Good The Role Of Jake Barnes As The Narrator In The Sun Also Rises Essay Example

Jakes Barnes is the central character in the novel The Sun Also Rises in written by Ernest Hemmingway. The story centers on him, therefore, making him the protagonist of the story. He is an American journalist from Kansas but in the novel, he lives and works in Paris. He is a war veteran too, who participated in the First World War from where he suffered an injury when he was at war in Italy. As the central character, he helps in the progression of the story because everything that happens in the novel points back to him either directly or indirectly. He is depicted as a hero in the novel because in a way, and he has to maneuver through his tragic experiences and life in Paris. He has a painful past that keeps reminding of where he has come from, and it is what stands in the way of his happiness.
As the central character and narrator, Jake is the voice of reason in the novel. Whereas the rest of the expatriates want to escape from the realities of the day and engage in what can be considered immoral, he goes on to engage himself in meaningful activities. He is an example that ought to be emulated because he has some measure of control over his life. He may have lost so much in the war and may have gotten disoriented, but the truth is that he gets the strength from inside of himself. He also finds solace in a busy work schedule because he states “the Editor and Publisher and I worked hard for two hours. Then I sorted out the carbons, stamped on a by-line, put the stuff in a couple of big manila envelopes and rang for a boy to take them to the Gare St. Lazare" (19). In contrast to Cohn, who sleeps in the big chair when he joins him at his work station is working, Jake is in no mood to lazy around. Perhaps his character sets him aside as the alternative of the rest of the group who are just a lazy lot.
The expatriates can be defined under one umbrella as the lost generation because they have resigned themselves to be driven by their fate, time, and their personal desires. It is for this reason that they have resigned to a life where they are driven by their impulses and pleasures such as drinking and sex. It is against this backdrop that Jake Barnes is put right in the middle of this generation, so as to illuminate the lives led by America’s expatriates as well as war veterans. They seem disillusioned, and do not appear to see anything good coming out of the First World War. Barnes is used to represent a lot more people who have lost all ambition in life, as they choose to overindulge in alcohol consumption because that is the only thing they are happy and comfortable doing.
Barnes also passes for the perfect example and spokesman of the rest of the expatriates, first because he has been accorded the role of the observer, and secondly because he is the narrator of the novel. As an observer, he gets to report the events that take place in Paris and the lives of the rest of the expatriates. He is, therefore, the human window and it is through him that the reader gets a preview of the happenings in the lives of the rest of the characters in the novel.
Barnes is also an excellent example of the war veterans who came out of the war with an injury. As the narrator and as part of the characters that help develop the story; he is pitted against other characters that are considered perfect for health, but not emotionally. The war may have inflicted upon his physical trauma, but the rest of the crew have emotional trauma and that makes them one of a kind. It is because they share both in physic and emotion that is why they end up leading an aimless life. Jake, as the central character, is used to show how the war and happenings in society can rob an individual of their confidence, personality and will to conform to mainstream society. He lost his physical self through the war and ended up being detached from the world.
Jake just like the rest of the expatriates is looking for a way to escape from the real world and the responsibilities they ought to shoulder. He is not like the remainder of the expatriates for instance, Robert Cohn, who is willing to lie bare his thoughts and emotions. Cohn even goes on to announce to the world that Brett has rejected him. On the contrary, Jake refuses to admit defeat, and he knows how to defend himself at all times. He is a hero in his rights because when faced with a challenge he always finds a way out. It is not surprising that he goes fishing with Bill, in as much as he understands that that does not solve all his problems, and he acknowledges the fact that it does help. He tells Cohn that 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. There's nothing to that" (Hemmingway 18). He is the sound of reason as he offers others advice that he has had over the years.
When looking at how well be tells the story, one can judge him as an excellent narrator because, first of all, he is not judgmental of any of his colleagues. He is very keen on everything and lets the reader into his world without concealing any of his shortcomings or anything that could self- cleanses him. Whereas he presents the other characters as they are with all their shortcomings, he does not spare himself. Also, he gives a clear account of how money is spent and all that it is used to buy. This attribute passes him for a honest person who can be relied on by the reader, to tell the truth as it is without hiding anything. Another thing that makes him a good narrator is the fact that he says things as they are without changing them. For instance, when he talks about Brett, he gives a clear account of all her flaws and goodness in equal measure. One other thing that makes him a reliable person is the fact that he tries as much as possible to measure other people’s morals and uses that as a way of finding meaning in his life. There is no point in the novel that the reader starts questioning his morality, let alone his trustworthiness.