The Sun Also Rises: Motif

Wherever the characters are and whatever they are doing, drinking always comes up and becomes a part of their plans. These people literally drink everywhere. Most of the people that Jake hangs around with and associates with are alcoholics. When this group of friends goes out, there tends to be a recurring situation that occurs. Alcohol can bring out the worst in people, and the characters in this book are examples of this statement. When they are drunk, they tend to get in fights with each other and say things that shouldn't be said. At first, I never really understood why they continued to participate in these crazy nights if they only ended in chaos and arguments. But after thinking about it, I came to the conclusion that these characters were happier with alcohol. After going through a terrible war and living during the Lost Generation, characters who were affected by it, especially Barnes, could take time away from the real world while being drunk. Alcohol was a way to escape their problems, so Hemingway incorporated it as a motif in the novel.

"Do you think you amount to something, Cohn? Do you think you belong here among us? People who are out to have a good time? For God's sake don't be so noisy, Cohn!" -Mike