Sun Also Rises Economy

Throughout The Sun Also Rises, characters focus on the exchanges they make with one another. Instead of using a traditional value system, characters use an exchange system of values. This focus on money and exchange comes from the 1920’s booming economy in which Hemingway wrote his novel. In this way, Hemingway is commenting on the economy’s impression on money and values through his characters. The narrator, Jake, reflects that this exchange of money and values is the only practice that the rest of the characters follow. The trades that occur between the characters are not just limited to money; characters exchange what they value, such as friendship, sex, alcohol and even aficion. Instead of placing value on traditional traits such as integrity

If you have money, then happiness is just a little spending away. And “If you want people to like you, you have only to spend a little money” (237) as Jake explains. While in France, Jake is able to find “friendship”. He thinks that money is all that is needed to make friends. These friends are able to be bought just like his happiness is able to be bought. When the waiter recommends a drink to him, and he refuses, he finds it necessary to make it up to the waiter. Jake “overtipped him. That made him happy…He appreciated my valuable qualities” (237). This fortifies that Jake believes his valuable qualities lie in his money rather than in his personal characteristics. Jake doesn’t just value this code of exchange for himself, but also the people he associates with. Money and exchanges of goods is how the characters are able to travel and party through Europe together. While telling Georgette about his friends, Jake makes it known to her that “Still, some of them make money” (25). Even though Brett and Michael don’t make money, they are able to bring other values to the table. Brett brings her good looks and sexuality while Michael brings them amusement and alcohol. Even with characters that are successful, Jake notices how happy they are compared to how much they make. We see this as Jake describes Bill, “Bill was very happy. He had made a lot of money on his last book, and was going to make a lot more” (76). To this generation, the thing that made you happy depended on the amount you made and