English 015 - Americans Abroad
Pseudo Heroics
Pseudo Heroics
Category: 03B: The Sun Also Rises | Ross Stern
A hero is an individual who is noted for his or her noble and courageous actions. Under this definition, no hero truly exists in The Sun Also Rises. Instead of displaying nobility and courage, the characters in the novel often display weakness; they constantly run from their problems using travel and alcohol as a means of escape: “[At dinner] There was much wine, an ignored tension, and a feeling of things coming that you could not prevent happening. Under the wine I lost all the disgusted feeling and was happy” (p. 150).
Although Jake is guilty of this behavior on occasion, he is ultimately the only one who comes to terms with his situation and his life; he is the sole character who realizes that individuals cannot escape their problems and either must face them or accept them: “You can’t get away from yourself by moving from one place to another” (p.19).This realization and his acceptance of reality causes Jake to come closest to heroism. He acts both nobly and courageously when he accepts his life because it is essentially in shambles. However, when examining all of his actions throughout the novel, one realizes that there are too many other situations where Jake could have acted nobly and did not. When Mike viciously insults Cohen, Jake could have intervened; however, he let Mikes abuse continue. Jake “liked to see [Mike] hurt Cohen” (p.152). This flaw in character makes it impossible for Jake to ever truly become heroic.
Posted by on October 07, 2003 at 01:45 PM