The Burden of Jake Barnes Anonymous 12th Grade

In Ernest Hemingway's novel The Sun Also Rises the protagonist, Jake Barnes, struggles with being impotent in a post World War I society which bases masculinity primarily on a man’s ability to perform in his relationships. The other male characters within the story also struggle with the idea of masculinity and personal happiness within their friend group while also forcing these toxic masculine roles onto themselves and the rest of the group. Hemingway presents society’s views and ideologies of masculinity in a post-war era as fragile and toxic while showing how the protagonist’s focus on these ideas causes him to become a pariah who is consumed by self-doubt.

Jake Barnes, the protagonist, is a war veteran with a battle wound which renders him impotent. Though his exact injury is never revealed, it becomes clear that it plagues him and impacts all of his personal relationships. In the beginning of the novel Jake propositions a prostitute even though he knows he cannot interact with her in the way he is paying for. This self destructive action reveals how Jake constantly reminds himself of his shortcomings while also trying to fulfill his role as a man. He continues to force himself into these self-destructive activities when...