Jake, the true main character, and the narrator of the story, is a member of this herd too. Mike is broke but his does not stop him from living the good life in the flashy zinc bars of European cities. Cohn is independently wealthy since his mother gives him an allowance every month. Brett manages to make all the men that come in contact with her go somewhat mad. If modern is to insinuate that she disregarded all moral standards and values. All of these characters are adrift in life roaming from bar to bar in search of the next blurred illusion of happiness.īrett, the heroin of this novel, is what most would consider a modern woman. His main characters Jake, Brett, Cohn, and Mike depict this existence in an almost tragic manner. Hemmingway devotes the entire book The Sun Also Rises to this modern lifestyle of leisure. Basically Krebs would be completely content with watching the world pass by instead of taking an active part in it.
Krebs goes on to explain that he doesn’t want to love anyone and that he doesn’t even love his mother.Īll Krebs would like to do is sit on his porch and watch the girls, since talking to them would be to complicating to his life plan of existing in the world. 71) It is evident that by the persistent repetition of this desire that it is the basis of Krebs’ new life. He wanted to live along without consequences. The narrator states, “He (Krebs) did not want any consequences. In Hemmingway’s In Our Time he writes one story about a young soldier back from the war, Krebs. Hemmingway, unlike Fitzgerald, does not beat around the bush about this topic. They ignored death, and the unpleasantries of the real world in order to exist in a hollow and lonely fictitious world. The generation that believed nothing and no one could stop them from having a good time. In fact, the only people at his funeral were Nick, Gatsby’s father, a few servants, the post man and a party-goer that had only attended one function and was absolutely amazed to find out that no one else came out to the funeral. However, even though the patrons at his parties fought for an invitation to the next celebration, not a single one would attend his funeral. Carraway thought that there would be no problem flooding the funeral with people since so many flooded his house every weekend. The main character, Nick Carraway, is left to tend to his friend and neighbor’s, Gatsby’s, final arrangements after Gatsby comes to an untimely end. The last few chapters depict a crushing scene of death and sorrow. However, the book takes a turn towards its end.įitzgerald decides to show his readers what will happen if this sort of life without consequences is attempted. Loads of money and friends and surrounded by the finer things of life. It would appear that Gatsby had everything a person could want. Throughout the tale of The Great Gatsby the reader is treated to a vivid description of Gatsby’s parties and his prolific residence.
In Hemmingway’s books In Our Time and The Sun Also Rises we see the plights of this generation played out in a very serious way that leaves the reader with a heavy feeling of discomfort with the illogical and empty way the characters attempt to subsist.īoth authors and all three novels point to one conclusion, that if your goal is to live without suffering consequences of your actions you will in fact not live but suffer in an unfulfilling existence. There is another author whose stories open a window into that generation as well, Ernest Hemmingway. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby where the exploits of the rich are articulated with great description and lavishness that complimented their somewhat insane lives well. Their lives are chronicled in the stories that came from the emerging great authors of that time period. During this era of great prosperity and moral backlash the young adults of the world took to the bars and dance halls of Europe or the extravagant parties of the American east coast looking for happiness. Life without consequence is this possible? This was the main goal of the men and women existing after WW1.
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