Alcoholism In The Sun Also Rises By Ernest Hemingway

Throughout The Sun Also Rises, Hemingway paints a tragic picture of young adults being haunted by the lasting effects of post traumatic stress disorder onset by their participation in World War I and the restrictions it placed on their ability to construct relationships.

One of the most prominent examples of PTSD displayed throughout this novel is the overwhelming prevalence of alcohol. A drink accompanies every social interaction, and drunkenness often ensues shortly after. This is seen particularly during the characters’ trip to Spain to see the bullfights, when they often become so intoxicated that they pass out or lash out angrily at others. At one point, Bill tells Jake to “Get tight. Get over your damn depression.” (Hemingway 223). This

They are both very tired after spectating, stating that “[they] took a bull-fight very hard.” (Hemingway 243). Despite these feelings, it is implied that they are widely desensitized to this particular brand of horror, with Jake assuring Brett that “after a while you never notice anything disgusting” (Hemingway 183). Despite his assurances, Jake does avoid the parts of the bull-fight that he finds traumatizing or disturbing. He often sleeps through parts that he finds disturbing, although he refuses to admit that that is the the reason he does not participate in those portions of the

These authors typically played a role in the war, and were unable to see the world in the same positive light that the rest of the nation had during the roaring twenties. Hemingway himself suffered from PTSD and was an alcoholic, likely leading to his writing of The Sun Also Rises. His characters suffer in the same way that he did after the war, hindering their ability to socialize normally and otherwise cope with the stress of day to day life with