Title of the novel
“The Sun Also Rises” is
suggestive. There is certain
background and
expression behind it.
“The Sun Also Rises” comes from or is based upon a passage from
ecclesiastical. The passage is:
“One generation passeth away, and other generation cometh; but the earth abideth for
ever – The sun also rises and goth down and hasteth to the place where he arise -- ”
“The Sun Also Rises” is the novel about
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 making free sex. This generation has
two groups. One of them was
settled and 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 genital wound and other lost their
values. Brett Ashley has lost her
moral values for she has been and still is indulging into making free sex. She has had affairs with Robert Cohn, Jake Barnes and still yearns to make more and thus in the end has affair with Pedro Romero. Mike Campbell is shown or told
bankrupt which indicates that he has lost
economic values. Robert is also
victim of these evils. First he helps his mistress Frances and then spends with Brett Ashley who on one hand is trying to
take 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 their values is compare with the
setting sun.
On the other hand Pedro Romero, the young bull fighter
extends to content the group of expatriates. He is 19 years old and represents
young generation. He is called
“Messiah”and is said to have come to
save bull fighting from decadence. Bull is the symbol of
evil and corral is the symbol of
life. Pedro’s fight, in corral, with bull is in fact
man’s struggle or
fight against evil in life. Hence we can clearly observe that group of expatriates is the
victim of evils for they indulge in dancing, drinking and sex but Pedro Romero’s fight against bull reveals that he is
fighting against evils. Term
“Messiah” has specially been used for Romero which means
saviour. The sentence that he has come to save bull fighting means that he has come to
teach the people not to be victim of evils 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”.