Significance of the Title of The Sun Also Rises
The title of Ernest Hemingway's first book is The Sun Also Rises, which comes from a verse in the Bible. The title is an apt depiction both of the despair of the Lost Generation of which Hemingway was a part as well as the potential for optimism in the perpetual rising of the sun.
The words of the Preacher, the son of
David, king in Jerusalem. Vanity of vanities, faith the Preacher, vanity of
vanities; all is vanity. What profit hath a man of all his labour which he
taketh under the sun? One generation passeth away, and another generation
cometh: but the earth abidethfor ever. The
sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place
where he arose. The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the
north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to
his circuits. All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full.
These seven verses paint a picture of
despair in which whatever one does is as nothing. Working (laboring) yields
nothing, the winds are capricious, and the seas are never full. despite the
waters continually pouring into them. The one constant is the earth, as
demonstrated by the sun rising, setting, and rising again no matter what else
is happening.
Hemingway was part of what is called the
"Lost Generation," a group of expatriate writers and artists who
found real meaning in nothing as they spent their time reveling in their
sinfulness while living in Europe. The picture of despair surrounding verse
five (the sun also rises reference) is typical of what he and the others who
were living this life felt, disillusioned by the materialism of post-war
America.
While the context of the verse/title is
despair, there is also hope. Though everything seems hopeless, the sun will rise again tomorrow, and then it will
do so again the next day...and the next. There is not much hopefulness in this
novel, as the final words indicate:“Oh, Jake,” Brett said, “we could have had
such a damned good time together.”
Ahead was a mounted policeman in khaki directing traffic. He raised his baton. The car slowed suddenly pressing Brett against me.“Yes,” I said. “Isn’t it pretty to think so?”
Ahead was a mounted policeman in khaki directing traffic. He raised his baton. The car slowed suddenly pressing Brett against me.“Yes,” I said. “Isn’t it pretty to think so?”
Despite that hopelessness about what
might have been (but never really could have been), there is a glimmer of
hope for the future of the Lost Generation in the rising of the sun.
Thank you for this! Very insightful
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