Is Jake Actually Hemmingway?

Doody, Terrence. Ernest Hemingway Seven Decades of riticism. Ed. Linda Wagner-Martin. East Lansing: Michigan State UP, 1998. 103-116. Print.

In this article, Doody takes a somewhat cynical point of view about Jake. He starts out by insinuating Jake is an unreliable narrator because the text often consists of recollections. However, he keeps in mind that the author is the one who is ultimately in control of the style. Doody poses the question, “How far does the author let the narrator get?” This is a very interesting question, especially when considering the title of the work, because it forces the reader to contemplate how much of Jake is actually Hemingway. If it can be assumed that a significant portion of Jake’s character and narration is Hemingway, then is the allusion to Ecclesiastes included on Jake’s behalf or on Hemingway’s behalf? And for that matter, is the title of the work given by Hemingway or by is it given by Jake?Doody points out that because Jake is not “located in space and time,” that is he is never far enough away from Hemingway to form his own style as a narrator. Doody’s perspective implies Hemingway meant for Jake to be used as a facade, allowing him to hide behind a character. Jake was never meant to take on a life or personality of his own, but rather served as a tool for Hemingway to be omnipresent.

Doody’s perspective offers the possibility that Jake is Hemingway. If this were true, it means that the research question posed takes on a very different connotation. The reader must not think of the title as Jake’s relationship with Ecclesiastes and what the sun might symbolize in terms of Jake’s experiences. The reader must think in terms of Jake when considering what Hemingway is trying to convey in the title.In a bold statement, Doody suggests that, “Hemingway sees in a world where the sun does not seem to rise for anyone.” If this were true, and supposing that the title is in fact Hemingway’s portrayal of Jake, then the title once again takes on an entirely different tone. The sun was once a possible symbol of renewal and rebirth, but this statement would suggest that the sun is a symbol of missed opportunities and regret. To say that the sun never rises on these characters and have a title that suggests otherwise is contradicting and confusing. Is this to say that the sun rises on Jake in the physical sense, but not in the metaphorical sense? Does Hemingway feel that Jake is in limbo, just passing time in the proverbial darkness that his life seems to be? When interpreting the title with a pessimistic slant, readers are liable to perceive the story in a negative light, thus missing the importance of the individuality of each character. As said by Wagner, they are not the lost generation, but the beaten down generation. Doody’s thoughts were very helpful in offering a different way for the reader to contemplate the ways in which the title guides them.