Ernest Hemingway
The Sun Also Rises
The Sun Also Rises
• The Sun Also Rises is a 1926 novel written by American
author Ernest Hemingway about a group of American
and British expatriates who travel from Paris to the
Festival of San Fermín in Pamplona to watch the
running of the bulls and the bullfights.
• Jake, the narrator, is a war veteran who’s injury (which
is never really stated) has left him impotent. Who once
was quite a player is now an observer and also
infatuated with Brett Ashley, an ex of his who has since
the war moved on, seemingly because of his condition.
Dialogue
• What I’m going to focus on is Hemingway’s
remarkably liberal use of dialogue in the story.
• The dialogue excerpt I’m going to read is
during a lunch date between Jake, his friend
Cohn, and Cohn’s jealous wife. Jake brings up
taking a trip with Cohn.
"For God's sake," he said, "why did you say that about that girl in Strasbourg for? Didn't you see Frances?"
"No, why should I? If I know an American girl that lives in Strasbourg what the hell is it to Frances?"
"It doesn't make any difference. Any girl. I couldn't go, that would be all."
"Don't be silly."
"You don't know Frances. Any girl at all. Didn't you see the way she looked?"
"Oh, well," I said, "let's go to Senlis."
"Don't get sore."
"I'm not sore. Senlis is a good place and we can stay at the Grand Cerf and take a hike in the woods and come
home."
"Good, that will be fine."
"Well, I'll see you to-morrow at the courts," I said.
"Good-night, Jake," he said, and started back to the café.
"You forgot to get your paper," I said.
"That's so." He walked with me up to the kiosque at the corner. "You are not sore, are you, Jake?" He turned
with the paper in his hand.
"No, why should I be?"
"See you at tennis," he said. I watched him walk back to the café holding his paper. I rather liked him and
evidently she led him quite a life.
How does this author employ dialogue to great effect in
a particular scene or with a particular character?
• Hemingway uses what is referred to as the
“Iceberg Theory.” This story is highly complex
however very compressed.
• Hemingway uses dialogue to carry the reader
through the entire story.
• There is no plot in the sense that there are no
real twists or dramatic scenes, intrigue or internal
motives.
• Dialogue is strictly responsible for carrying the
reader throughout the entire story.
How does this author employ dialogue to great effect in
a particular scene or with a particular character?
• There is only dialogue, to the point where it is hard at times
to figure out who is speaking when. No character is dug
into too deeply except for Jake, the narrator.
• It has been said that Hemingway rewrote the book from a
first person perspective with Jake as the narrator.
• This, to me, is because Hemingway wanted to show the
reader that Jake felt he was mearly an observer of his life,
whereas his friends were really living it.
• There are several scenes in which Jake notes himself feeling
like he is “too far behind” to keep up with his friends lives
because of his injury that made him impotent.