Religion In Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises

Hemingway’s novel, The Sun Also Rises, is a literary work that focuses on the post-war lives of soldiers that fought in World War I. The book, written in 1926, is set in Paris, Burguete, and Pamplona. Even though it is classified as a fictional work, The Sun Also Rises is based on true historical events. In it, the main character, Jake, goes to the Festival of San Fermín with his friends, and they party and get drunk. A key central idea and theme of The Sun Also Rises is religion. Hemingway uses the theme of religion to differentiate the various characters who are sometimes strikingly similar. According to dictionary.com, the term religion is defined as a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of

The first instance of religion affecting Brett is when the entire group decides to go inside the cathedral in San Fermín. They go inside, but Brett is stopped because she has no hat. This tiny, specific detail may not seem like it is very important, but it is huge. For example, why is it that they cannot enter the cathedral because of Brett? Why not another character like Mike, Bill or Cohn? Brett not having a hat is extremely symbolic. The lack of a hat on Brett’s head symbolizes her not being worthy of church. Brett does not have the purity, or hat, she needs to gain access to the church. In Chapter 18, Brett finally is able to go inside the church. She and Jake are praying when she whispers to him, “Let’s get out of here. Makes me damned nervous” (212). They exit the church and she keeps saying how she gets nervous in church, and that she is damned for a religion atmosphere. Brett admits “I’ve the wrong type of face” (212). She also declares that she is not worried about Romero. Romero is the reason Jake wanted to go and pray inside the church. Brett’s announcement of her not being worried about Romero indicates that she does not need to pray, and that she is not a