate his loss of hope and meaning in the world which Lost Generation literature is based on. Instead of searching for a higher meaning or motive in his life, he seeks only what will help him get from day to day, and usually spends his nights blurring the memories of the past day with an array of alcoholic beverages.
Jake’s lack of direction in life initially struck me as reflecting the “Lost Generation”. He seems to be only going through the motions of life, rather than actually living it. In this respect, he shows no clear moral compass that motivates his decision making but rather simply allows life to take him where it may. He demonstrates no true control over the outcome of his life, and further admits to not worrying about where life will take him in the future. Although he claims to enjoy both his social and work life, he only seems to demonstrate true happiness when he is with Brett. In this way, he is dependent on her. However, this one aspect of his life that he shows both true interest and commitment to, he can also not fully enjoy due to his injuries he sustained in the war. Therefore, the torture Jake must endure seeing Brett with other men and knowing that he can never fully be with her serves as a constant reminder his past life serving in the war. Despite all of this, however, Jake does somehow seem to still be content with his life.
ReplyDeleteGoing off of Anna's post, I agree with her that Jake's "day to day" style of living is greatly influenced by the war that he served in. Seeing the ruthless killing and utter desolation caused by war led him to lose all hope in the human race as a whole. This hopelessness carries over into all aspects of his life. Jake has no greater purpose in life, no goal to look forward to. To ease the sting of this hopeless situation, he focuses on surviving each day as it comes, and uses alchohol to help him make it through each day. Although when he came back from the war, all he was looking for was a return to normalcy, all he found was a long, lonseome path that only he can take.
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ReplyDeleteJake epitomizes the Lost Generation. His physical injuries from World War I leave him impotent. He continues to suffer on a daily basis because he loves Brett, but she is unwilling to truly be in love with him, even near him for longer than gulping down a drink.
ReplyDeleteLike the expatriates that fled to Paris, a need to escape his feelings toward Brett motivates Jake’s actions. I specify “his actions” because Jake and his peers live by hopping from restaurant, to bar, to dance club, aimlessly seeking diversion. They have no ambitions. They only “do”. They are alive, but do not have lives that require anything more than transient interest or dedication to anything or person. They write, and they are artists, but they create nothing substantial.
Jake’s moral compass is not broken nor misguided, yet, he has no northern pole to guide him. Morals are only important or necessary to guide a person in a life that meaningfully affects other humans. For example, a man that has a wife and children needs or relies on his morals so that he in turn may be relied upon as a husband and father. A person like Jake has no permanent attachments; no one depends on him. He does not contribute to the greater good. Conversely, he does not take from the greater good, and is therefore not a “bad” person.
Jake is motivated by his love for Brett and his search for companionship, love and understanding. He tries to find fulfillment in his friendships, but fails partly because his friends focus on their own problems. When they are together they act as if they are happy, but as his one-on-one encounters with them reveal they are not. The only one of the group that could offer him companionship is Brett. He may have been physically injured in the war, but it is Brett’s rejection that causes him the most pain. He internalizes this pain by blaming his physical injury (39). He is also blind to her faults because of his love. He loves her to the point that life is mundane and pointless without her (25, 71). During the day and when he is with his other friends he hides his pain, but when he is alone at night it is revealed (42).
ReplyDeleteHe is not inherently morally corrupt, but his moral compass has become dominated by his love for Brett and therefore blurred. His date with the prostitute was merely a result of his search for companionship, and his drinking an extension of his desire to numb his senses (19, 24).
Like the other members of the “Lost Generation” the war redefined his life leaving him disillusioned with society (29, 48). His description of his ride on the P.L.M. reflects his boredom with life and frustration (48). He is dead but for his love for Brett, which he tries to forget by drinking and working. While he says he is fed up with pretending everything is all right, he does nothing to change his circumstances or get Brett (29). Also like the other members of the generation he has rejected his religious upbringing (93).
Brittany, I liked your post, but I disagree with you in regards to Jake’s motivations. I do not think Jake has any sense of a need to survive. First, nothing threatens him, as the jungle of the city threatened Jimmie. Rather, Jake enjoys the pleasantness of crossing a river in Paris (p. 48). Second, “day to day” survival does not concern Jake. In the fourth Chapter, Jake reflects, “It is awfully easy to be hard-boiled about everything in the daytime, but at night it is another thing.” (p. 42) This idea betrays a surrender to an unavoidable angst that Jake must cope with every night once the distractions are gone. He passively knows that he has a way to continue his distractions, whereas the presence of a will to survive is an active choice. Also, you said that Jake is emotionally detached from Brett, but early in the novel (just prior to the aforementioned passage) Jake’s thoughts of Brett that make him want to cry (p.42). In the car (p. 33) and the night before she leaves for San Sebastian (p.71), it is Brett that pushes Jake away. I think Jake is deeply aware of his feelings, but Brett’s detachment leaves him devoid of any hope for love.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kelly’s comment that Jake allows his life to take it where it may. I also agree that he holds an extremely dependent relationship with Brett. He needs her even though she refuses to truly stay with him or show him commitment. He gives her all of the commitment that he physically can and she persists to not want to be with him because of the injuries that he sustained during the war. It is heart wrenching to think that he is always reminded of the war because of his injury. Not only does he probably have to deal with flashbacks of awful memories from overseas, but he has to live with the fact that the one thing that he holds on to and shows commitment to, Brett, he will never have. This is one of the reasons why he spends any time he can drinking. His memories become extremely blended together and reality becomes unknown in the midst of his alcoholic ways.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Alex’s post, I agree in that Jake’s pessimism reflects the “Lost Generation”. After seeing the tragedies that he must have seen while at war, and going through such a traumatic injury that hinders his ability to enjoy life, pessimism comes easy for Jake. But also adding on to the post, not only does Jake view himself in a pessimistic way, but he also has a pessimistic world view in general. For example, in response to Cohn’s worries that life is going too fast and that he is not truly living life, Jake replies not to worry because this is the case for everyone living in their generation except for bullfighter. He also goes on to say that moving locations is not going to solve this problem and that a person cannot escape himself (18). This conversation reveals Jake’s opinion of his generation: most people are doomed to live unhappy lives and have no way of improving upon this fate.
ReplyDeleteHe is motivated by his drive to cope with the fact that he cannot be with Brett physically. After the war Jake enters a life where he loves a woman who loves sex more than him. Since Jake cannot have sex their relationship is hopeless and he must watch her have intimate relationships with other men. Knowing that these other men can satisfy her like he will never be able to leaves him motivated by only the desire to be as happy as he can be without his love.
ReplyDeleteAs to whether he has a moral compass; that has yet to be made certain. He is a consistent drinker which does not condemn him to have a poor moral compass by association. However he cares for Brett almost unconditionally which may lead to the conclusion of great compassion or a poor self image. A poor self image because he allows for the woman he loves to run wild so to speak and still want her. However he is disabled in a unique way so this is a special situation.
I believe the “Lost Generation” refers to a sense of moral loss or aimlessness evident in literary figures during the 1920s. With this understanding it is quite easy to draw parallels to Jake and the Lost Generation. Jake’s loss physically leading to the loss of the woman he pursues causes him to have low morale and forces him to find new aims in which to fulfill his life. Having lost these things he probably feels like the world has dealt him a poor set of circumstances leaving him bitter and willing to go about his business with little regard for others.
-What Motivates Jake? To answer that question, one must ask, is Jake even a motivated person? On a night-to-night basis, the answer is yes. Jake is heavily motivated by the Paris nightlife, by random encounters with younger women, by whatever liquor he finds fitting for the moment. He is motivated by the present.
ReplyDeleteOn a larger scale, however, Jake’s life lacks any true motivation. He doesn’t know where what direction his life is heading, and apparently, he doesn’t even care. This becomes evident early in the novel when Jake talks to his friend Robert Cohn. Cohn expresses a desire to visit South America, claming, “I can’t stand it to think my life is going so fast and I’m not really living it.” (18) Jake, however, rejects Cohn’s romantic idea that a change of scenery will change his life, saying, “Listen, Robert, going to another country doesn’t make any difference. I’ve tried all that. You can’t get away from yourself by moving from one place to another.”(19) Even when faced with the notion that his life is more then halfway over, Jake appears indifferent. This conversation reveals Jake as a perfect representative of the lost generation. In his opinion, there is no “greater meaning” of life. Life is simply a series of insignificant moments. Life is simply about the now.
The cynicism of Jake and the other members of this Lost Generation is a direct consequence of World War 1. Jake, a war veteran, witnessed 18-year-olds dying in order to fight an unnecessary war. An event like this can only belittle the value of human life and make one question whether life actually has any purpose. Therefore, Jake is content to remaining in Paris, enjoying one night at a time. Jake cannot relate to Cohn’s optimistic ideas about escaping the present, because, as he says, “You can’t get away from yourself by moving from one place to another.”
I think Jake tries desperately to fill his life with distractions in order to have meaning and pleasure in his life post war without his woman or his “manhood.” Drinking definitely does not equate to poor morality but he must have grown pessimistic with his outlook on life after the war. I agree that the conversation Jake has with Cohn on page 18 demonstrates that Jake has a nonchalance point of view on life, not necessarily a negative one. Not being able to escape yourself might refer to not being able to be someone else and that you should accept yourself, which could be viewed as a very positive and healthy outlook on life. That may or may not apply to Jake’s meaning.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth, I enjoyed reading your post but have just one disagreement. While I agree that Jake has an enormous emotional attachment to Brett, I do not think that this love for Brett motivates Jake. There is a part of Jake that desires a long term relationship with Brett. He is infatuated by her beauty and sophistication. However, the pessimistic, post War side of Jake suppresses these desires. The pessimism of both Jake and Brett, two members of the ‘Lost Generation’, makes them feel that spending their lives happily in love to one another is an impossibility. The two are constantly conveying both attraction and resistance in their relationship. Brett conveys obvious resistance in this relationship through her engagement to Michael. Jake, however, also is resistant to Brett, only through more subtle means. While Jake and Brett talk in the taxi, Jake says to Brett, “We’d better keep away from each other.”
ReplyDeleteBrett: “But Darling, I have to see you. It isn’t all that you know.”
Jake: “No, but it always gets to be.” (34)
By stating that he and Brett should “keep away from each other”, Jake acknowledges that despite their mutual love, there can be no long term future for this relationship. In a generation of pessimism, there is no room for concepts such as love. While the two appear to love each other, both Brett and Jake lack any motivation to pursue this love.
The character Jake, in Hemingway’s novel The Sun Also Rises, is motivated by his desire to forget his painful memories of the war. He attempts to block out this part of his life by drinking heavily and going out to clubs with friends who he seems to have no true bond or kinship with. His only true relationship is the one he shares with Brett, however, although the pair love each other, Brett toys with Jake’s emotions and ultimately does him more harm than good. The frustration Jake experiences with winning over Brett’s commitment to him causes him to lash out with anger. An example of this is when Jake tells the character Robert Cohn to “go to hell” (pge 47). Not only do Jake’s words represent the angry personality he possesses, it also represents a territorial mentality he has over Brett. He also expresses this mentality when he sees Brett dancing with other men in one of the bars they both attended.
ReplyDeleteJake seems as though he could have some moral compass, however, due to the war, he mentally will not allow himself to see morality as a virtue in his life. He feels this way because he believes that the world has given him a “raw deal.” Why should he obtain or express optimism when all he has felt is pessimism and hatred? Jake outwardly expresses these feelings on page 39 when he says “To hell with people. The Catholic Church had an awfully good way of handling all that.” Because Jake has lost hope in humanity, he leads a dispassionate lifestyle that has no real substance or purpose. If he were able to truly express his feelings to Brett he may be able to find something real in the world he lives in, however he is too afraid to do this. I think that he is afraid of the feelings he has for Brett because he thinks that they may leave him vulnerable to more pain and suffering. This is why Jake drinks and involves himself in fake relationships, for anything real brings about the truth, which, in Jake’s mind, is too painful to face.
Jake exemplifies the idea of the “Lost Generation” because he clearly has no direction in his life. Although Jake has a job, the work he does is just an aspect of Jake’s life that he must follow through with in order to pay the bills and buy drinks at the clubs and bars he attends. Jake has no sense of who he really is or why he does the things he does. Because Jake and his friends only go through “the motions of life” they have no sense of purpose and therefore do not truly understand themselves and the people around them.
Jake is motivated by a need to protect himself from his troubled past. His detached hedonism is an antidote to the effects of war. Jake wanders aimlessly through this novel, subduing his emotions with constant alcohol use and casual socialization. To him, every experience is fleeting; there is no passion in his existence. Jake begins his narrative with a story about someone else, a precedent for his omission of any sort of self-description. His need to interact with others, however superficially, is a result of his identity issues. Jake’s attempt at intimacy with Brett is the only real situation in which he allows himself to feel vulnerable. Unfortunately, he is reminded of his disability. Brett refuses to let their relationship develop because she wants more than just emotional intimacy, which he physically cannot provide.
ReplyDeleteJake does not appear to have a moral compass per se. It would not really be complementary to his carefree lifestyle. To consider morals he would have to examine his emotions far more than would be comfortable. Jake sees his actions as inconsequential and is certainly not interested enough to apply a moral compass to his behavior. He is simply an impassive hedonist.
The Lost Generation was typified by the aimless, wandering mentality displayed by Jake. Like Jake, they were victims of war who had a lot of unresolved mental and physical issues. They had no identity and frequently no motivation. Undoubtedly, the Lost Generation were afraid of their own personalities, unsure of what they had become after participating in the horror of World War I
It appears to me that Jake’s main motivation in the passage that we read is simply what he believes he should feel, and who he should be. He seems to be going through the motions with his hard-partying, raucous group of expatriate friends, showing off an image similar to theirs, while simultaneously feeling a completely different set of emotions. He goes out every night and drinks with them, and then sits in his apartment alone every night crying and despairing over the love that he’s lost but is still haunted by. During the day he wants to give off the image of the war-hardened, bitter soldier who’s turned his back on the restrictions and ridiculousness of America, but at the same time he’s not even sure if that’s how he really feels—he doesn’t know who he is, or how he should act, or what he should feel. Hemingway writes on page 42, “It is awfully easy to be hard-broiled about everything in the daytime, but at night it is another thing.”
ReplyDeleteI believe that Jake has a moral compass in that he hasn’t intentionally hurt any of the other characters thus far. If anyone should comment upon his being rude to Georgette, or his on-again/off-again treatment of Brett, I would simply say that he’s too hurt himself, love and relationship-wise, to deal with anyone else’s emotions. He’s completely overwhelmed with his loss of a part of himself that helped to define him before the war, so although he sympathizes with Brett about her feelings toward the two of them, he cannot stop thinking about how unfair all of it has been for him.
Jake epitomizes the Lost Generation because he lost a huge part of his identity with the war—his manhood, his ability to give himself over to the woman that he loves, his ability to even decided who he is. He’s drowning in uncertainty, completely lost and wandering.
In a strange way, though he doesn’t directly ask for sympathy, Jake seems to evoke that emotion from the reader easily through his sheer lack of emotion. This complete disinterest in life is a rather rare and unique quality for the narrator of novel to have, which reminds me only vaguely of Thompson’s narrator in The Rum Diary, who, like Jake, seems to tell the story from a great distance, as though he is merely observing it rather than living it. However, I’m beginning to feel that his lack of emotion is actually an expression of emotion in itself. Jake is either so empty that he really is completely devoid of emotion, or he’s simply so overwhelmed by the amount of emotion that he has been forced to deal with during and after the war, that he’s compartmentalized his heart to an extreme, and is only living on the surface. Personally, I would like to believe that he’s simply overwhelmed, though the pessimistic view of things certainly fits in with the Lost Generation that Hemingway is associated with. Hayley said about his relationship with Brett that, “Although he is in love with Brett, he does not pursue her with any fervent passion.” Though I initially agreed with this statement, after having thought about it I would now have to disagree. In a way, I’m inclined to believe that Jake is SO in love with Brett that he can hardly stand it, and that he can’t handle being around her, constantly haunted by the living ghost of a love that he can’t have. It’s not that he doesn’t WANT to pursue her, it’s just that the pursuit might kill him, and it terrifies him. Having lost so much already, another loss might really be the end of him, and it’s better to have his love with Brett be scattered about in unconventional, unfulfilling pieces than to lose it completely.
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ReplyDeleteI think that needing someone in his life motivates Jake. Although his personality towards the outside world shows a side of Jake that can be seen as independent, his actions when he is alone shows that he wants, and needs Brett or someone else in his life. Jake is a very masculine man. He does not have a single girlish quality to him. He presents himself as stable and successful while he answers to no one but himself. However, it is seen on page 42 that there is a different side of Jake. He states "It is awfully easy to be hard-boiled about everything in the daytime, but at night it is another thing. This shows the reader that there is a softer side to Jake than his presence while he is out on the town. This side of Jake is what motivates him to find and keep his true love.
ReplyDeleteHis peers may question his moral compass, but I think that it is his demeanor that makes his friends think he is so uptight. By his words and thoughts, I think that Jake is a much more moral person than he comes off being. Since he was injured in the war, he has lost his complete manhood, and therefore he has to compensate by being less personable out in public.
This brings me to the point of the Lost Generation. He is definitely a part of this generation because he was wounded in battle. He has felt the effects of the war first hand. He no doubt would be a completely different person if he was not injured, just like all the other wounded soldiers. He deals with this injury by being less personable, but not less moral.
In response to Brittany's and Hannah's discussion, I think a good way to definite it would be similar to how Brittany put it in class the other day: that the expatriates just want to get through the day being alive. Perhaps its not specifically survival that they're concerned about, but more of just living life as they have it from the war.
ReplyDeleteI think Joe's point about Jake not having a huge motivation in a larger scale rings very true. Which comes to question though: What causes Jake to be so pessimistic/cynical? I think a lot of us has pointed this back to what we believe his "motivation" to be, his past and possibility his disability that allows him to be bitter towards other men.
Casey's point of Jake having lost hope in humanity does touch on Jake's bitterness, but does it also bring to light some redeeming qualities of Jake? We know that he is capable of feeling for love, as he longs for a relationship with Brett. But it seems rather unfortunate that Jake is limited by his injury for that case. Perhaps this liability for Brett is reflected, in turn, to all the people around him: That he cannot commit fully to people just because he cannot fully commit to Brett. This may seem like an odd kind of logic, but what else is there for Jake to care about?
Also, is Jake entirely sure of his person during the whole novel? I don't feel so, even though his character is one of the ones who stay the same the entire book (as opposed to Cohn and maybe even Brett). To me, Jake seems to be "stuck" at a certain viewpoint of the world, tied down by his past and his stripped potency for the world. Just my thought.
I think that Jake is most motivated to act and lead the lifestyle that he does because he is insecure about his injury and is haunted by his
ReplyDeletememories of the war. Although Hemingway is vague about Jake’s injury, it is clear that he is ashamed of it and that it affects his relationships, especially with Brett. His love for her is complicated and it is most likely due to his injury and the fact that she worked at the same hospital where he was during the war. This also leads me to believe that his
memories of the war and the trauma that he suffered are what have left him feeling listless, detached and unsettled. In everything that he does Jake actually seems very unmotivated. He doesn’t put much effort into his friends, unless eating or drinking is involved. He even goes so far as to think of ways to get rid of them when they have problems. A good example of this occurs when Cohn is feeling upset and wants to go to South
America; clearly Jake doesn’t want to talk about it so he says, “I had discovered the best way to get rid of friends. Once you had a drink all you had to say was: ‘Well, I’ve got to get back and get off some cables,’
and it was done” (19).This clearly shows his disinterest in dealing with friends, especially when they are having problems.
Jake is a good example of the lost generation because is disillusioned and detached from others and the world around him. He is careless with his friendships and his money and spends his time drinking away his problems.
His inability to connect with others on a deeper level (ex/ Brett and Cohn) shows that he is truly detached from others.Additionally, he is also nonchalant about his job, and it seems that it is just a convenient way for him to make money but he is not interested in what he writes about. Instead of finding something that interests him he surrounds himself with other eccentric people who are artists, writers, or entertaining alcoholics. To me these things are all indicators of a lost
soul. As for Jake’s moral compass I am not sure. I’m positive he has one but I think it points him in directions that we as readers cannot necessarily identify with. In general a moral compass should tell you what is right
and wrong, and hopefully point you in the right direction. For Jake this isn’t true by our own standards, but maybe he is doing what is right for him at the time. He has been through a traumatic experience, one that I
certainly cannot relate too. Perhaps what he always thought was moral was changed by the war, and thus his “moral compass” has changed as well. Since I cannot completely understand the things he went through, and Hemingway is again vague on this point, I don’t feel sure in judging Jake’s moral compass. I think that in general Jake’s lifestyle is not something I would want for myself, but I don’t think it’s overly harmful and perhaps it will change as he comes to terms with his experiences.
I think that Jake is motivated purely by his appetites and convience at the beginning of the novel. Although he abides by a level of integrity or rules that his group of friends follow, he does not really seem set to obtain any goals. The only thing he seems to pursue is Brett but he is not troubled if she sleeps with other men regularly. Jake is motivated to drink and enjoy the company of whomever seems to drop in. We have talked in class of how he seems to be like a soldier on leave from the war who satiates his appetites without guilt. I find this particularly true for Jake. After his service in World War I, I think Jake is rejecting the honorable civilized life he may have led before. After seeing the damage that being serious and following the rules can do, Jake is content to simply consume and think of himself. He has lost a sense of achievement and seems to think that the relationships he maintains and the way he treats his close friends are what really matters. As for a moral compass, there are many references to christianity. I believe that he still thinks of those values but is rejecting the structure and command the church may have. While he does not reflect all of the christian values in his current life style, I expect him to pursue a very personal journey back to christianity. While this may not involve going to church every sunday it may involve personal prayer and a gradual aleration of actions.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Jake has lost his moral compass due to the tragedy he experienced in the war. The reader is able to see his disbelief in religion as he sarcastically refers to the Catholic faith stating “to hell with people. The Catholic Church has an awfully good way of handling all that”(39). Jake seems to be morally lost as he spends most of his time drinking and partying with his frivolous friends. Hemmingway never clearly tells the reader that Jake and his companions are complacent people but their activities subtly hint their true character. None of the characters truly seem satisfied or ecstatic with their lifestyle instead they constantly complain how unhappy they are. Brett’s first words to Jake are “oh darling, I’ve been so miserable”(32). I don’t believe that Jake has no moral character; I just believe that it has been lost and concealed heavily instigated by the war.
ReplyDeleteResponse to Alex Gual:
I agree with what Alex is saying. Jake lost his “masculinity” in the war and now he has to live with it. I don’t view Jake as an extremely angry character rather I think he is driven by bitterness. The contempt he feels against the homosexual men is initiated by his lack of masculinity. Jake does not seem able to overcome this resentment and his pessimism for life aides in Hemmingway’s depiction of the Lost Generation. Nothing can pacify Jack and so he remains a spiteful character that uses alcohol and debauchery to appease the pain.
After reading James’ post and reflecting on some class discussions, I too noticed elements of religion involved in Jake’s exploits. Jake’s personality undergoes a change by the end of the novel. He is initially a pure hedonist, involving himself exclusively with pursuits that have short term rewards. As the story lengthens, Jake becomes multi-dimensional. We learn of his constructive passions, fishing and bullfighting, the latter which allows him to relate to other individuals in a scenario that doesn’t necessarily involve drinking. Though Jake is still clearly a lush at the end of the book, he is able to relate to Brett’s feelings. He finally realizes that he cannot be with her romantically, but that they will remain friends. I think that Jake redeems his hedonistic personality by learning to be unselfish. He makes several references to Catholicism and redemption is an incredibly important premise of the Catholic faith. This is no coincidence seeing as Hemmingway struggled with his faith personally, perhaps the positive tone of the conclusion and even the title of the novel reveal Hemmingway’s desire for self-redemption.
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