Epigrams and EpigraphsAnd an introduction to Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also

Rises

Epigrams Short, usually witty saying that packages one thought.

“Genius without education is like silver in the mine.”“I can resist everything but temptation.”

Epigraphs

In The Sun Also Rises, Hemingway included two epigraphs. An epigraph is a phrase, quotation, or excerpt that is included before another text or work.

 “You are all a lost generation.” —Gertrude Stein in conversation

One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; but the earth abideth forever… The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to the place where he arose… The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to its circuits… All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come thither they return again.  – Ecclesiastes

How are they different?

EPIGRAPHS Used for literary or

aesthetic purposes Not self-contained (needs

something to come after) Usually difficult to

understand “Open up” meaning (many

possible interpretations)

EPIGRAMS Used for educational or

didactic purposes Self-contained Easy to understand Package meaning quickly “Close down” meaning

(only one interpretation)

Why an epigraph? Authors use epigraphs to help us as readers interpret their work

Gertrude Stein (1874-1946)

(That’s her on the left.)

Let’s read aloud!

Let’s dive deeper. “You are all a lost

generation.”

—Gertrude Stein in conversation

One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; but the earth abideth forever… The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to the place where he arose… The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to its circuits… All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come thither they return again.

–-EcclesiastesWHAT DO YOU THINK THESE MEAN?

SHOULD WE KNOW WHAT THEY MEAN YET?

REMEMBER THESE?EPIGRAMS OR EPIGRAPHS?

The Sun Also Rises Note this quote from A Moveable Feast: “Later when I wrote my

first novel I tried to balance Miss Stein’s quotation from the garage keeper with one from Ecclesiastes.”

What does Stein think of Hemingway’s generation? What does Hemingway think of Stein’s?

Do you think Stein understands Hemingway’s generation? What about the other way around?

What does Stein value? Hemingway? What makes them value different things? What’s that say about

value as an objective, clearly-defined idea?

So, what does it all mean for us?

The Sun Also Rises is about a group of ex-patriots living in Paris, all of whom have been touched by World War I. The book follows the group as they vacation in Pamplona, Spain during the bullfights and a week-long fiesta. The main conflict involves a love triangle among Lady Brett Ashley, Robert Cohn, and Jake Barnes. Other conflicts occur when the “Lost Generation” ex-patriots interact with people in other countries and from other generations.

How about some youtubage about the book? Based on the two epigraphs, let’s hypothesize about some themes that

the book might explore. We’ll keep the hypotheses in mind as we move through the book and see how we did.

Sources Benjamin Franklin via

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/pdt/reference/coop/History.php Oscar Wilde via

http://duodeluxo.wordpress.com/2009/11/28/maxima-do-dia/ Hemingway via

http://thephoenix.com/BLOGS/medialog/archive/2008/02/26/weird-correction-of-the-day.aspx

Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas via http://culturestone.tumblr.com/page/2