The Sun Also Rises- Essay Modern feminist movements are obliterating age-old gender roles by specifically highlighting how men do not have to be spotless knights in shining armor.Throughout Ernest Hemingway’s novel The Sun Also Rises his characters represent specific cultural norms and in the case of Jake Barnes not being able to completely live up to what he should be disintegrates his psyche and slowly peels back and examines what it means to be a man. Traditionally, gender roles define a culture and an individual for example, men are supposed to be tough, strong and have no emotions which leaves room for women to be everything men are not however, in this novel the main focus is how these World War One veterans are having trouble dealing
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Jake and the other veterans have had chose between life and slaughter since joining the war and have not stopped. Veterans in general are outcasts for that exact reasoning in the sense that they have no one willing to analyse their trauma with and the rest of the population can never comprehend how truly horrific World War One was for the survivors. Thus the lasting effects fighting in World War One leaves Jake with more than just a sexual block; it cripples him emotionally because he cannot adequately overcome what he has experienced. Jake does possess a powerful coping mechanism to minimize his own emotions but unfortunately, Jake cannot erase the past. Assuming Jake realizes perfectly what he has lost, he must recognise on a unconscious level that if he had not partaken in World War One to affirm ‘his manhood’ he, ironically, would not have lost his most carnal ability of being a man and because of this revelation he cannot forgive his younger self for not knowing …show more content…
Jake comes daringly close to outright admitting he is impotent several times, most prominently when he says “It is awfully easy to be hard-boiled about everything in the daytime, but at night it is another thing” (Hemingway 34), Jake claims to be the ideal man during the day but, during the night when men perform sexually he is lacking substantially. Jake actually confessing to the world and himself that he is flawed could be a major step in overcoming how he feels inadequate as a man, but seeing that in a traditional viewpoint men are not intended to express themselves or concede to being weaker than any other man; Jake will not divulge his wound’s impact to keep his reputation intact.
Simply because Jake is male, not being able to procreate and continue his line is a major drawback and blow to his ego, because in America having children automatically gives a more responsible light to any person. Furthermore, Jake not even having possessing the possibility of future children isolates him from the other men who still have the capability to produce children. He does want to accept his imperfection and in doing so additionally secludes himself from even his best friend, Bill
Jake and the other veterans have had chose between life and slaughter since joining the war and have not stopped. Veterans in general are outcasts for that exact reasoning in the sense that they have no one willing to analyse their trauma with and the rest of the population can never comprehend how truly horrific World War One was for the survivors. Thus the lasting effects fighting in World War One leaves Jake with more than just a sexual block; it cripples him emotionally because he cannot adequately overcome what he has experienced. Jake does possess a powerful coping mechanism to minimize his own emotions but unfortunately, Jake cannot erase the past. Assuming Jake realizes perfectly what he has lost, he must recognise on a unconscious level that if he had not partaken in World War One to affirm ‘his manhood’ he, ironically, would not have lost his most carnal ability of being a man and because of this revelation he cannot forgive his younger self for not knowing …show more content…
Jake comes daringly close to outright admitting he is impotent several times, most prominently when he says “It is awfully easy to be hard-boiled about everything in the daytime, but at night it is another thing” (Hemingway 34), Jake claims to be the ideal man during the day but, during the night when men perform sexually he is lacking substantially. Jake actually confessing to the world and himself that he is flawed could be a major step in overcoming how he feels inadequate as a man, but seeing that in a traditional viewpoint men are not intended to express themselves or concede to being weaker than any other man; Jake will not divulge his wound’s impact to keep his reputation intact.
Simply because Jake is male, not being able to procreate and continue his line is a major drawback and blow to his ego, because in America having children automatically gives a more responsible light to any person. Furthermore, Jake not even having possessing the possibility of future children isolates him from the other men who still have the capability to produce children. He does want to accept his imperfection and in doing so additionally secludes himself from even his best friend, Bill