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Definition of Motif
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of related symbols, help develop the central themes of a book... read full definition
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of related symbols, help develop the... read full definition
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of... read full definition
Chapter 1
Explanation and Analysis—Boxing :
From the very beginning of the book, boxing emerges as a significant sport. At once violent and athletic, it becomes a motif that represents a potent brand of masculinity. In Chapter 1, Robert is described as a prodigious college boxer who is drawn into the sport—reluctantly—as a means to secure this masculinity:
He was so good that Spider promptly overmatched him and got his nose permanently flattened. This increased Cohn’s distaste for boxing, but it gave him a certain satisfaction of some strange sort, and it certainly improved his nose.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Robert's Jewishness:
Robert Cohn is a frequent source of ire for Jake and his expatriate cadre in The Sun Also Rises. The main reason for this irritation is his incessant pursuit of Brett even in front of her various other lovers, such as Romero, Mike (her husband-to-be), and Jake himself. Most often, the other characters in the novel either list his Jewishness as another disagreeable quality or attribute his unfavorable qualities to his Jewishness. His friends constantly remark on the fact that Robert is Jewish, to the extent that Robert’s cultural and religious identity becomes a major motif in the story.
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Related Themes:
Chapter 3
Explanation and Analysis—The Impact of War:
No part of The Sun Also Rises is set during World War I, and yet the impression of those bloody years is felt everywhere in the novel. The trauma of the war is felt through the erratic and morally ambiguous behavior of the main characters and often goes unspoken. On certain occasions, however, Jake makes explicit reference to the experience in the war. In Chapter 3, when getting to know Georgette, Jake references his own injury for the first time:
Unlock with LitCharts A+We had another bottle of wine and Georgette made a joke. She smiled and showed all her bad teeth, and we touched glasses. “You’re not a bad type,” she said. “It’s a shame you’re sick. We get on well. What’s the matter with you, anyway?”
“I got hurt in the war,” I said.
“Oh, that dirty war.”
Related Themes:
Chapter 8
Explanation and Analysis—Boxing :
From the very beginning of the book, boxing emerges as a significant sport. At once violent and athletic, it becomes a motif that represents a potent brand of masculinity. In Chapter 1, Robert is described as a prodigious college boxer who is drawn into the sport—reluctantly—as a means to secure this masculinity:
Unlock with LitCharts A+He was so good that Spider promptly overmatched him and got his nose permanently flattened. This increased Cohn’s distaste for boxing, but it gave him a certain satisfaction of some strange sort, and it certainly improved his nose.
Related Themes:
Chapter 12
Explanation and Analysis—The Impact of War:
No part of The Sun Also Rises is set during World War I, and yet the impression of those bloody years is felt everywhere in the novel. The trauma of the war is felt through the erratic and morally ambiguous behavior of the main characters and often goes unspoken. On certain occasions, however, Jake makes explicit reference to the experience in the war. In Chapter 3, when getting to know Georgette, Jake references his own injury for the first time:
Unlock with LitCharts A+We had another bottle of wine and Georgette made a joke. She smiled and showed all her bad teeth, and we touched glasses. “You’re not a bad type,” she said. “It’s a shame you’re sick. We get on well. What’s the matter with you, anyway?”
“I got hurt in the war,” I said.
“Oh, that dirty war.”
Related Themes:
Chapter 13
Explanation and Analysis—Robert's Jewishness:
Robert Cohn is a frequent source of ire for Jake and his expatriate cadre in The Sun Also Rises. The main reason for this irritation is his incessant pursuit of Brett even in front of her various other lovers, such as Romero, Mike (her husband-to-be), and Jake himself. Most often, the other characters in the novel either list his Jewishness as another disagreeable quality or attribute his unfavorable qualities to his Jewishness. His friends constantly remark on the fact that Robert is Jewish, to the extent that Robert’s cultural and religious identity becomes a major motif in the story.
Unlock with LitCharts A+
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—The Impact of War:
No part of The Sun Also Rises is set during World War I, and yet the impression of those bloody years is felt everywhere in the novel. The trauma of the war is felt through the erratic and morally ambiguous behavior of the main characters and often goes unspoken. On certain occasions, however, Jake makes explicit reference to the experience in the war. In Chapter 3, when getting to know Georgette, Jake references his own injury for the first time:
Unlock with LitCharts A+We had another bottle of wine and Georgette made a joke. She smiled and showed all her bad teeth, and we touched glasses. “You’re not a bad type,” she said. “It’s a shame you’re sick. We get on well. What’s the matter with you, anyway?”
“I got hurt in the war,” I said.
“Oh, that dirty war.”
Related Themes:
Chapter 14
Explanation and Analysis—Alcoholism:
Wine, beer, and various types of liquor are everywhere in The Sun Also Rises. Hardly a page goes by where a character is not in some stage of intoxication. In Chapter 14, as he lies in a drunken stupor, Jake thinks about each of his friends in terms of what they're like when they're drunk:
Unlock with LitCharts A+I wished Mike would not behave so terribly to Cohn, though. Mike was a bad drunk. Brett was a good drunk. Bill was a good drunk. Cohn was never drunk.
Related Themes:
Chapter 17
Explanation and Analysis—Boxing :
From the very beginning of the book, boxing emerges as a significant sport. At once violent and athletic, it becomes a motif that represents a potent brand of masculinity. In Chapter 1, Robert is described as a prodigious college boxer who is drawn into the sport—reluctantly—as a means to secure this masculinity:
Unlock with LitCharts A+He was so good that Spider promptly overmatched him and got his nose permanently flattened. This increased Cohn’s distaste for boxing, but it gave him a certain satisfaction of some strange sort, and it certainly improved his nose.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Purifying Water:
On numerous occasions in the novel, the characters use water as a source of cleanliness, refreshment, and sobriety. Juxtaposed against the near-constant inebriation of Jake and his friends, water emerges as a purification motif that provides some respite from the chaos of the roaring expatriate lifestyle.
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Chapter 19
Explanation and Analysis—Purifying Water:
On numerous occasions in the novel, the characters use water as a source of cleanliness, refreshment, and sobriety. Juxtaposed against the near-constant inebriation of Jake and his friends, water emerges as a purification motif that provides some respite from the chaos of the roaring expatriate lifestyle.
Unlock with LitCharts A+Explanation and Analysis—Alcoholism:
Wine, beer, and various types of liquor are everywhere in The Sun Also Rises. Hardly a page goes by where a character is not in some stage of intoxication. In Chapter 14, as he lies in a drunken stupor, Jake thinks about each of his friends in terms of what they're like when they're drunk:
Unlock with LitCharts A+I wished Mike would not behave so terribly to Cohn, though. Mike was a bad drunk. Brett was a good drunk. Bill was a good drunk. Cohn was never drunk.
Related Themes:
