The Sun Also Rises #1

Although I am not a novelist nor a writer, it is my understanding 

that it is common practice for authors to place themselves in their

writing. Whether this is in the abstract form of subtle hints in poetry or direct carbon copies of ones self into the characters of a novel. 

Upon beginning to read The Itinerary by John Atherton, Hemingway's Jake is immediately exposed as a man who has done it all, seen it all, and rightfully acts in such manner. By starting off this class reading Hemingway's memoirs, it allowed me an obtuse angle of insight into the man behind The Sun Also Rises. While unconsciously wielding that information, this short essay by Atherton has made something quite clear. 

There is no doubt that Hemingway has placed his own ideals into Jake. Jake, the seasoned, well roasted and prepared man that has answers that others don't. Hemingway ran from the States to escape a world that he no longer related to. He chose live a life of lush poverty and write stories, which captivated others while solidifying his prestige. 

Having been his first novel, Hemingway undoubtedly felt that he must break out from the pack, and as any self centered person might, he came to the conclusion that it was his own character traits, which would make Jake the most prominent of all.

To dive more intimately into the text, there is a specific event I would like to capitalize on. On page 203 of The Itinerary, Atherton quotes from the book. 

In the one extended scene in Jake's apartment( chapter 7), the count's presence tends to "deintimatize" the setting; he transforms Jake's private space into a public bistro by orderingh is chauffeur to bring on the champagne.

The character of the Count appears to be one of mystery and I find it pressing to understand his relationship with Brett. She mentions to Jake the Count's admiration of her and asks if Jake thinks he should be sent away. It appears and is confirmed that the Count is rather fond of Brett, but does he feel like a father figure? He leaves the two alone as he goes to fetch champagne. To any man courting a women, this can be seen as an egregious mistake. Placing my bets on the Count's intelligence, his actions must only be explained by assuming that he feels like a fatherly figure. Or, he sees Jake as merely a dear friend, incapable of altering Brett's desires. If this is so, then what might be the motivation behind this comment? 

"You are very nice people, he said. . . " "Why don't you get married, you two?" p50

In attempting to conclude my hypothesis of the Count, I feel as though I am unable to do so. I am torn between the two roads. Left, he is merely acting as a father figure, or right, he feels as though Jake is inferior. 

"Equal" in Paris

While heading into these readings with knowledge I have newly obtain in class, it lends itself well to picking apart these essays and building an understanding of the James Baldwin's 'perspective' on expatriates. 

In James Baldwin in Paris: Exile Multiculturalism and the Public Intellectual by Lloyd Kramer, Kramer begins the essay with an introduction to the parallel movement of creatives from Europe to America and America to Europe. Much spoken about in our class discussions, The Lost Generation of Paris had a tremendous impact on the art world. So much so that they even have classes today that only cover their works. However, The Lost Generation represented only a fraction of a fraction of the American population, with individuals who were primarily male and white. 

Unbeknownst to myself, there was another so called Lost Generation of expats who lefts the states in order to flee persecution. Kramer states that during the times of the Cold War, many African American's left for Paris,approximately 500, which greatly outnumbers the previous generation of lost individuals. 

Later on this essay, Kramer writes of the "hybridity" of America as opposed to the "melting pot," which many Americans, including myself view our Country. By using the logic behind the term hybridity, it explains how American's and Britons are able to claim such creatives for themselves. Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and John Dos Passos are in no way, to the general American public considered to be French writers. We claim them for ourselves, yet much of their creative years were spent as expatriates of The United States, trying to flee the troubles of a post Great War era. 

Moving on to the writings by James Baldwin, Equal in Paris starts with a wonderful scene in a cafe where Baldwin is sitting down, successfully avoiding the atmosphere of his hotel. While he is sitting, a man from back home recognizes him. Entirely understandable, they quickly act as though they are great friends, as Baldwin mentions, happening upon an acquaintance in a far away land makes for fast friends. In the first moments of their conversation, the traveler describes his horrible hotel, the untrustworthy owner and the whore of a wife. Baldwin comments on the absurdity of his claims and fails to even consider the possibility that his claims lay true. It is in this first interaction between the two that I am able to see Baldwin's perspective on the French as well as his idea of the American. 

Baldwin moved from Harlem to Paris in order to escape the impossible choice between battling racism in the States or ending up like his Stepfather, who slowly, or quickly, fell into a mental and physical state of disrepair. However, as Baldwin struggled to cram his way into French society, the struggles seem to be endless and as most problems, revolve around money. It appears that was stuck between two classes of people, which greatly limited those he could call acquaintances. 

In the last and final short essay of this week, Langston Hughes writes about his first day in Paris. Immediately Hughes is overjoyed and overwhelmed by his surroundings. He ends up in Louvre and after a visit, he is hungry and tired. He also feels lonely. As a newly crowned expat, it interesting, but unsurprising that the first people he seeks help from are American's, but also black. Unbeknownst to me, I can surmise that Hughes reasons for departing the States are similar to Baldwins. If that is the case, then it seems quite ironic that Hughes may fall back into his ways instead of starting Fresh in Paris. I know from my own experiences in Paris that when I see someone or a group of people that are Americans, and for purposes of this article, also white, I tend to shy away from them. I came to France for a different experience and although I am a frustrated creative fleeing from the confines of the American institution, I still find myself unable to understand the difficulties that such creatives as Hughes and Baldwin faced.  ((DRAFT))

Fitzgerald - The Ultimate Expat

After solely focusing on Hemingway and writers alike it was quite interesting to read Fitzgerald. I have read very little of his work in the past and I was surprised when I read the except Babylon Revisited.

I could not help myself, but compare Hemingway to Fitzgerald. This was quite easy of course. I had grown accustom to Hemingway's blasé narratives that required little attention to comprehend. 

The except is filled with emotion and I enjoyed the brevity of the writing. I was able to enter into the narrative of Charlie without much trouble and in less than 10 pages I felt engrossed. 

Something else worth noting is the difference in descriptive words used when speaking about Paris. As Charlie walks along the quay he takes note of the light and the observation feels organic. The though process behind Charlie feels more relatable than Hemingway. 

Taking a quick break from the comparisons of authors, the expat in Paris appears again in writing. The topic of Americans in Paris surfaces briefly in the story and sheds light on what it is to be an expat in Paris. It seemed from short snippets of dialog that the expats in this except were troubled when in the presence of other Americans and felt at piece when they were among the French. It must be a curious world to live between two societies. After living in Paris for 4 months, I continue to feel like an outsider, which is primarily due to the language barrier. However, I hear stories of partially fluent Americans who speak in French, but are answered in English. As an expat, one must feel alone, which of course explains their desire to mingle with their own kind. 

Lastly, there was a key difference between the writings of Hemingway and Fitzgerald. In Babylon Revisited the topic of expatriates was far less highlighted. It felt more like an undertone in the story rather than the topic. 

Ford Madox Ford

While reading the short piece entitled A Paris Letter by Ford Madox Ford, his infamous use of the unreliable narrator adds a level of complexity to the story, yet simplifies it. 

While making observations of Paris or the Parisians which reside in the city,  it can become quite easy, and almost natural to fall into the style of an unreliable narrator. It is highly unlikely that you posses the proper credibility to make judgments about the city, its inhabitants, or visitors, yet we do so anyways. It is an extremely natural way in which to observe your surroundings, and allows you to connect with your environment. 

In the context of this piece, the style of writing leads to the polarization of its readers. It is hard not to take notice of his labeling, such as "The musicians begin to be a little noisy. . .," "Next come, bracketed equal, the architects and sculptors. . ."and "The painters are never silent, individually or in groups."

 
As a student studying in Paris for less than half a year, it requires little effort to relate to short descriptive passages within the story. As mentioned above, the labeling in Ford's word is frequent and this method of comprehending your surroundings is likened to my method. However, the conclusions I swiftly draw such as Ford's narrator are replaced by deeper thoughts that yield different results. 

For example, there are specific cafes in Paris that cater to the start-up culture, which has exploded in the last decade or so. Specifically a cafe named Numa, which is located not far from the abhorrent Rue Saint Denis. After spending fewer than 10 minutes inside the cafe, I took note of the overly confident customer, who was indeed partaking in his own start-up venture. If I were to start my own version of A Paris Letter, it would undoubtedly go like this:

And now we lift the weighted top of the beehive off and peer into its belly. The start-up bees with honey flowing from their mouths destroy their weaker kin and look down upon anyone who fails to yield such high intelligence.  They know no rights and no wrongs.

However, if I were to reconsider my thoughts and ponder on such ideas, I would understand that such rigid definitions of culture rarely exist except in worlds that revolve around the quick and minuscule decisions that we as humans make on our first observation of humanity. 

Proudly placing myself in the group of brief Parisians who find the historical romanticism of the city to be false, I find that I am able to better discern where such fallacies stem from. It appears to me that the use of the unreliable narrator finds no better home than in the description of Paris. 

 

The Lost Generation?

Une Génération Perdue or The Lost Generation originates from an encounter that Gertrude Stein had with her local mechanic. In A Moveable Feast by Ernst Hemingway, Hemingway recounts his conversation with Stein, where she demands that he yield to her opinion on the idea of a lost generation of people. 

The history behind the 'lost' generation stems from the generation of men and women who returned from the war (World War I). In an A&E biography of The Lost Generation, it is said from the lips of Hemingway's friend that once Hemingway returned from his tour in Europe, he felt out of place and eventually his family forced him from their home. It was mentioned that many of the men and women who served felt that no one in their homeland understood the traumas that they were faced with, leading to a complete disconnect with society. This generation of returning men and women were among the now infamous group of expat artists who are now regarded as the most influential figures in the art world of the 20th century. 

This generation of Americans who were viciously sculpted by the war, were able to escape the ignorance of their families and friends by fleeing to a place such as Paris, to reconnect with people who understood their struggles. After the conclusion of The Great War, Western Countries, specifically The United States, experienced a period of growth that could only be tamed by the complete collapse of the financial industry. 

The new methods of manufacturing relied almost entirely on the mechanization of factories and this switch from manual labor to machines is reflected in the new wave of art of this time, which was spearheaded by The Lost Generation of writers and artists living and working in Paris. 

Stein, Hemingway, Dos Pasos, Picasso, and others were able to coexist and cohesively create new forms of artwork due to the scars and trauma that each individual shared. For example, in the A&E biography mentioned previously, Dos Pasos is said to have come from a well-off family, but instead of relying on his families assets, he had a desire to experience what it was to create. 

Moving from The Lost Generation of the 20's to current day, Hemingway drew his own conclusion from Stein's words, and wrote in A Moveable Feast that "I thought that all generations were lost by something and always had been and always would be." Almost 90 years after the term was coined, previous generations always, without fail consider their successors to be less than they were. The reason for this is not complicated and can be expressed in only a few sentences. The elder generations have experienced hardships which they had to overcome and adapt to. Once they had overtook the challenges, they developed new ways to live and socialize, therefore they project their ways onto their offspring. 

Spring in Paris and John Dos Passos

In A Movable Feast by Hemingway, he starts off the chapter entitled 'People of the Seine' by speaking about his first thoughts of the appearance of the neighboring areas around the Seine. Specifically the beginning of Boulevard Saint Germain. 

"This was not like any other Paris market but was a sort of bonded warehouse where wine was stored against the payment of taxes and was as cheerless from the outside as a military depot or a prison camp."

This style of descriptive writing is undoubtedly Hemingway's signature. However, the writer John Dos Passos employs a similar technique in the excerpt from his novel, Three Soldiers. The very paragraph of this excerpt begins with he sentence " Henslowe poured wine from a brown earthen crock into the glasses, where it shimmered a bright thin red, the color of currants." 

The most notable difference between these two authors is their heavy-handed or lack there of use of adjectives. Passos uses these phrases: brown earthen crock, shimmered a bright thin red, and the color of currents, whereas Hemingway uses such phrases as cheerless from the outside as a military depot or prison camp." In the same amount of time require to comprehend a P.P. or Passos passage, you are able to blaze through scenes of Hemingway's novel. Whether or not this is a positive attribute of Hemingway's writing, it does allow for a much quicker comprehension. It may even be said that Hemingway's sparing use of adjectives is due to his uncanny ability to understand how to relay information in the least cumbersome manner. 

Andrews:

In the excerpt of The Three Soldiers by John Dos Passos, Andrews is presented as a man whom is displeased with his life at home. Currently stationed overseas in Paris, Andrews meets a young couple at a restaurant. The boy is a craftsman who creates 'animals for Naoh's Ark' and after Andrews hears of this and leaves the restaurant he laments and speaks words of longing. 

"What a wonderful life that would be to live up here in a small room that would overlook the great rosy grey expanse of the city, to have some absurd work like that to live on, and to spend all your spare time working and going to concerts.... A quiet mellow existence...." Andrews later mentions the brutality of his home, New York City and how he wished to live in such a place as Paris. 

Later on in the except as Andrews is walking around Paris, it becomes clear that not only is he oddly obsessed with the frail boy and bareheaded girl, but he is also dragging his feet while he makes his way to the station. 

"He wandered aimlessly for a while about the silent village hoping to find a cafe where he could sit for a few minutes to take a last look at himself before plunging again into the grovelling promiscuity of the army." 

His memories from childhood remind of him of a time when he was getting ready to head off to school. Savoring his last bits of freedom, he would take the longest road to get to school. Here in Paris, Andrews speaks about staying in one place. It appears that all Andrews longs for is the opportunity to get used to a single place where solitude exists. However, his friend Henslowe holds a different attitude towards life and longs to travel as frequently as possible. 

As Andrews heads back to the office, he catches wind of news that the Y.M.C.A. is supposedly helping to send soldiers to French universities in order to start or complete their education. Andrews later speaks with his new found acquaintance to whom he may be related. Andrews speaks of wanting to attend Sorbonne and finishing his education. It is difficult for me to surmise how Andrews drive to continue his education reflects on the American's point of view on the war, but it seems that rather than focus on winning the war, Andrews is more concerned with using his time, which he sees as prison, to continue his studies. One would hope that a soldiers mission aligned with the country they are fighting for, but it is quite clear that Andrews does not favor the countries involvement in thew war.

The People - Other female figures in FEAST

Hemingway:

In the early days of Hemingway's life in Paris, he lived with little money and an address of 74 rue Cardinal Lemoine, which instantly classified his existence in Paris as a poor one. In search of books to borrow, Hemingway nervously entered the popular library and bookstore known as Shakespeare and Company. His nerves came from the lack of money he had for a library subscription, but to his surprise, the owner, Sylvia Beach was generous, kind and most importantly, trusting. 

Hemingway recorded his first interaction with Sylvia and wrote "No one that I ever knew was nicer to me." Whether or not she was able to instantly judge his character, Hemingway recalled that there was absolutely no reason for her to trust him and given his address, the reasoning only weakened. 

Not only did she offer this stranger a handful of books to borrow, she later on invited he and his wife to dinner at their home. Within this short passage, summarizing Hemingway's interaction with Sylvia, he has given his readers a warm description with such clarity that one may feel as welcome to Sylvia's store as he did. 


Sylvia: 

In Sylvia's later life, around 1956, she wrote a memoir entitled Shakespeare and Company. Within this book, she recounts her interactions with many poignant writers of her time, including Hemingway. In this instance, we are able to compare Hemingway's initial reaction to Sylvia, while reading her own words as she writes of the war. 

From Hemingway's brief profile of Sylvia, an image of a bright, youthful woman with "pretty legs" and a warm heart, effortlessly defines my impression of this woman. However, in her memoirs, more specifically around the time of Nazi occupation in Paris, her actions with Hemingway begin to make sense. Before the occupation, the United States strongly urged all Americans living in Paris to return. Sylvia strongly opposed the idea, and "settled down to share life in Nazi-occupied Paris with (her) friends." Forced to comply with many of the restrictions that her Jewish friends were given, her love for Paris and culture of the French became apparent. 

Within the letters from James Joyce to Sylvia Beach, more specifically an unsent letter from Sylvia, her true character, hidden behind the brief description Hemingway gave, becomes clear. 

Within the unsent letter, Sylvia outlines the stress and complications that Joyce has placed on her shoulders and takes a firm stance against his seemingly exploitative approach. Although, having chosen to withhold the letter, I believe that this better demonstrates her character than any sentence that Hemingway composed.

Her strong will to oppose Nazi occupation, America's pressure on its citizens to return, and Joyce's constant demands, demonstrate her ability to thrive in numerous situations while doing her best to forward the careers and lives of her friends.