The book The Sun Also Rises, by Earnest Hemmingway is a book with many possible explanations of plot and purpose. The book was written in order to show how people truly are, by using a post-war setting. A few of these cynical examples are; excessive drinking, insecurity, the lack of happiness and having false friends. The duality of the personalities of the main characters ties everything together.
In this book, most of the characters deal with the lack of true happiness. The narrator, Jake Barnes and his lady friend, Brett should be together because they love each other, but can't due to Brett's chosen life style. Brett is into sex and socializing and because of the war, Jake is impotent. This makes things difficult for them. "Couldn't we just live together Brett? Couldn't we just live together?" "I don't think so. I"d just tromper you with everybody. You couldn't stand it" (Pg:62) Also, Robert Cohn and Mike are not happy because they both believe they love Brett, yet cannot have her.
Excessive drinking plays an important role in both the plot and examining the duality of the characters in The Sun Also Rises. It helps hide the depressions the main characters face and also brings out the worse in them. Mike is a prime example. When he is "tight", he is a complete jerk and is obnoxiously mean and rude to everyone. Especially to Cohn; when he is around Mike constantly harasses him for loving Brett. But when he is sober- a rare sight- he is rather agreeable and nice. .
Insecurity and false friends are found throughout the novel and help strengthen what Hemmingway is trying to accomplish by writing this book. Nobody really likes Cohn. They put up with him only because they have nothing better to do and he makes a good butt-end for most jokes. Jake and his gang of friends do not care about his feelings, his dignity or anything else of his. And towards the end of their trip to Spain, they get so fed up with him that they bluntly tell him to go away.