Paris to Spain: Cloudy to Clear-minded
An interesting feature of The Sun Also Rises is the way Hemingway handles the setting shift from Paris to Spain and coinciding shift in writing style. Paris is painted as a chaotic, overstimulating place through Jake’s narrative. This description is apparent the first time he describes a scene in the city: “It was a warm spring night and I sat at a table on the terrace of the Napolitain after Robert had gone, watching it get dark and the electric signs come on, and the red and green stop-and-go-traffic-signal, and the crowd going by, and the horse-cabs clip-ety clopping along at the edge of the solid taxi traffic, and the poules going by, singly and in pairs, looking for the evening meal,” (Hemingway, 19). The writing style of this sentence shows Jake’s mind as scattered, with Jake flitting back and forth from one object to another without any rhyme or reason. From this sentence alone, he seems overstimulated and unfocused, as if living within a dream. The writing style used in Paris appears to reflect his mental state in that regard, in which Jake feels dissatisfied and as if he needs to hide himself. Hemingway paints Jake’s mentality as that of a clouded mirror, one which can reflect that which it sees, albeit not very clearly.
The descriptions of Paris however, drastically contrast the descriptions of Spain, directly indicating the shift in Jake’s mental state. Jake details his ride up the Spanish countryside with smaller sentences, and calm, not overly lengthy, but detailed descriptions: “There were long brown mountains and a few pines and far-off forests of beech-trees on some of the mountainsides. The road went along the summit of the Col and then dropped down, and the driver had to hank, and slow up, and turn out to avoid running into two donkeys that were sleeping on the road…” (Hemingway, 99). Hemingway’s splitting up of sentences, as well as his less use of “and” give Spain a more laid-back relaxed feel. This directly reflects Jake’s mental state, which, prior to Brett’s arrival, is relatively calm and collected. In his time in the Spanish countryside, Jake seems to be living in the moment, describing his experiences in nature with great detail, and with little thought of his hectic social life.
The extent of which this change in setting has affected Jake becomes apparent in his conversation with Bill on their fishing trip, in which he is unashamed to talk about his injury with Bill. After Bill makes a joke about it and reels back, Jake is disappointed, thinking, “He had been going splendidly, but he stopped. I was afraid he thought he had hurt me with that crack about being impotent. I wanted him to start again. ‘It wasn’t a bicycle,’ I said. ‘He was riding horseback,’” (Hemingway, 120). Jake’s attempt at irony and making fun of himself shows the shift in his attitude about himself in comparison to his attitude in Paris. While in Paris, he simply did not want to talk about the issue, in contrast to him making fun of himself in Spain. Through the difference in writing that Hemingway uses in Paris vs. Spain, we see how Jake’s mentality becomes changed based on the setting, and the subsequent effect on his actions. Being in Spain allows Jake to live in the moment and be more open about his problems reflected by his calmer, clearer thoughts presented through writing.
Works Cited
Hemingway, Ernst. The Sun Also Rises, Scribner, 1926.
Do you think that the tie of Brett in France, and the lack thereof in Spain correlates with his seeming peacefulness? I really enjoy the quotes you selected and your findings of the non-usage of the word 'and'. Without the constant adding of what Jake was seeing, I, as the reader, felt more calm as well.
ReplyDeleteThe shift between France and Spain in the novel is a major shift in Jake. Partially because its a different type of place but also it might give the feeling of vacation, a time to take a break from what troubles you, although he does bring up his injury he is taking a break from refusing to talk about it.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I also think it's worth mentioning that Spain has a sort of chaotic-ness to it that Paris doesn't have. I think the comparison you're scratching at is the Bar vs the Pub comparison. Overall, good job!!
ReplyDeleteI really like your point about how the movement and tone of the sentences shifts so audibly in the Spain section, and you mention the word "and" playing a role in this effect (it's such an appropriate comment on a writer like Hemingway, that a word as simple as "and" can make such a profound difference). One thing I've never noticed before, in the passages you compare, is not just the use of "and" in the Spanish passage, but the linkage of phrases and statements with "and" and NO PUNCTUATION. In Paris, it's "There was this, and then this, and then this went by, and I saw this too"--the commas create this feeling of being overwhelmed, of the chaotic impressions piling up, as you describe it. But in the Spanish passage, where the grammar is basically the same, Hemingway almost entirely eschews commas--it's "this and then that and then the other thing and then that again and then this other thing," in a smooth and flowing stream where one impression leads easily into another. I might also point out the literal *movement* in the Spanish passage--the narration reflects the progression of sights as viewed from the top of the bus, so one thing does lead smoothly into the next. But in Paris, with Jake sitting stationary at a cafe table, the city is surrounding him, passing him by, crowding him. And the movement and punctuation of the sentences reflects that feeling.
ReplyDeleteYes, I feel that Jake is a lot more better mentally when he was in Spain than he was when he was in Paris. I feel like part of the reason why he feels this way is because Spain is a more calmer place than Paris, because I also agree with the point you made about Jake's narrative saying that Paris is a very overstimulating place. Nice blog post.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Ella! I like how you highlight the change in Jake's mentality through the differences in his narration of Paris and Spain. I would also argue that the shorter sentences that Hemingway writes for Spain contribute to the more relaxed and calm feel as the less-dispersed periods provide more momentary pauses in the narration, providing the reader with slower, more relaxed writing.
ReplyDeleteSomething I found particularly interesting is Jake's time in San Sebastian. Figuratively, it serves as a bridge between two worlds he inhabits (Paris and Pamplona), as he takes a break from everything he's familiar with in a secluded place. However, the location of San Sebastian is also notable. It's right on the border between France and Spain, like a sort of no-man's land. The symbolism here is an interesting easter egg to keep in mind when reading through Jake's away time in San Sebastian.
ReplyDeleteThe energy shift for Paris to Spain is huge. Jake seems more relaxed and carefree in Spain and he enjoys spending time alone which is a large contrast to the chaos of Paris. Do you think the people Jake hangs around have a negative effect on his mental state in both settings?
ReplyDeleteI agree that Hemingway's shift in writing style between Paris and Spain mirrors Jake's mental state and highlights the contrast between his moods in the two different locations. The long sentences of Paris emphasize Jake's overstimulation and discontent, portraying his mind as clouded and restless. In contrast, the more measured and concise descriptions of Spain reflect a sense of calm and clarity: showing Jake's ability to live more in the moment and feel at ease.
ReplyDeleteI think you've made a really interesting point about the stark disparity between Jake's train of thought in Paris vs. Spain. In Paris, Jake's does have thoughts that are simple observations of his surroundings and actions (much like that of the bus ride in Spain), however the Paris thoughts feel more forced because they're used as a method of distraction from Brett. Conversely, in Spain his thoughts feel more natural, detailing lighthearted observations of the passing scenery---displaying enjoyment of his surrounding instead of forced interest.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting topic! I think it's really interesting to think about how much more at home Jake seems to feel in Spain as opposed to Paris, which is visible in his self-categorization as an aficionado. I never really noticed how the language of the novel and Jake's portrayal of the scenes in Paris and Spain reflected this feeling, however, and it makes me think very differently about the differences in scenery depiction in this novel. Great blog post!
ReplyDelete