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The Sun Also Rises Lost Generation Quotes

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The Lost Generation is without a doubt the central idea portrayed by Earnest Hemingway in his post World War I novel, The Sun Also Rises. Hemingway mainly represented the lost generation through characters such as Jack Rogers, Mike Campbell, and Robert Cohen. Jake,
Brett, and their acquaintances are characterized as mentally and emotionally lost, therefore exemplifying the Lost Generation. The characters were trapped in the Lost Generation by trauma experienced during World War One after they witnessed s blood, death, and violence.
Throughout The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway displays the idea of the Lost Generation through dialogue that showcases the disconnect between characters, others, themselves, and the lasting trauma wartime can have …show more content…

This is captured in the quote, I can't stand to think my life is going so fast and I'm not really living it."(Chapter 2) Robert further says, " Do you realize you've lived nearly half the time you have to live anyway?"(Chapter 2). These quotes speak to the sense of hopelessness and lack of purpose that many of the characters feel as they try to navigate their ives in the aftermath of the war.
Another aspect of the Lost Generation that is explored in the novel is the sense of missed opportunities and regret. Many of the characters are haunted by the choices they have made and the paths that they have taken in life. This is expressed in the quote, "Oh, Jake, we could have had such a damned good time together."(19) and "I was a little ashamed, and regretted that I was such a rotten Catholic, but realized there was nothing I could do about it, at least for a while, and maybe never, but that anyway it was a grand religion, and I only wished I felt religious and maybe I would the next time."(Chapter 10) These quotes highlight the sense of regret and longing that many of the characters feel as they look back on their lives and the opportunities that they have missed.
Overall, The Sun Also Rises is a touching and powerful depiction of the Lost

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