The Sun Also Rises~ Alienation

Alienation In the book The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway, the three main characters deal with some form of alienation. The characters who are alienated would be Jake, Brett, and Robert and each of them are dealing with a different type. Jake would be going through powerlessness where he doesn’t have any control over his problem as well as cultural estrangement. Brett is also dealing with powerlessness but also socially isolated. Robert is battling social isolation, normlessness and meaninglessness. This novel is one where the most important characters are set apart from each other due to problems that they encounter. Jake Barnes is not only one of the most important characters of the book but also the one who tell the story and tell the audience what is happening from his point of view. The fact that he is impotent is the root of his alienation. He is unable to have a relationship with women but more specifically, Brett. The only women he truly loves will not come into a relationship with him because he will not be able to satisfy her sexual needs. Jake is also dealing with cultural estrangement which means he is not one with his generation. Being an expatriate of World War I, Jake is part of what Hemingway calls the “lost generation”. His experiences have led to a demise of his confidence in his masculinity and love. He is alienated from ever being physically involved with a women.

Likewise, Brett is alienated from satisfying her love. Brett is a promiscuous woman and has to have her sexual desires fulfilled. The love of her life, Jake is impotent and incapable of giving her what she wants. Even if she were to try to pursue a relationship with him, it would not work because he would not be able to please her and she would cheat on him in order to try and feel the same love she has for him with another man. She would not be able to truly satisfy