Religion in the Sun Also Rises

The in novel The Sun Also Rises, Hemingway weaves subtle threads of religion into the partying plot line. Jake Barnes, the main character, carries around the physiological scars of fighting in World War I and he represents a typical member of the Lost Generation. The Catholic church has a tradition of a stoic response to suffering, and this is reflected in Jake’s character throughout the novel. He is a silent suffer. However, it is evident that Jakes no longer identifies as apart of the Catholic church; when he was on the train to Spain, a group of Catholic pilgrims took over the first four rounds of lunch. Even though Jake could have easily joined he choose not too, demonstrating that he does not want to have part in the Catholic Church. Jake does not recognize himself as much of a Catholic, but there are times where he acknowledges the religion: “I was a little ashamed, and regretted that I was such a rotten Catholic, but realized there was nothing I could do about it” (103). Jakes goes on to wonder into a Cathedral in Pamplona, Spain, kneels in a pew and prays. This is one of the first larger insights the reader has into Jakes religious life. However, his prayer is a representation of how religious he is; he starts off praying for everyone around him then his train of thought leads him to praying to make money. Jake has a continuous battle with turning to God because in Jake’s eyes, God has done very little for him. He is feeling extremely hopeless in his relationships with other people and tends to be almost floating through life. I think it will be very interesting to see if Jakes position on the Catholic Church changes over the course of the novel.