In Ernest Hemingway’s “The Sun Also Rises,” Jake Barnes, the protagonist of the novel, is a veteran of World War I who is attempting to escape from the suffering of the Lost Generation. Jake has a complex personality that shows a broad analysis of who he is. During the war Barnes was injured, which is the basis of the woes he is affected by throughout the historical novel. Jake Barnes’ morals and actions are derivative from dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, his vice for alcohol, the importance of sex in his relationship with Brett Ashley, and the suffering and alienation he experienced from being a member of the Lost Generation. During World War I many people were afflicted with what used to be called shell shock but has now …show more content…
The Lost Generation is the group of individuals coming to age post-World War I. They did not feel like they fit in with the rest of their country. After going to war and experiencing the horrors of combat and sacrificing their innocence it changed them forever. The ones that went to war to fight for freedom had a different outlook from those that stayed at home and worked. Their families did not have the worry or concern about whether or not they would make it home alive and safe. A considerable number from this generation was disappointed by the amount of lives lost in World War I. This caused them to turn away from the original generation standards of principles, appropriate behavior, and place in society. After war took place most of them were tormented by the idea of what happened at war and wanted to find an outlet. They wanted to be alone so they traveled to other locations thinking that it would help them forget about everything that happened during war. Jake felt like if he isolated himself that it would help him to overcome the issues he was facing. Jake and his friends disappeared to Spain where alcohol was not banned. The eighteenth amendment states all manufacture and sales for alcohol was banned in America, this is also identified as