MICROSOFT
Modernism
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
5/1/2012
Abstract
This paper defines the movement of modernism and explains how Ernest Hemingway’s
novel, The Sun Also Rises, supports the major ideals of the modernist movement, making it a
product of its time. The modern characteristics represented in the novel are identified as the
critique of traditional values, a sense of alienation in a corrupt world, a new portrayal of reality
through reduction, and the understanding of the psychological underpinnings of human emotion.
These qualities are defined and supported by authoritative criticism and in text citations from the
novel. In addition, each of these qualities is further supported by highlighting its representation
in other modern work, more specifically in three different genres of art. The three modern artists
that are used to defend the presence of the four qualities are Coco Chanel as a designer, Edward
Hopper, as a painter, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe as an architect. As the words of
Hemingway are paralleled to the works of his fellow modernist thinkers, the question as to
whether or not The Sun Also Rises is a modern novel is proven.
Table of Contents
1. Definition of Modernism…………………………………………………………………1
2. Cultural Influences of Modernism………………………………………………………1-2
3. Explanation of Lost Generation…………………………………………………………...2
4. Changes in Painting, Fashion, and Architecture during 20th Century…………………..3-4
5. Background on Hemingway and The Sun Also Rises…………………………………….5
6. (Re)presentation of Reality through Reduction…………………………………………6-9
7. House at Dusk…………………………………………………………………………..7
8. Little Black Dress by Chanel……………………………………………………………8
9. Farnsworth House……………………………………………………………………….9
10. Critique of Traditional Values…………………………………………………………9-13
11. Sportswear Shirt by Chanel……………………………………………………………12
12. Barcelona Pavillion by Mies van der Rohe…………………………………….……12-13
13. Sense of Alienation…………………………………………………………..……….14-16
14. Nighthawks by Hopper……………………………………………………….………….16
15. Understanding the Psychological Underpinnings of Human Emotions……………16-19
16. Chanel and Hairstyle…………………………………………………………………..18
17. Two on the Aisle……………………………………………………………………....19
18. Conclusion………………………………………………………………………….21-22
19. Appendix…………………………………………………………………………..23-25
20. Works Cited………………………………………………………………………..26-36
Sydney Baril
English 12
Mr. Wyllie
5/2/12
Modernism in The Sun Also Rises
In the late 19th and early to mid-20th centuries, the movement of Modernism had begun
and was growing in popularity. It was a time in which cultural changes were being made in
response to devastating world events like World War 1 and the Great Depression. Major
qualities that summarized the changes during the Modern period are the critique of traditional
values, a sense of alienation in a corrupt world, a new portrayal of reality through reduction, and
the understanding of the psychological underpinnings of human emotion. Modernism and its
core qualities are a vital element to Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises making it a product
of its time.
Modernism was an era of time that brought about changes in the worlds of literature, art,
and society in general. These changes were a result of a discomfort towards the traditional order
of Victorian society that had built up over time, and after world changing events, could not be
ignored. In spite of the way the world had been conducted, writers, artists, and humans alike
began breaking down traditional values and customs and innovating new ideals in philosophy,
art, order, and life. The trigger of modernism is arguably the devastation of World War 1 and its
aftermath. ("Modernism") The horror and destruction of morality that came from the war could
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not be sustained by the modes of pre-modern ideals, and therefore a new way to represent the
desolation of society had to be created. (Reuben) In addition to the impacts of the war, the world
was undergoing a serious progression in the field of technology. This progressing
industrialization called for an entirely new order in society. As rural life was dwindling and city
life boomed changes in the world were at a high. The rate at which the world was progressing
called for a change in the way in which the feelings and perspectives of the people were
expressed. Modernism veered away from traditional modes of art and literature in respect to
content and form. The designers, painters, writers and architects used “experimentation in form
in order to present differently, afresh, the structure, the connections, and the experience of life.”
(Lye) Not only were artists and writers experimenting with their subjects, but also in the way the
presented their work. (Lye)
Although the wars effects greatly impacted the world as a whole, the most impacted
group was those who actually participated in the war. Ernest Hemingway depicts this genre of
people in his famous novel, The Sun Also Rises. These people became classified as the “Lost
Generation”, or the group of postwar veterans who had lost all sense of hope and ambition, while
the rest of the world was able to continue progressing. (Matterson) The term Lost Generation
was coined by Gertrude Stein, an expatriate writer and companion of Hemingway, when she told
the manager of her car garage that:
Every man becomes civilized between the ages of 18 and 23. If he does not go
through a civilizing experience at that time of his life, he will not become a
civilized man. The men who went to war at 18 missed the civilizing…All you
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young people who served in the war are a lost generation. You have no respect for
anything. You drink yourselves to death. (Stein)
Stein’s quote became a famous reference when studying this group of individuals. Being a
veteran of the war himself, Hemingway creates a vision of postwar mentality based on his
personal experiences. The Sun Also Rises in particular represents the feelings of alienation and
separation from the rest of society that this lost generation felt. ("Ernest HemingwayBiography")
These feelings of aftershock and search for understanding in this time of corruption were
felt in all spectrums of the world from society to artists. Even those who had no participation in
the war felt this need to find a way to express the feelings of chaos and devastation throughout
the world. This desire to represent different and deeper ideas brought about a need for
advancements and innovations in all mediums art expression. (Reuben) In paintings, artists
began painting untouched subject matter that helped to fill in the cracks or inabilities of
traditional painting, and therefore successfully represent the struggles of society. Many painters
focused on the isolation found in city life during this time period. These portrayals of alienation
and isolation became themes in modern art. (Elkins et al.).
Another genre in which changes emerged was the fashion industry. Because women
were given opportunities during the war that had been previously dealt to men, they expected to
remain at this elevated position in society once the war had ended. With these new positions
came new and more masculine apparel. These new clothes were designed from a more practical
and simplistic standpoint and gave women a more serious and able image. This move towards
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modern apparel was sparked a movement known as feminism, which fought for the rights of
women in a society where men dominated. Equality for women greatly represents the Modern
movement in its main purpose of changing the standards of traditional society that kept women
in a subordinate position. (Inoue)
In addition to the advancements that were being made in literature, painting, and fashion,
the art of architecture was also undergoing a period during which traditional methods were
analyzed and new methods were experimented with. A specific movement within modern
architecture that countered the ideals of traditional style was the International Style, which was
characterized by:
rectilinear forms; light, taut plane surfaces that have been completely stripped of
applied ornamentation and decoration; open interior spaces; and a visually
weightless quality engendered by the use of cantilever construction.
(Encyclopedia Britannica)
The concepts that make up the International Style were developed at the Bauhaus School in
Germany which operated from 1919-1933 and was run by many of the most prominent modern
architects such as, Walter Gropius and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. (Winton) The Bauhaus
school “had a great impact on the Modern Movement in architecture, embracing functionalism
and rationality and condemning ornament.” (Bauhaus Center) The purpose of stripping designs
of all ornamentation was to fully rely on materials such as glass, steel and concrete to make that
design beautiful. (Uitohven) The goal of modern architecture, and the international style in
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particular, was to reduce the amount of excess decoration, design using geometric or simple
lines, and use materials such as glass and steel.
The changes in all of these genres parallel the experimentation found in Ernest
Hemingway’s The Sun also Rises. Just as painters sought to portray more striking content as
their subject matter, Hemingway writes about a group of individuals who had become outcasts
and purposefully forgotten as a way of moving on after the war. The innovations in the world of
fashion are also greatly represented by Hemingway’s novel by the character of Brett, who
symbolizes the “new woman” or a woman who embraced the idea of female empowerment. The
reduction of excess ornamentation in modern architecture corresponds to Hemingway’s
(re)presentation of reality through spare dialogue and understatement.
Ernest Hemingway, an American born writer began his career after his involvement in
World War 1. After joining an Italian ambulance unit, he was wounded and honored by the
Italian government. Hemingway came back to America briefly, only to be pestered by his family
and friends to find a job and forget about his traumatic experiences in the war. Hemingway’s
psychological trauma isolated him in a community that had continued to move forward despite
the war. To escape this alienation, he returned to Europe as an expatriate writer in Paris. Here
he met his first wife, Hadley Richardson, with whom he traveled to Pamplona Spain where they
enjoyed the festivities and bull fights. From these experiences in Spain, Hemingway based the
Sun Also Rises, his novel which focused on a group of expatriates that defined the term the lost
generation through their hopeless thoughts and aimless actions. (Ransom)
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As mentioned before, the defining theme of modernism is experimentation as a means of
breaking away from traditional values and customs. An aspect of traditional art that was
discarded in particular was the use of excessive detail and adornment. The modernist branch that
practiced this change became known as minimalism. Although the term minimalism was not
coined until the 1950’s, earlier modernist thinkers were paving its path by incorporating it into
what constituted modernism. The goal of minimalism was to reveal the critical parts of a work
by removing all unnecessary additions. (Hudelson)
The quality of simplicity in modern literature can be seen through a reduction in
unnecessary “he said, she said” dialogue that was used in realist literature. Instead, modern
writers used local narrators, present in the action, to depict the happenings of the novel through
their own thoughts. This experimentation with perspectivism allowed writers to portray reality
more accurately. This literary quality of modernism can be classified as a (re)presentation of
reality or the way in which writers portrayed reality. (Lye) By “departing from the standard
ways of representing characters, and violating the traditional syntax and coherence of narrative
language by the use of stream of consciousness and other innovative modes of narration” modern
writers began to reign in that simplistic aura. (Reuben) This tactic was executed by Hemingway
in his novel the Sun Also Rises as a way to be recognized as an innovative and modern author,
not an apprentice, but a master. It is said of Hemingway’s writing style that "only the bare
happenings are recorded...emphasis is obtained by understatement and spare dialogue". (Hart)
In addition to the lack of dialogue, the discourse between characters that does exist tends to be
about irrelevant matters, which is representative of the ambitionless characteristic of the lost
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generation. Moreover, the author continued to create a simplistically modern novel by beginning
it without a focal point, something which was expected by readers. The novel begins with a
background on the character of Robert Cohn, and this is the only supporting information the
author gives the readers. Hemingway’s goal in the use of understatement was inspired by a
fellow writer, Fitzgerald, who advised him to "let the book's action play itself out among its
characters.” By revising and cutting out the excessive narrations, Hemingway had, in
Fitzgerald’s opinion created a modern novel. (Wagner-Martin[3-13])
As his career flourished,
Hemingway developed and explained a name for his prose style writing. He referred to it as the
“iceberg theory” saying,
If a writer of prose knows enough about what he is writing about he may omit
things that he knows and the reader, if the writer is writing truly enough, will have
a feeling of those things as strongly as though the writer had stated them. The
dignity of movement of the iceberg is due to only one-eighth of it being above
water. The writer who omits things because he does not know them only makes
hollow places in his writing. (Hemingway)
By instilling this theory of omission into his novel The Sun Also Rises, Hemingway shocked the
literary scene with his modernist approached novel. His insight in the art of writing made him
able to create works that were unusual but innovative in a way that made him recognized as a
modern writer.
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The modern concept of (re)presenting reality by withholding information and allowing
the viewer to perceive individually was also prevalent in the art of painting. One painter in
particular that utilized this tactic was Edward Hopper, an American born artist who focused on
painting scenes of city and rural life, while maintaining an eerie sense of isolation. Edward
Hopper was a private man who rarely commented on his work and throughout his career kept to
himself. In his paintings, Hopper targeted the feeling of alienation that he sensed among
American society, especially in city life. (Geldzahler)
Edward Hopper’s paintings that illustrated the isolation felt by city dwellers also
epitomized this modern tendency to retain facts and leave the viewer questioning the meaning
behind the painting. An example of this is Hopper’s House at Dusk (1935) (Figure 4), a painting
of an apartment building that appears to be almost abandoned, which represents another typical
theme of Hopper’s work, loneliness. However, all Hopper gives his viewers, is the top story of
the apartment building with only one visible occupant, steps that are mysteriously cut off by the
darkness, and a single lamp post. This lack of information leaves the viewer wondering things
such as where the building is, why it is empty, and who actually lives in it. Hopper’s ultimate
goal in producing a work with no excess details or background information is to let his viewers
gather their own conclusions. (Furman)
In addition to the literary world, the fashion industry was also experiencing a rebel
against overly adorned clothing. This movement to create simple yet elegant clothing was spearheaded by Coco Chanel, a designer of women’s clothing during the early twentieth century.
After growing up as an orphan and working hard to make a living, Chanel understood the trials
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and needs of the middle class women of her time. She wanted to encourage women to be more
proactive and fight for equal opportunities, but she knew that the current standards of dress
would inhibit women from reaching their full potential. As a way to combat that issue, Chanel
used her talent as a milliner to design clothing for the modern woman. Her own ambitious
character and her understanding of what women wanted helped her become an extremely
successful fashion designer. (Inoue)
Chanel was famous for her understanding of the needs of women in regards to fashion.
Women of the 20th century required simple clothes that allowed them freedom in movement and
ultimately the ability to undergo tasks that were previously off limit to women. “Chanel tried to
create a style for the 'modern woman', as she was called, that was comfortable, practical, and
compatible with an active life.” (Roberts) To accomplish this, Chanel used less constricting
fabric like jersey knit and designed pieces with better tailoring. In all of her clothing “Chanel
appropriated tailoring details from riding habits, men's wear, and service uniforms in her quest to
reduce and refine women's clothing to its simplest and most elegant.” (Krick) Chanel’s most
famous example of her niche for simplistic design was her innovation of the “little black dress”
(Figure 5), which exemplified the practicality of the jersey knit material that would become a
staple in not only her designs but for years to come. In 1927 American Vogue paralleled the
dress to the Ford for its outrageous popularity and its versatility as day or evening attire.
(Druesedow)
Another genre of art that is noted for its reduction of excess decoration during the modern
period is architecture. Minimalism, which can be defined as, “a style or technique (as in music,
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literature, or design) that is characterized by extreme sparseness and simplicity” (Merriam
Webster), really came into play in the field of design. The work of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe,
in particular is representative of the modern architecture that used simplicity to express a new
architectural style. Mies was a German architect who began his career in Berlin around 1915
and later traveled to America to continue his work in the international style. His buildings
typically consisted of minimal framework and very open spaces to create a flowing feeling.
(Arenales) Mies used straight lines and cubic forms in design to produce a geometric shape
within his buildings, which exemplified the clarified look that modern architects were aiming
for. He will be remembered as “the architect, who was often known only as “Mies,” [who] used
"modern" materials – industrial steel and glass – to create the "bones" of interiors, while
emphasizing open spaces and simplicity.” (Driscoll) The designs of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
are considered the best representation of the modern architecture movement. (Barreneche)
One of Mies’ works that most effectively uses this idea of minimalism is the retreat house
he built for Edith Farnsworth known as the Farnsworth House (Figure 6), and it is the only
residential building designed by Mies in the United States. This house is known for its “skin and
bones” framework consisting simply of steel and glass. The house is completely see through and
the body of the house is undivided, disregarding the walls for the bathroom. The floor plan of
the house is a perfect representation of the ideals of architectural minimalism. (Perez) The
Farnsworth House Figure 6) is free of every possible detail of traditional living from doors and
walls to furniture and windows. Although many distasted the house, it was still revered by many
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modernists for its sincere simplicity. (Vock) Mies had finally built what he had been aiming
towards for decades, a building in its most purified state. (“History”)
A key quality of the Modernism era was the idea of “avant-garde”, which can be simply
defined as “of or pertaining to the experimental treatment of artistic, musical, or literary
material”. This experimentation was a result of the contemporary artists’ critique of traditional
values. As the effects of the war greatly changed the world’s morality, the artists and writers
were the first to point out what was wrong with the way the world was being conducted. Their
distastes of the current state were rooted in a general loss of hope in the modern world (Lye).
One of the greatest concerns of the modernist thinkers was the impractical and prejudice hold on
the opportunities of women. This strive for change was unprecedented in this field, yet the
reason for the issue’s existence remained unsupported. As the world was progressing through
industrialization and times of hardship, the fight for women to progress as well came into play.
The idea of the “new woman” or a woman who “pushed past the example of the
preceding generation by infringing on the masculine in her physical appearance as well as in her
level of education and career choice by combining masculine and feminine traits” (Yu) was
becoming popular in the culture as well as in literature. New concepts that challenged traditional
order, like feminism gained speed through the support of literature. By representing these goals
in fiction, the task of changing tradition seemed more realistic. As a prime example of this,
Hemingway uses the main female character, Lady Brett Ashely, in the Sun Also Rises as a
symbol of female empowerment and an overall demand for change in society. Her character
represents a modern woman through her physical appearance and her ability to be in demand.
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She could even be considered androgynous at time, embodying both female and male
characteristics. In particular, her looks, although attractive, are considered quite masculine at the
time. As one of her many admirers, Jake, put it,
Brett was damned good looking, she wore a slipover jersey sweater and a tweed
skirt, and her hair was brushed back like a boy's. She started all that. She was built
with curves like the hull of a racing yacht, and you missed none of it with that
wool jersey. (Hemingway [29-30])
In his description, Jake points out all of her physical male attributes. The first was her masculine
haircut, which stood out in contrast to the long and symbolic hair of a traditional Victorian
woman (Yu). In addition to her hairstyle, Brett’s choice of clothing was arguably masculine. At
the time, jersey was a fabric which was mainly used for men’s undergarments but because of its
practicality and cheap price was becoming a staple in women’s fashion. Although Brett’s
appearance is symbolically masculine, her main display of unprecedented female power can be
seen through her ability to demand attention. Throughout the novel, she carries out four obvious
relationships, disregarding the odd amounts of men whom she left pining. After being recently
divorced and newly engaged, Brett uses her natural charm to endure two separate affairs and
keep her close friend Jake devotedly in lust of her. This ability to feel no sense of connection or
commitment to one single lover is an obvious male characteristic. Although she does admit to
knowing who she wants to marry in the end, it doesn’t stop her from being as unfaithful as any
bachelor. Hemingway’s use of a female character to represent the trending feminist movement
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highlights the modern quality of critiquing traditional values in the Sun Also Rises. (Bryfonski
[97-107])
To parallel this trend found in the novel, another upcoming modernist thinker was
working to dissemble what she considered the flaws of traditional society through her own
means of making a change: that is fashion. Coco Chanel, being a woman herself, promoted this
movement by encouraging women to dress in a more comfortable and practical style that enabled
them to engage in activities that were otherwise restricted. In observance of the changes that
were occurring, Chanel commented that "A world was dying, while another was being born. I
was there, and opportunity came forward, and I took it". (Chanel) Whether or not fashion
actually made certain tasks easier, it certainly set modern women apart from their predecessors
and inspired them to strive for equality. Chanel’s innovative designs and use of materials
immediately set her apart from her contemporary designers. One of her earlier contributions to
the modern fashion industry was her use of jersey material. While in tradition this was still used
plainly for men’s undergarments, Chanel took advantage of its availability and practicality and
began using it for women’s clothing. (Metropolitan Museum of Art) Chanel continued to help
women embrace a masculine sense of power by incorporating ties, collars, and long cut tailored
jackets into her designs. For example, her shirt from her sportswear collection made of striped
jersey has a neck tie similar to that of a sailor’s uniform. (Figure 1) This detail suggests a
masculine approach to women’s clothing. Just as Brett represented the modern woman’s right to
express herself, Chanel’s design highlighted the progression of women in the avant-garde
movement.
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Although the feminist movement was gaining speed in the early twentieth century, it was
not the only outlet of the critique of traditional values. Many other genres of art were
experiencing periods of change. In particular, the art of architecture was undergoing a
reevaluation of style, material, form, and representation during the modernist movement. One of
the key modernist architects, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe used his talent to breakdown the current
standards of architecture and establish new meaning and technique to design. Upon reflecting
his career, “one might characterize the whole professional life of Mies as two interrelated poles
of disintegration and formation”. (Hartoovian) Mies was deeply inspired by the ongoing
industrialization of the world, particularly the advancement of technology and the role it could
play in architecture. One of Mies’ earliest works that kick-started his career was his contribution
to the International Exhibition in 1929, the Barcelona Pavilion (Figure 2), which was built with
the intention of representing Germany and its progressively modern nation. “The Pavilion was
constructed in 1929, and was a breakthrough in architecture at the time, not conforming to any of
the rules…The modernist style of the pavilion is accomplished by the simple clean lines that
create a seamless transition between the indoor and outdoor spaces.” (Ahern) A major
characteristic of traditional architecture that the modernist movement broke away from was the
excess of ornamentation and detail. The Barcelona Pavillion, along with many others of Mies’
work, represents his break with the excess of tradition and his experimentation with sleek and
elegant design. Every element of this pavilion, from the materials to the layout, highlights the
simplistic approach to modern architecture. Simple architectural lines are used in the
landscaping as well as in the pavilion itself. The simple geometric lines created by the
placement of the two reflecting pools embody the simple style of modern architecture. (Ahern)
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Instead of using thick traditional walls, Mies innovatively used steel bars to support the roof and
placed glass in between the bars, creating a smooth and modern transition between the ground
and ceiling. The subtle support of the roof from the steel bars and the transparent glass in
between makes the roof appear to be floating. (Barrett) This transitional roof blends the interior
and exterior by simply hanging over the body of the building as if it is weightless, when in
reality it is made of marble. (Ahern)
In addition to the minimalist quality found in his work, Mies also aimed to incorporate
modern materials like steel or glass that symbolized the presence of technology. These materials
helped him achieve that simplistic style that he aimed for as well as construct modern designs
that were previously impossible. For example, the roof of the Barcelona Pavillion appears to be
floating above the body of the glass building, while in reality it is being held up by thin steel
beams. The proficiency of the steel and the elegance of the glass enabled the architect to
construct a highly modern building. Mies van der Rohe’s accomplishments in modern
architecture are a result of his critique on the traditional methods of architecture and the
innovations he made to improve it.
One of the most defining events of the 1920’s that set the modernist movement in motion
was World War 1, a travesty that left the world in shambles. People found themselves
questioning their moral center and moral direction as a result of the shocking violence. (Lye)
However, people began to pick up the pieces and move on just like after any other tragedy. As
the world continued to operate as functionally as possible, the one group of people that couldn’t
keep up with the progression were left behind, that is the people who experienced the war first
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hand, the soldiers. This group of forgotten souls became known as the lost generation, defined
as a “disillusioned postwar generation characterized by lost values, lost belief in the idea of
human progress, and a mood of futility and despair leading to hedonism”. (Matterson) Most
soldiers suffered because of physical trauma, but they all suffered because of the psychological
trauma. The terrors of the war left them feeling hopeless in their ambitions, lost in their homes,
and most of all, alienated in a world where the pace of progression was at a high.
It is that sense of alienation that became a quality of the modernist movement. Writers
throughout the world, like Fitzgerald, Eliot, Pound and Hemingway focused on this alienated
group of individuals and the process they took to recover from the events of the war.
Hemingway in particular was able to express those feelings of isolation and alienation because of
his experiences in the war and what they led him to do. He became what is classified as an
expatriate, or someone who traveled to Paris as a writer during the twenties to escape the
pressures of American society. (Young [247-270]) In his novel The Sun Also Rises, Hemingway
tells the story of an American veteran named Jake, who moves to Paris to write and live a life of
ease, yet suffers internally from the war. Jake, along with many other characters in the novel
finds himself constantly on the outside of the social scene. His main issue or self conscious set
back is his injury from the war. Although it is never directly stated, it is clear that Jake’s
manhood was compromised in battle and he is no longer able to perform sexually. Without this
component, he is at a serious disadvantage in the competition for Brett’s heart. Jake’s insecurity
is brought to light in situations where he is alone and his mind is free to wander. When he lies in
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bed he finds himself unable to sleep and constantly thinking about Brett and his slim chances of
being with her. He admits to his pain saying:
My head started to work. The old grievance. Well, it was a rotten way to be
wounded and flying on a joke front like the Italian...Probably I never would have
had any trouble if I hadn’t run into Brett when they shipped me to England. I
suppose she only wanted what she couldn’t have...Then I couldn’t keep away
from it, and I started to think about Brett and all the rest of it went away.
(Hemingway [38-39])
Although Jake is clearly struggling through his emotionally trauma, he would never share his
concerns with his so called friends or even his aspiration, Brett. This lack of communication
isolates Jake from the community and his feeling of alienation only worsens with time. Jake’s
psychological alienation, brought on by war trauma and insecurity, are an example of
Hemingway’s use of a modernist literary quality.
The writers of the modernist movement were not the only artists to pick up on the
isolated individuals and there need to be represented by something powerful. In the art of
painting, Edward Hopper, although sometimes considered a realist artist, used this motif as focus
point in his works. Hopper’s work represents the same sentiment in regard to alienation as
Hemingway did in his novel, but it is rooted in different causes. As an American artist, he was
more affected by the Great Depression and therefore sought to use its hardships as a motivation.
Hopper wanted to portray the alienation found in city life as he “saw the city as a metaphor for
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human alienation”. (Cole and Gealt [299-300]) His work consisted of unspecific buildings or
scenes surrounded by empty space in which the characters’ lack of connection suggests the
obvious isolation of modern humans. (Kleiner, Mamiya, and Tansey [848-849]). In particular,
his painting entitled Nighthawks (Figure 3) is very representative of the disconnected ambiance
found in modern city life. It depicts an all-night diner in which three customers preside and
appear to be lost in their own thoughts. A tendency of Hopper’s embodied in this painting is the
indifference of the depicted characters which ultimately symbolizes the seclusion amongst
individuals in society. Another aspect of the painting that picks up on the theme of separation is
the lack of any sign of entry into the diner. Now, not only are the characters in the painting
secluded from each other, but they are also secluded from the rest of the world. In his painting,
nighthawks, Hopper creates a community in which every aspect is estranged, which symbolizes
modern society’s lack of continuity at a time when that sense of community was most needed.
(About this Artwork:)
Another aspect that affected the products of the Modern period was the writers and artists
ability to understand the psychological underpinnings of human emotions. It is said that
modernists explored the purpose of art: "…emotions or states of mind…spiritual order…social
function…the unconscious…the nature of representation…or the social role of art in a capitalist,
bourgeois society" (Little, 98) They were able to depict the despair and needs of society
because they had lived through the struggles of that time period as well. It was almost
unavoidable for artists to let their personal experiences influence their work.
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Hemingway, being a wounded victim of the war and an expatriate himself, the
connections between him and the main character of his novel The Sun Also Rises, Jake, are
obvious. Hemingway’s journey through the war, being wounded, having romance with a nurse,
and living the life of an expatriate is exactly how he depicted the life of Jake. From his personal
experience in the trauma of the war, Hemingway understood what the people of the lost
generation were going through and therefore knew how to portray them correctly. His
understanding of the psychological underpinnings of that generation’s emotions can be seen
through interior monologues of the characters in his novel. For example, one night after the war
as the Jake and his friends were eating and drinking he recollected about his dinners during the
war and thought:
It was like certain dinners I remember from the war. There was much wine, an
ignored tension, and a feeling of things coming that you could not prevent
happening. Under the wine I lost the disgusted feeling and was happy. It seemed
they were all such nice people. (Hemingway [150])
Jake reflects on the way he drank to forget the pain during the war and realizes that his means of
dealing with his pain hasn’t changed. As Jake’s feelings are revealed in his stream of
consciousness, Hemingway proves his understanding of what he and other war victims went
through. He recognized that these expatriates dealt with their trauma by drinking and ignoring
their problems, a sad and disappointing truth.
Baril 20
Similar to the way that Hemingway’s experiences influenced his writing, the lifestyle and
understanding of her fellow feminists helped Coco Chanel empower women and create a brand
for herself. Although the feminist movement was just beginning at the time, women of the 20th
still wanted to be recognized as powerful individuals. Chanel saw this desire in the women
around her and used her talents in the art of fashion design to help them. By giving women a
look that not only enabled them to be more active but made them appear more fierce and
determined, Chanel made a great contribution to role of women of her time. Because she was a
free thinking woman in her own right, she began the trend of wearing men’s clothing and having
an overall “boyish” look. She was known to borrow men’s clothing from her lovers because she
felt that she had more freedom in their tailored clothing. (Inoue) One of the ways in which
Chanel’s personal style impacted the standards of women’s appearance was through her haircut.
In part of sporting that “boyish” look, Chanel wore her hair in a short bob. “Coco Chanel, who
cut her hair in 1916, is often associated with the revolution in hairstyles.” (Roberts) Because of
her daring style, the short bobbed hair cut became a prominent look for the modern woman by
1918 and showed the difference between the women who were afraid to stand for themselves and
the women who were brave enough to make a difference. (Roberts) Chanel herself was at one
point a middle class woman who was fighting for equality alongside the women she would one
day design for. This experience as a feminist gave her the understanding of the needs of her
clientele that she needed to become a great fashion designer.
Edward Hopper also used his personal emotions in creating outsanding paintings during
the Great Depression era. As the United States was growing and changing during the early 20th
Baril 21
century, the nation was going through a period instability and uncertainty. His ability to portray
the feeling of isolation in society due to the hardships of his time period show his understanding
of what Americans were going through and the need for those feelings to be represented in art.
States Hopper rarely associated in large social scenes and it was hard to get him to reveal
anything about his artwork. Although he was a very quiet and stoic man, he was quoted saying
“Great art is the outward expression of an inner life in the artist, and this inner life will result in
his personal vision of the world. No amount of skillful invention can replace the essential
element of imagination.” (Hopper) He allowed his struggles to influence his art knowing that it
is the incorporation of personal experience that makes a work of art great. When commenting on
the obvious lack of communication between the characters in his paintings, Hopper admitted to
the possibility of letting his personal feelings influence his painting saying, “It’s probably a
reflection of my own, if I may say, loneliness. I don’t know. It could be the whole human
condition.” (Hopper) This aura of disconnection can be seen in his painting Two on the Aisles,
which depicts three people attending the theatre who all sit within a close proximity, yet make no
effort socialize. Hopper’s portrayal of an alienated society is most likely a reflection upon his
own feelings of how the world, Americans in particular, socialize. Based on his
acknowledgement of the lack of communication amongst society it is safe to say that Hopper
inputs his own feelings into his work as an understanding of the psychological underpinnings of
human emotion. (Levin)
Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises is a perfect representation of the modernist
movement and the qualities that constituted it. The style and themes within the novel symbolizes
Baril 22
the periods tendency to critique the traditional values that were considered standard. As
Hemingway adapted his writing style, he conformed to the modern method of (re)presenting
reality through reduction. The characters and personal input from Hemingway highlight the
feelings of alienation that the lost generation, a modernist group, dealt with. By reflecting on his
own experiences and working them into the novel, Hemingway created a highly acclaimed
modern novel. All of these qualities that Hemingway used in writing The Sun Also Rises
paralell the characteristics of the masterpieces of many famous modern artists such as Edward
Hopper, Coco Chanel, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.
Baril 23
Appendix
Figure 1
Shirt, Coco Chanel, 1935
Figure 2
Barcelona Pavillion, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, 1929
Baril 24
Figure 3
Nighthawks, Edward Hopper, 1942
Figure 4
House at Dusk, Edward Hopper, 1935
Baril 25
Figure 5
Little Black Dress, Coco Chanel, 1927
Baril 26
Figure 6
Farnsworth House, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, 1951
Figure 7
Two on the Aisle, Edward Hopper, 1927
Baril 27
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