Value and exchange in Hemingway's The sun also rises

Abstract

The characters in The Sun Also Rises follow a code of exchange instead of a traditional moral code. This emphasis on exchange matches the new found booming economy of the 1920s. Characters follow this code of exchange which is not limited to the exchange of money. This code works because the characters exchange things which they value, including goods, alcohol, friendship, sex, suffering, and aficion. These exchanges define the characters of Hemingway's novel and following this code is what allows them to survive in their world. Exchange is everywhere in the novel, governs the characters and their interactions. By replacing traditional beliefs, based in religion and honor, with rules of compensation, Hemingway is commenting on the new value of commerce and exchange by his characters as a reflection of the economy of the twenties.