Sun Also Rises

Avant Garde in The Sun Also Rises

The Sun Also Rises was an innovative and controversial book for its time. It questions contemporary gender roles and uses simple language to get its point across. Avant Garde literally means make it new; and that is exactly what Hemingway was doing. It is a French term, and interestingly, most of The Sun Also Rises takes place in Paris. Avant garde literature is characterized by unconventional time changes, feelings of isolation, fragmentary construction, and a type of realism (Szabolcsi 55); All of these are found in The Sun Also Rises.


To begin, Hemingway uses a very unconventional sense of time in this book. It is difficult to tell the amount of time that has elapsed since the beginning of the book. It could have been a month, but it could also have been a year. The characters in this book go about their day, with little sense of what time it is. For example, when Brett comes to visit Jake and he is sleeping, she says, “what time is it?” Jake replies, “I have no idea what time it is” (Hemingway 40). “In avant garde, the traditional time factor changes, and so does conventional space”(Szabolcsi 55). This gives the reader a feeling that life is always happening. Time is relative and the days seem to slide by in this book, without any of the characters worrying about them. They live life every day without worrying about the next day. This also gives the reader a sense of realism.

Much of this book feels realistic, because the language and dialogue is so simple. The way Jake and his friends converse, makes the reader feel the situations are believable. For example, when Jake is talking to Georgette, he says, “What are you called?” She replies, “Georgette, how are you called?” (Hemingway 21). At one point, Georgette says, “Connais pas” (Hemingway 26). That is a very informal way of speaking French.Much of the dialogue is written in fragments with little transitions. However, the dialogue seems realistic, because conversation between friends is often short and fragmented. “In avant garde, the writer feels compelled to reflect the disjointed world by using disconnected and fragmented dialogue” (Szabolcsi 55). The 1920’s were confusing and fast passed, just as the dialogue in this book. Jake seems sort of torn by the changing times, and is often lost and isolated.

Jake spends a lot of time alone in this book. He is often in nature, and reflecting on his life. “I swam out to the raft, I walked around the harbor” (Hemingway 240).“Avant garde has a tendency to create characters who are alienated and isolated” (Szabolcsi 56). This is a great way to explore the inner consciousness of characters like Jake. Because he is often alone, he is often reflecting on his life and friends. I believe this gives the reader a very personal connection with Jake.

Avant Garde is representative of Modernism. The 1920’s were an exciting time, and literature reflected the change. The Sun Also Rises is representative of this change, and uses innovative techniques such as fragmented dialogue and a sense of realism. This book may be the quintessential example of modern men and women, and is contains many examples of avant-garde.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Sun Also Rises. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1926. Print.

Szabolcsi, Miklos. "Avant Garde, Modernism: Questions and Suggestions." Modernism and Postmodernism. 1st ed. Vol. 3. John Hopkins UP, 1971. 49-70. Print.