As we closed the novel The Sun Also Rises this week, I found myself wondering why the title is The Sun Also Rises. After all, Jake never really actively talks about or describes sunrise. The most we've ever gotten in terms of description of the sun is about how it's warm or bright. I thought about the nature of the ending of the novel, and I came to a realization and interpretation that I was satisfied with, but of course, please offer your own interpretations. I believe that The Sun Also Rises refers to Jake and Brett's relationship.
Specifically, it seems like it's referring to Jake and Brett's relationship resurfacing as calm and "good", or at least stable. At the beginning of the novel, Brett and Jake's relationship starts dipping down into negativity, in that it starts with the tense car ride. From there, it goes down, as Brett engages in a fling with Cohn. Jake becomes agitated at this, and his agitation only grows as Cohn continues to follow them around in Spain as well.
Their relationship seems to continue to spiral downwards. In Spain, it finally hits the bottom when Brett begins sleeping with Romero, and Jake hammers himself with alcohol to deal with this. They don't contact each other for a short period of time, and things calm down suddenly for Jake, something we haven't experienced often in the story.
This time period in which Jake seems genuinely calm seems like that grey time in the morning just before the sun rises. Though the sun hasn't begun to rise yet, it's obvious that it is going to and that light will shine again. When Brett calls him back to Madrid, they're meeting is relatively calm, considering the circumstances. Not only that, but they seem to have a genuinely nice time, other than Jake's drinking and Brett's lingering mind on Romero. Finally, on the last page, the book settles in to a peaceful ending, when they share a truly peaceful moment together, one that feels perhaps not rid of all tension, but rid of much of the tension that had existed when we first saw them in a car together. Thus, the sun has risen again, mostly calm and collected. But of course, it rises differently today than it did yesterday, and in this way I also believe that the sun rising refers to how Brett and Jake's relationship has changed, if only slightly. It seems at the end of the novel, that Jake is more accepting of his position in their relationship, depending on how you read his last words. The sun has not only risen again, but risen on a new age of their relationship.
I really like this interpretation. It plays into the cyclic-ness of the second quote at the beginning of the book; Jake and Brett are done with that conflict in their relationship, but life goes on and something else will happen in the future. That also gives a new light to the last scene, with Jake and Brett once again in a cab together. I think it could set up whatever future Jake and Brett have, just like the first cab ride sets up this conflict.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a really interesting interpretation that connects back to a question we've pondered throughout: do we think that Jake and Brett could survive in a relationship together? Since the title could mean how a new "phase" of their relationship is beginning, I wonder if this new phase is gonna be similar to the last one with lots of ups and downs (mostly downs) or if it will be different.
ReplyDeleteWhat's interesting about your interpretation of the title is that the rising and setting of the sun does somewhat resemble the ebbing and flowing of Jake and Brett's relationship. We can see that Brett has come to somewhat depend on Jake as her rock, something steady that's always going to be there for her. This is somewhat similar to how dependable the sunrise is and that you can have comfort that no matter what happens the sun is always going to rise the next day.
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you interpreted the title "the sun also rises" as representative of Jake and Brett's relationship with the taxi scene at the end of the book. I also was wondering what the title meant and I interpreted it a little differently I thought that it was Jake's/the characters' motto in life as they just seem to be getting through each day with no long term goals in mind.
ReplyDeleteI really like your interpretation. I also found myself constantly thinking of reasons why Hemingway chose to name the novel The Sun Also Rises. I think your physical descriptions of the sun and how it ties into the novel is really interesting. I can definitely see how a sun would be a great choice for a representation of Jake and Brett's tumultuous relationship throughout the novel.
ReplyDeleteThis seems like a realistic interpretation. I also think that the title could signify a level of insignificance for our characters and their relationships. We've seen a lot of drama and bad relationships, but at the end of the day there is peace (more or less) and everything passes--the sun rises no matter what.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of the questions I myself had about the book, and I really like your interpretation of it. The beginning and ending of the book seem to represent some sort of cycle (through the similarity of the taxi-cab scenes), although not quite the same way it did before. The majority of the book covers how the sun "sets" on Jake and Brett's relationship, so the title could serve as a sort of final affirmation that their relationship will indeed surface. (The words "sun set" are also generally used to show the end of something, a great era or something or other, and this definitely fits with your interpretation.)
ReplyDeleteIf this is true, I also think that the title might also represent a sort of cyclic pointlessness/endlessness to their relationship - the sun rises, and the sun sets, and on and on the circle goes.