The Lost Souls

The Lost Souls

"God is dead". This statement by Nietzsche is reminiscent of how many of the characters in Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises broke away from traditional foundations of Western culture. This modernist novel illustrates how World War I stripped away peoples concepts of morality, justice, and faith. The values and beliefs that were once accepted by all and gave meaning to life became null, due to what so many had experienced physically, mentally, and otherwise from the war. Many were left lost, feeling as if their life had no more meaning. Hemingway depicted "the Lost Generation" particularly through the characters Jake Barnes, and Lady Brett.

The Sun Also Rises is an exemplary model of what the lost generation symbolizes for Hemingway. Jake Barnes and Brett Ashley adhere only to their own moral codes and agendas-much of which summarizes the lost generation movement. The characters Jake and Brett reflect "the Lost Generation", in that they feel as if there is no longer anything left to believe in. Their lives that were once filled with living, loving, and meaning were replaced by mindless distractions, empty feelings and activities such as drinking, philandering, lust and other types of sin. Despite the fact that Jake, Brett, and the other characters spend their lives in a continuous revel their happiness is still not fulfilled.

Jake Barnes particularly exemplifies himself as a part of "the Lost Generation", both mentally and physically. First, it is important to realize an evident point: the fact that Barnes fled the United States because he wanted to live in a climate where the social standards would not prohibit him from living in a more indulgent and relaxed environment. Barnes (who is most often referred to as "Jake" in the novel) originally led a life that can be summed up as respectable. Barnes served time in the war (and was injured as a result), and came back home to the United States where he worked as a newspaper journalist. He ends up getting tired of his life in the United States and thus decides to head to Paris to write. While there, Barnes eventually becomes engrossed in the sophisticated and care-free nature of Paris, and eventually surrenders to living life as he likes it: alcoholism, avoiding any type of physical labor, and pleasure seeking. Barnes fails to neither realize, nor really care that his life has become little more than decadence. "Decadence" is the term applied to the addictive habits often employed by a person who is trying to mitigate feelings of angst and travail (Curnett 98). It becomes evident that Barnes has become disillusioned, which is another character trait seen in the expatriate lost generation movement.

Disillusionment is further evident in Barnes. Barnes' war-incurred injury has made him sexually impotent. In the novel Hemingway alludes to the fact that Jake is no longer capable of to have sexual intercourse, due to a war injury which left him impotent, and unable to satisfy a woman. This ailment not only leaves him feeling physically inadequate, but it also causes him to be insecure about his masculinity. However, Barnes still has romantic urges, both intellectually and sexually. This can be seen in the beginning of the novel, when readers are introduced to a prostitute named Georgette LeBlanc. Though Barnes is unable to have sexual transactions with the prostitute, he hires her anyway, for, as he declares, "[I had] a vague sentimental idea that it would be nice to eat with some one," (Hemingway 24). Barnes even goes so far as to pose LeBlanc as his fiancee.

After the war, Jake is left feeling like less of a man. This ailment and insecurity is further implemented by Lady Brett of whom Jake is in love with, but cannot have due to his physical hindrance. However, the character flaws of disillusionment, indulgence, and the reach of non-traditional values are not traits that are limited to Barnes, Lady Brett Ashley, also shows these traits throughout the novel.

Lady Brett's character is slightly more complicated than Jake's; however, she is still someone who is most definitely lost. Brett is a beautiful woman who carries much charisma, and independence. Much of her traits defy those of traditional females and are more reflected of that of a man. She is a strong and powerful woman, and at times her liberating behavior is destructive to those around her. Ashley is symbolic of not only the liberal social values of the lost generation, but also displays a certain assertive quality that many female characters did not possess in earlier literature. Ashley, is a British woman of thirty-four years of age, and is also a widow (her husband was killed in World War I). However, she ends up not staying single for long and ends up being engaged to a man named Michael Campbell. Ashley is a trendy woman and tends to abide by a more sexually-liberal moral code much like that of a "flapper". Barnes and Ashley spend much time together during the duration of the novel. While together, Barnes and Ashley express romantic interest in each other. However, both fail to ever develop a true romantic relationship. Mostly because Barnes realizes that he cannot sexually perform,