Sun Also Rises And Jake Barnes Essay

, Research Paper

People often mentally distance themselves from their peers do to flaws and

irregularities that they may suffer from. In The Sun Also Rises Jake Barnes

constantly seems to be distanced and un willing to accept the people and

environment that he lives in. The impotence that Jake Barnes physically suffers

from leads him to suffer from mental impotence regarding the reality of his

actions and the environment in which he lives. Aside from Jakes own actions,

this impotence is reflected through supporting characters such as Brett and Cohn

by the authors? use of the literary devices parody and irony. Jake Barnes is a

veteran ex-patriot of WWI living in Paris, France. During the war Jake received

a wound that led him into a life of physical impotence. While in a hospital Jake

met and fell in love with Lady Brett Ashley whom he desires throughout the

novel. Jake is the editor of a newspaper in France, yet his life circulates

around his journey to find meaning and acceptance into society. Jake is often

measuring the morals of others and trying to find an appropriate way to go about

his own life. Jake and the other characters, who suffer from similar mental

impotency for one reason or another, are often found to be drinking and seeking

sexual relations. Through these actions Jake is attempting to numb himself to

the reality that is the world he lives in yet does not understand. Jake goes to

bars and drinks so that he might escape from the turmoil his meaningless life

has become. Jake is often found to be making attempts to please Brett in any way

possible, through this he reveals that he is attempting to gain her acceptance

and affection but does not realize that many of these actions are only leading

her further from him. Jake feels unaccepted because that he cannot participate

in a ritualistic part of the lives that his peers exploit, sex. The use of