In The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemmingway adopts the use of simple language to explore the ravages of World War I through his main character Jake. Interestingly, Hemmingway does not succumb to the temptation of using colorful adjectives to describe his characters and the events narrated in the novel. Instead, Hemmingway uses short and direct phrases that leave the reader in suspense. In addition, the style makes the writer omit many details that would have otherwise been useful in dissecting his characters as well as the themes and motifs discussed in the novel. Nonetheless, the style is likeable for its authenticity and realism. The use of a unique style of writing in The Sun Also Rises is deliberate; it is meant to leave room for the reader to make his or own judgment without imposing the author’s train of thought.
The Sun Also Rises is deceptively simple in language, but rich in style. The author does not shy away from using a style that many authors would not dare to touch. However, the style is intricately linked to the content. For instance, the novel uses a limited word-palette. The use of a single word or phrase to summarize is quite rampant in the novel. Hemingway uses “poetic” words that communicate effectively, but in a few lines. For example, in the conversation between George and Al, George says “Silver beer, bevo, ginger-ale”. George does not use a laborious description to the kind of drink that he likes. Such phrases are a commonplace throughout the novel. One question that is bound to arise is why Hemmingway uses a limited word-palette. The story is that his style borrowed from French, Spanish and Italian languages that have limited vocabulary compared to English. What Hemmingway liked about that is the manner in which the three languages could communicate effectively using few words.
The use of limited adjectives and prepositions is another style that the Hemmingway exploits fully in The Sun Also Rises. Instead, the author uses verbs and nouns to build the plot. For example, in the conversation between George and Al, George asks “what do they do here night?” To a keen reader, the phrase is missing the preposition during. However, this is not a mistake, but something that the author does deliberately. The author prefers the use of actual words instead of the abstract. The style is evident in the first part of The Sun Also Rises. The author avoids the use of hollow and graphic words to describe rivers, roads and streets; instead, Hemmingway uses real names of streets, dates, villages and regiments. The descriptions are augmented through the use of action verbs.
The modernist approach of writing appears to have delegated the use of adjectives to the back seat. It is a style that appeared unconventional at the time when the novel was written, but one that was a welcome break from the traditional approach to writing. Other styles of writing appeared rigid in their approach, something that hindered the fluidity of the author’s ideas and train of thought. Perhaps, it could be because of this reason that the author did not use much internal punctuation in the novel. However, it is not lost to the reader that the author uses visual art techniques to convey emotion. Although the use of visual art techniques cannot substitute the use of adjectives, it lends the novel the authentic that the author aims at achieving.
Nevertheless, the unique style helps to create a novel that the reader can move through quickly without the unnecessary baggage of elaborate and unnecessary details. The audience can also relate to the novel through the truncated and less scrappy actions; it is easy for the readers to feel the action with the polished wording. The journalistic style does not answer all the questions that the readers might have about the novel, but leaves the readers with what ifs scenarios. In addition, the novel does not simply recount events, but brings together different scenes without sticking to the traditional patterns and structures of experimenting with language during novel writing.
However, although the unique style used by Hemmingway in The Sun Also Rises gives the reader the leeway to interpret the text according to their own understanding it also misleading. For example, the political interests discussed in the novel may not be apparent to every reader; the theme appears subtle because the author does not bring the subject succinctly. In addition, there is lack of a clear relationship between one sentence and the next. The lack of clarity forces the reader to make the connections for themselves. The technique of moving from one line to the next without a clear transition mirrors the technique used in cinema to transverse form one scene to the next. For example, in the conversation between George and Al, a motorman came in and asked “Hello, George.can I get supper?” However, instead of answering the question in a direct manner, George says “Sam’s gone outhe’ll be back in about half an hour”.
In order to understand the underlying concepts, the reader has to fill the gaps that the author leaves intentionally. The implication is that different readers will have different interpretations of the same subject. The fact that the language used by the author is simple complicates the matter altogether. In a sense, the literal meaning of sentences prevents the reader from scratching the surface to understand the intricate political message contained therein. For a writer of Hemmingway’s stature, the author could describe one thing while something entirely different is the deep message. The approach mirrors the iceberg theory. Hemmingway’s belief in the philosophy of the iceberg is evident throughout the novel because the deep political theme in the novel is not immediately apparent to the author. Just like the case with the iceberg, the tip that appears on the surface does not indicate how big or small the underneath of the iceberg is. In the same manner, Hemmingway’s novel has manifestations of subtle political undertones, but the extent is beyond the grasp of the reader.
The intricate political message is the hopelessness of the “lost generation.” The lost generation is the one that was born during the World War I. In the novel, Jake and Brett represent the people born during that period. These are people who became psychologically and morally disoriented because of the ravages of the World War I. Jake and Bret resort to drinking and other escapist tendencies. Although Jake never tells his friends that he is aimless because of the war, his actions portray that his mental state of health has been devastated by the war. Although Jake and his friends engage in constant merrymaking by indulging in alcohol, they are never happy. The situation only makes them forget their troubles momentarily; indulging in alcohol abuse makes them forget the experiences they underwent during the war. Nonetheless, their deep sorrows remain unfulfilled and they remain a perpetual state of despair. Without a clear mention of this theme, the readers are left to use the context and the background when the novel was written in order to understand the deep political message contained in the novel.
In conclusion, in the novel The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemmingway uses a simple language of writing that appears simple, but hides the unique style adopted by the author. The approach adopted by the author is meant to summarize many ideas and sentences into single phrases and the use of few words. In adopting this technique, the author was influenced by languages such as Spanish, French and Italian that communicate effectively using few words. However, Hemmingway’s style of writing is also misleading when it comes to understanding the inner meaning of the novel. For example, it is not apparent to the reader the political message that the author discusses in the novel. The reader has to understand the behaviors manifested by the characters, and the context within which the novel was written in order to understand the subtle political message that the author explores in the novel. Therefore, the simplicity of his language is deceptive when it comes to understanding the themes and motifs discussed in the novel.
Works Cited
Dunn, Robert. Ernest Hemingway's the Sun Also Rises. Hauppage, NY : Barron's Educational Series, 1984. Print.
Hays, Peter L. The Critical Reception of Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises. London : Camden House, 2011. Print.
Hemmingway, Ernest. The Sun Also Rises, 8th edition. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2002. Print.
Reynolds, Michael S. The Sun also Rises, a Novel of the Twenties. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1998. Print.
Wagner-Martin, Linda. New Essays on The Sun Also Rises. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 1987.Print.
