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The Paradox in the Sun Also Rises

Author: HuangZuo
Tutor: WangSongLin
School: Jiangxi Normal University
Course: English Language and Literature
Keywords: Character Structure Theme Paradox
CLC:
Type: Master's thesis
Year: 2010
Downloads: 263
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Abstract

Ernest Hemingway, an American modern novelist, is well-known for his mastery of modern narration. The paradox is embodied in The Sun Also Rises, Hemingway’s first yet the most profound novel. This thesis aims to reveal the paradox hidden in the novel through a detailed analysis on its characters, structure and theme.Chapter One has an analysis on the paradox of the character of Jake Barnes, the protagonist of the novel. Jake’s behavior is contradictory, either escape or inscape. However, this is above water. In fact, Jake is a complicate character. As a survivor in the war, he bore physical and mental wound. And he once cherished the romantic illusion of love, thus suffering great pain. He became addicted to drinking, was tireless of the Paris nightlife, to let out his depression and loneliness in his inner world. But Jake’s tenacity does not allow him to live such a decadent and escapist life, and he learned to face reality, and struggled doggedly with his fate. He persevered in his search in the absurd, disordered world, hoping to figure out how to live in the world.The paradox of the structure of the novel is discussed in Chapter Two. The novel contains two-leveled structure. The surface structure follows continuously changeable places where the characters are involved. The deep structure is composed of Jake’s emotional or mental progress of his apprenticeship to maturity. As a result, the novel is loosely structured on the surface while the deep structure is coherent. The surface structure is the basis of the deep structure, providing the evidence for a good understanding of Jake’s emotional or mental development. Under the surface structure, there runs the deep structure. At the deep level, the surface structure is found to be carefully selected. The two-leveled structure is connected closely and complementary to each other, constituting together a harmonious whole.Chapter Three analyzes the paradox of themes of the novel in detail. The Sun Also Rises portrays a group of English and American intellectuals who were caught in the war, drifting throughout Paris, purposeless and disillusioned, thus pessimism and nihilism leading anywhere in the book. However, the novel also conveys the optimistic theme: to establish and adhere to personal beliefs and values in face of the moral and faith bankruptcy in the post-war world. In The Sun Also Rises, Hemingway truly presents a post-war spiritual wasteland full of pessimism and nihilism, which is only the tip of the iceberg. What Hemingway values is self-control in pain and constant pursuit to show grace under pressure. Here surfaces the truly great theme of the novel: Confronted with the absurdity of the world and the nihilism of life, one should face the reality courageously and discipline and control himself and behave decently to exercise grace under pressure.In short, The Sun Also Rises is suffused with the paradox, thus enriching its implication. Hemingway succeeds in applying the artistic technique, displaying his excellent skills of creation. Meanwhile, to figure out the paradox hidden in the novel, it is significant to evaluate correctly Hemingway heroes and the Lost Generation in reality. Whether the Lost Generation in reality or Hemingway heroes are not really lost and abandon themselves, though they suffer great pain and are caught in confusion. They are indeed great minds who have their own set of values and keep grace under pressure.

The Paradox in the Sun Also Rises

Abstract

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