In The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway, a moody and thoughtful tone with an ironic undertone is used effectively along with formal and concrete diction, syntax and simple antitheses, expressive figurative language, numerous allusions to the Bible and irony that allow the reader to relive the tumultuous emotions felt by the characters of the novel and enhancing the theme of the suffering of war that continues outside from the battlefield. The book contains a chain reaction of broken and dysfunctional relationships in the central characters' quest for wisdom, which subsequently leads to a plethora of inappropriate behavior that was prevalent in Paris during the early 1920s and after World War I. The soldiers who survived the bloody conflict returned. home only to face new challenges and horrors that were not previously foreseen. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Jake Barnes narrates the novel in a moody, depressed, and reflective tone. He acts as an observer, noticing and interpreting the scenery and events around him. He has been deeply depressed since his return from war because an injury has left him impotent and unable to have intercourse with the woman he loves, Lady Brett Ashley. Jake is part of the group, but remains separate from the others, as supported by the tone. The sad and thoughtful tone can be seen in the passage on page 25: “'Don't touch me,' he said. "Please don't touch me." "What happens?" "Oh, Brett." "You don't have to. You have to know. I can't stand it, that's all. Oh, darling, please understand!''Don't you love me?''I love you? I go all jelly when you touch me.''There's nothing we can do. ?'Now she sat up. My arm was around her and she was leaning against me, and we were quite calm. She was looking into my eyes with that way of looking that made you wonder if she was really seeing with her eyes .kept watching after that the eyes of everyone else in the world would have stopped watching. (Hemingway 25) In this quote, Jake's internal struggle is tangible, he expresses obvious love from Brett and he is unable to have a relationship with her The desire and the sadness prevalent in the tone are ironic, if one considers the title of the novel, The Sun Also Rises. The name suggests that for every recession; ended on the same note melancholic and depressed with which it began. The sad, questioning and reflective tone is also supported by the Bible epigraph at the beginning of the book. The epigraph is taken from Ecclesiastes 1:3-6. The book's opening sentences sum up the tone of The Sun Also Rises, “'Meaningless! Senseless!' says the Master. «Absolutely nonsense! It is all nonsense'” (Ecclesiastes 1:2). The characters' actions throughout the novel support this; excessive drinking and reckless behavior suggest that they are trying to fill an otherwise meaningless existence. Jake's questioning attitude and depressed, moody tone are guided by formal, yet simple diction. Hemingway uses formal language with very little colloquialism or vulgarity allowing the reader to understand the main concepts of the story without having to decode a plethora of complex language. In Jake's description of scenes and events, direct language is used, with few double entendres or euphemisms. “At that point, though, he had other things to worry about. It had been taken over by a lady who hoped to emerge with the magazine. She was very energetic and Cohn never had a chance not to be teased. He was also sure that he loved her. When this lady sawthat the magazine would not be successful, she felt a little disgusted by Cohn and decided that they might as well take what there was to buy while there was still something available, so she urged them to go to Europe, where the lady had studied, and where he remained for three years. (Hemingway 5). This passage exemplifies the simple diction used and how it does not interfere with the overall message of the story. Together, Hemingway mainly chooses monosyllabic words. Finally, Jake's thoughtful tone is evident through the abundant descriptions he offers throughout the text. The diction in The Sun Also Rises is further supported by simple, periodic syntax. Simple sentences make up the vast majority of the novel. Despite the name, the meaning they convey is far from simple. For example, the following passage consists mostly of simple sentences, but it conveys the rhetorical question that seems to haunt Jake and Brett throughout the entire story. “We sat next to each other. I hugged her and she leaned comfortably against me. It was very hot and bright, and the houses looked vivid white. We turned onto Gran Via. “Oh, Jake,” Brett said, “we could have had so much fun together.” In front was a mounted policeman in khaki directing traffic. He raised his wand. The car suddenly slowed, pressing Brett against me. "Yes." I said. "Isn't it nice to think so?" (Hemingway 247). In addition to being mostly simple sentences, this passage contains a rhetorical question. “'Isn't it nice to think so?'” is the essential question of the novel. What if Jake wasn't helpless? Would their lives be less meaningless if they could be together? Furthermore, Romero's description of the bullfight provides an antithesis, because he seems to be the only character with meaning in his life. the bull. At the end of the pass they were facing each other again. Romero smiled. The bull wanted it again, and Romero's coat filled again, this time on the other side. Each time he let the bull pass so close that the man and the bull formed one sharply etched mass. It was all so slow and so controlled. It was as if he was rocking the bull to sleep. He did four veronicas like this, and ended with a half-veronica turning his back to the bull and walking away towards the applause, with his hand on his hip, his cape on his arm, and the bull watching his back as he walked away. (Hemingway 217). Romero's presence towards the end of the novel creates a schism in the group of friends because he is apparently the only one who has accomplished what is described in Ecclesiastes, purpose and meaning. The vast majority of Romero's interactions occur within the arena, as opposed to the group of friends; the ring does not allow false or meaningless actions because they will lead to death. This confidence captures the group's attention; they envy its seemingly unity and significance. This syntax contributes to the irony in The Sun Also Rises. Hemingway makes effective use of irony in several scenarios. Furthermore, the aforementioned title creates irony compared to the verses of Ecclesiastes. In addition to this, the plot contains situational irony regarding Jake's helplessness. He goes to war, like most men, in an attempt to prove his manhood, but as a result loses the use of the very organ that might be called "his manhood." Furthermore, the use and reference to the Bible used to create this effect is also an allusion. Hemingway's inclusion of the epigraph and Jake's name alludes to the Holy Bible and further enhances the questioning, depressed, and reflective tone. “Brett smiled at him. "I promised to dance with this Jacob," she laughed. 'You've got a damn biblical name, Jake.'" (Hemingway 22). Another biblical allusion is present throughout the party; it lasted seven.