浅析《太阳照常升起》中的对比Chen Xueting

陈雪婷

摘要：美國文学巨匠欧内斯特?海明威是“迷惘一代”的代言人。他在多部小说中都描绘了经历多残酷战争，在现实中靠幻想，酒精以及风流韵事艰难过活的人物。《太阳照常升起》中的三个主人公杰克，阿施利夫人和科恩也是其中成员。本人旨在探讨海明威在人物塑造方面如何并置对比因素，以揭示战争带给主人公的创伤及他们复杂的精神世界。

关键词：对比；人物塑造；现实

Abstract：As the spokesman of the“lost generation”，Ernest Hemingway presented a number of characters who had went through the cruelty of the wars and struggled to search carve out a way out with the help of illusion，alcohol and love affairs.Jake，Brett and Cohn in The Sun Also Rises are members of them.This essay puts its focus on how Hemingway illustrated the complexity of the charactersspiritual condition and the scars of wars left on them by juxtaposing contrasting elements in depicting the three main characters.

Key Words：contrast；characterization；realityIn respect of the most influential writers in American literary history，Ernest Hemingway was undoubtedly on top of the list.As Carlos Baker says，“he was one of the foremost writers that American has produced，and epoch瞞aking stylist with a highly original talent who spawned imitators by the score and dealt，almost single瞙anded，a permanent bow against the affected，the namby瞤amby，the pretentious，and the false.”(5)Being the spokesman of the“lost generation”，Hemingway poignantly described how the wars left indelible scars on those writers，artists and intellectuals，who“felt uncomfortable in the idealistic and conservative society of the United States after the war and the initiation of Prohibition with the Volstead Act in 1919 only served to underscore their disenchantment with mainstream America.”(Nagel 91)After the publication of The Sun Also Rises，Hemingway became worldwide famous and this novel was interpreted from different aspects：some critics focused on the concise language style；some paid close attention to the themes; some regarded Brett Ashley as“New Woman”；some interpreted Jake as the suffering Jesus by applying the biblical archetype theory.While，this short essay will focus on the contrasts in“The Sun Also Rises”and draws the conclusion that by juxtaposing contrasting elements，Hemingway successfully disclosed the complex spiritual condition of those characters.

The Sun Also Rises，which was published in 1926，describes the life condition of a group of“lost”people，with Jake as the leader.They all experienced the wars(except Cohn)，and were injured physically or psychologically.Jake，the narrator，suffered physical injuries that made him impotent；however，he still maintained love for Brett，who was charming and promiscuous.The story dealt with Jake and his companions planned a trip from Paris to Pamplona to enjoy the fiesta and bullfights，while，Brett got into sexual relationship with a young matador Romero，which led to the fights between Cohn(her lover)and Mike(her fiancé)，Cohn and Romero，Cohn and Jake.The trip was also ended with everyone departed in discord.

There are contrasts in the shaping of the three main characters：Jake，Brett and Cohn.As for Jake，the contrast was exposed in his satisfaction in mans world and dissatisfaction in womans world.As a journalist，Jake worked hard and was responsible for his work，and a detail could demonstrate this point.Before Bill and he went to Spain，he spent much time in working at the office so that he could make full preparation and leave the work to the secretary when he was away.Jake was never lack of friends，and he knew how to get along well with them.He had a wide range of hobbies，such as reading newspaper，playing tennis，fishing，bicycle racing and watching bullfights.He made jokes by saying the prostitute Georgrette was his fiancée；he gave bigger tip to servants to show his generosity and gain their respect；he arranged the trip ahead and booked the tickets for his companions；he kept the mutual understanding with Montaya by avoiding the true matador Romero being destroyed.In short，since his“wound has not changed his relationship with men”and“he lives in a manworld，his life is satisfying enough.”(92)While，in womans world，Jake was dissatisfied.He was physically impotent，and though he loved Brett deeply，he could not figure out a solution to solve the problem.When Brett told him she couldnt live with him，he showed no despair in her presence，but wept and missed her when he was alone.Later，when Brett got sexual relationship with the rich Count Mippipopolous，Cohn and Romero，Jake could do nothing but swallowed the bitterness secretly.At the end of the novel，Brett realized she could live with Jake，however，Jake only replied，“Isnt it pretty to think so?”(Hemingway 247)In womans world，he had no control of his life，therefore，“his love for her(Brett)，and his pain and disillusionment at the impossibility of their having a life together，underscore everything he relates.”(Nagel 92)

The contrasts in the shaping of Brett based on the change of place.In Paris，Brett was welcomed.Cohn even couldnt divert his attention away from Brett when he met her for the first time and he told Jake，“Theres a certain quality about her，a certain fineness.She seems to be absolutely fine and straight.”(Hemingway 38)Count Mippipopolous also praised Brett，“You dont need a title.You got class all over you ［…］ You got the most class of anybody I even seen.You got it.Thats all”(58) However，on the trip to Pamplona，Mike realized Bretts love affair with Cohn，he was so angry that he even publicly rebuked her as promiscuous.When Brett came to Pamplona，Hemingway showed how she was unfit to the city.At the wine瞫hop，several women stared at Brett，since she was different by having short hair and wearing tight sweaters.During the fiesta，she was not allowed to get into a chapel，because she didnt follow the tradition to wear a hat.“Part of the pagan element of the fiesta，she plays the role of Circe，the enchantress who turns men into swine in Homers Osyssey：the men dance around her，literarily and figuratively，with strings of garlic around their necks.”(Nagel 96) At last，even Romero thought he was ashamed of her，and he was laughed at by other people because of her short hair.The change of place revealed that Brett，this“New Woman”，could not be accepted by the society due to her avant瞘arde clothing，various love affairs and improper behaviors.

Cohn was presented as an outsider，who although got along with Jake and his companions for a long time，still was rejected by them.For him，the contrast was also displayed by the change of place.Hemingway portrayed Cohn carefully in the first two chapters.Cohn came from one of the wealthiest Jewish families in New York，which supported him with firm financial base.After Cohns first marriage failed，he was taken in hand by Frances.However，when he got tired with Frances and the life in Paris，he asked Jake whether he could accompany him on a trip to South America，which showed the romantic side of his character.Moreover，Cohn shared many interests with Jake，such as reading books，playing bridge and loving sports.Therefore，in Paris，Cohn was temporarily accepted by Jakes“group”.Then his love to Brett pushed him further and further away from the“group”.He truly loved Brett and thought Brett also loved him even would marry him.Unfortunately，Brett soon returned to Mike，which made Cohn upset，but he would like to follow her to Pamplona instead of giving up her.As the trip began，Cohn was gradually rejected by the“group”.It was Mike that firstly made it public that he felt disgust about Cohn，because he knew his love affair with Brett.Besides，Cohn showed everywhere where Brett was and accompanied her as a lackey.Cohns unwise and annoying behaviors also made Brett bored.Consequently，Brett wanted to drive him out of the“group”.Apart from Mike and Brett，Jake also gradually disliked Cohn，since he liked to see Mike hurt Cohn，even though he didnt openly show his dislike.After Brett and Romeros love affair was exposed to the public，Chon really got mad and fought with Romero，Mike and Jake，which soon led to his final departure from the“group”.

There are two possible explanations for Cohns rejection from the“group”：his identity and romanticism.From 1880s~1920s，Jews in America experienced a hard time：on the one hand，they wanted to integrate into American life；on the other hand，they were unwilling to give up their traditional values.(Zhen Xinyue 31)Cohn was one of them，who could not quickly adapt to the values of those“lost”people.Meanwhile，he had firm faith in his unquenchable love for Brett and wont believe“it didnt mean anything.”(Hemingway 181)“His romanticism contrasted with other peoples despairing attitude towards world and love.He still held prewar worldview，while，others worldviews were experiencing great transition in.”(Qi Linyi 211)

All the contrasts analyzed in the above paragraphs helped Hemingway reveal the theme of this novel.Wagner睲artin stated in the“Introduction”to The Sun Also Rises，“Hemingway was worked hard to establish a contradiction from the very beginning of the novel.Is this a book about wastrels，the dregs of the postwar‘meaninglessness，or is it about the eternally seeking person who wants to carve out a set of values and a notion of integrity on his or her own terms?”(Wagner睲artin 7)Indeed，by placing two contrasting citations at the very beginning，Hemingway aimed at exposing that his“heroes”must“rise”from the“loss”；they must seek meaning in a painful reality.Those“heroes”had no control of the reality，but they could control themselves to adapt to the unsatisfactory reality.Just as Hemingway presented through Jake，“I didnt care about what it was all about.All I wanted to know was how to live in it.Maybe if you found out how to live in it you leaned from that what it was all about.”(Hemingway 148)Work Cited：

［1］ Baker，Carlos.Ernest Hemingway：A Life Story［M］.New York：Scribners，1969.

［2］ Hemingway，Ernest.The Sun Also Rises［M］.New York：Charles Scribners Sons，2006.

［3］ Nagel，James.“Brett and the Other Women in The Sun Also Rises”.The Cambridge Companion to Ernest Hemingway.Ed.Scott Donadson.ShangHai Foreign Language Education Press，2000.

［4］ Qi Linyi.On Group Moral Values in Hemingways The Sun Also Rises——The root cause of Cohns identity as an outsiders［M］.AnHui Literature，2008(12)：211.

［5］ Wagner睲artin，Linda.“Introduction”.New Essays on The Sun Also Rises.Ed.Linda Wagner睲artin.Peking University Press，2007.

［6］ ZhenXinyue.The Exploration of the Eastern European Jewish Immigration and Americanization during 1880s1920s［M］.XiaMen University，2006.