Objectives

• Analyse how Hemingway's first-person narration in Chapters 1–4 constructs Jake Barnes as a self-concealing, unreliable narrator whose omissions carry as much meaning as his statements.
• Explain how Hemingway uses setting — the Paris cafés in Chapters 2–7 and the Irati River in Chapters 10–12 — to externalise the psychological states of the Lost Generation.
• Evaluate how the novel's treatment of masculinity is complicated by Jake's wound, Cohn's sentimentality, and Romero's afición across Chapters 8–18.
• Write an evidenced analytical paragraph that embeds quotation, names a specific technique, and links it to the theme of disillusionment or loss.
• Construct a sustained argument about how Hemingway's prose style — understatement, parataxis, the iceberg theory — produces meaning across the novel as a whole.
• Assess how Brett Ashley's characterisation in Chapters 3–4, 13–16, and 19 both challenges and is constrained by the novel's male gaze.

The sequence

1. Lesson 1: Jake's Invisible Wound: Narration and Omission in Book I

   55 min · ch. 1, 2, 4

   Do now

   Read the opening sentence of Chapter 1: 'Robert Cohn was once middleweight boxing champion of Princeton.' Write two sentences addressing why a novel titled The Sun Also Rises starts with a paragraph about a character who isn’t the narrator. What does this decision reveal about Jake Barnes even before he speaks about himself?

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of Chapter 4, focusing on the taxi ride passage that starts with "It was a fine night" and ends with Jake lying awake thinking about Brett. Demonstrate to students how Hemingway's use of paratactic syntax—short, declarative sentences linked with "and"—reflects emotional restraint: Jake describes actions but holds back his inner thoughts. Annotate on the board how the sentence "I lay awake thinking and my mind jumping around" stands out as the sole instance of expressed emotion, quickly followed by a return to a flat description. Label this as the iceberg theory: the wounds, both literal and emotional, are submerged beneath the surface.

   Independent task

   Working from Chapters 1 and 4, students will write a 150–200 word analytical paragraph discussing how Hemingway employs narrative focus and syntactic restraint to illustrate Jake's psychological damage. They need to include at least two quotations: one from Jake's introduction of Cohn in Chapter 1 and another from the insomnia passage in Chapter 4. Additionally, they should identify the technique used in each quote (either parataxis, free indirect discourse, or deliberate omission). The paragraph will be submitted at the end of the lesson for written feedback.

   Exit ticket

   In one sentence, name the technique Hemingway uses most in the Chapter 4 taxi and bedroom scene to stop Jake from expressing his feelings directly, and give the three-word quotation from that passage that you think does the most work.

2. Lesson 2: The Café and the River: Place as Psychological State in Books I–II

   55 min · ch. 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12

   Do now

   Sure! Here's the humanized version:

   Without opening the novel, jot down three events that you recall taking place in a café during Chapters 2–7 and three events that occurred at the Irati River in Chapters 10–12. Finally, write a sentence predicting what the contrast between these two settings could reveal about the characters who inhabit them.

   Teacher input

   Model a comparative reading of two passages: the café scene in Chapter 6 where Cohn realizes Brett is in Paris with Mike Campbell ('Cohn was sitting at a table… he had that American quality of taking sport seriously') and the fishing morning in Chapter 12 where Jake prepares his hook and observes the trout ('I was only a little tired'). Show students how Hemingway's descriptive language changes its tone — the café prose is terse and filled with social tension, while the river prose is rich in sensory detail and relaxed — and argue that the setting acts as a gauge of the characters' inner balance.

   Independent task

   Students are tasked with writing a comparative analytical paragraph of 180–220 words that explores how Hemingway employs the café setting in Chapter 6 and the Irati River setting in Chapter 12 to highlight contrasting emotional states experienced by the Lost Generation expatriates. They need to include a quotation from each chapter, identify the changes in diction or imagery between the two excerpts, and clearly state what this contrast indicates about Jake's desire to escape. Paragraphs will be peer-reviewed based on the following criterion: does the student identify a technique and connect it to a psychological or thematic insight?

   Exit ticket

   Write one sentence explaining what the Irati River fishing scenes in Chapters 10–12 offer Jake that the Paris cafés in Chapters 2–7 cannot, and use the word 'temporary' or 'illusory' in your answer.

3. Lesson 3: Afición and Its Discontents: Masculinity and Code in Chapters 8–14

   55 min · ch. 8, 9, 13, 14

   Do now

   Read the paragraph in Chapter 8 where Montoya greets Jake at the hotel: 'He smiled again. He was very pleased. Any foreigner who showed real afición was his friend.' Write two sentences: In this context, 'afición' refers to a genuine passion or enthusiasm for bullfighting, which is significant because Montoya's friendship with Jake signifies a deeper connection and understanding of the culture that he doesn't extend to the rest of the group. This distinction highlights Montoya's appreciation for those who truly respect and engage with the tradition, setting Jake apart as someone worthy of his trust and camaraderie.

   Teacher input

   ``json { "chapter": 13, "analysis": { "passage": "In this section, Pedro Romero battles the bull for the first time during the fiesta while Jake observes from the stands. The sentence 'Romero never made any contortions, always it was straight and pure and natural in line' highlights how Hemingway contrasts Romero's physical discipline with Cohn's emotional volatility and Mike's struggles with alcohol. The adjectives 'straight', 'pure', and 'natural' form a code of masculine conduct that resonates with Jake, yet due to his own wounds, he can never truly embody this ideal." } } ``

   Independent task

   Students are tasked with crafting an analytical paragraph of 180–220 words that explores how Hemingway portrays Pedro Romero in Chapters 13 and 14 to establish a masculine ideal that both uplifts and alienates Jake Barnes. They need to include a quote from at least one of Romero's bullfighting descriptions and from Jake's insomnia monologue in Chapter 14 ('I thought I had paid for everything'). Additionally, they should analyze what the contrast between these two passages reveals about Jake's self-perception. The completed paragraph will be collected and returned alongside a single written question aimed at deepening the student's argument.

   Exit ticket

   In two sentences, explain why Montoya's trust in Jake — established in Chapter 8 — makes Jake's act of introducing Brett to Romero in Chapter 13 a moral betrayal rather than simply a social favour.

4. Lesson 4: The Fiesta as Crucible: Violence, Desire, and Collapse in Chapters 15–18

   55 min · ch. 15, 16, 17, 18

   Do now

   Rewritten Text: Look at the chapter summary for Chapter 16: Cohn beats Romero, then weeps and asks Romero to shake hands. Romero refuses. Write two sentences: whose behavior troubles you more in this scenario, and why is Romero's refusal to shake hands significant in the moral universe that Hemingway has created?

   Summary of Changes Made:

   • Changed "find more troubling" to "troubles you more" for a more conversational tone.
   • Altered "why does Romero's refusal to shake hands matter in the moral world Hemingway has built?" to "why is Romero's refusal to shake hands significant in the moral universe that Hemingway has created?" to enhance clarity and flow while maintaining the original meaning.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the passage in Chapter 15 where Romero dedicates the bull to Brett and then gives her the ear: 'He had killed it very well and he had given the ear to the girl he was with.' Demonstrate to students how Hemingway's straightforward, reportorial style — devoid of exclamation or authorial commentary — compels readers to fill in the emotional significance. Annotate how the gift of the ear serves as both a genuine act of afición and a pivotal moment that solidifies Brett's and Romero's relationship, while Jake's silent observation of this event reflects his own character: he has adopted the same emotional restraint evident in Hemingway's writing.

   Independent task

   Students are tasked with writing two connected analytical paragraphs, totaling 250–300 words, exploring how Hemingway portrays the decline of the expatriate group during the final days of the Pamplona fiesta in Chapters 15–17. The first paragraph should concentrate on a specific moment of physical violence—either Cohn's attack on Romero in Chapter 16 or the running of the bulls—and analyze what this incident reveals about Cohn's character. In the second paragraph, students must examine Brett's choice to leave with Romero, discussing whether Hemingway depicts this as an expression of agency, self-destruction, or a combination of both, including at least one quotation from Chapter 17. Both paragraphs are to be submitted for teacher evaluation.

   Exit ticket

   Write one full sentence explaining how the structure of Chapter 18 — Jake swimming alone in San Sebastián after the group has dispersed — functions as a thematic comment on what the fiesta has cost him.

5. Lesson 5: 'Isn't It Pretty to Think So': Loss, Style, and the Novel's Final Word

   60 min · ch. 4, 14, 15, 19

   Do now

   Read the last six lines of Chapter 19, from 'Oh, Jake,' Brett said, 'we could have had such a damned good time together' to Jake's reply 'Isn't it pretty to think so?' Write two sentences: does Jake's final line reflect love, bitterness, resignation, or wisdom — and which single word in his response holds the most significance?

   Teacher input

   Model a reading of the closing exchange in Chapter 19, annotating how the use of the modal verb 'could' in Brett's line keeps their relationship forever conditional—a reflection of the Lost Generation's struggle to live in the moment. Then illustrate how Jake's response employs irony through understatement: the word 'pretty' serves as a small adjective that diminishes Brett's romanticism without being harsh, and 'think so' positions her dreams as mere fantasy. Argue that this single line encapsulates the novel's main idea: while desire persists, the chances for its realization have been shattered by the war and the choices made by the characters themselves.

   Independent task

   Students will write an analytical essay of 500–600 words that addresses the following question: "In The Sun Also Rises, Hemingway presents loss not as an event but as a permanent condition." In your essay, explore how Hemingway develops this idea throughout the novel, referencing at least three of the following moments: Jake's insomnia monologue in Chapter 4 ("It is awfully easy to be hard-boiled about everything in the daytime, but at night it is another thing"); Jake's thoughts on paying for everything in Chapter 14 ("I thought I had paid for everything. Not like the woman pays and pays and pays"); Romero's bullfighting in Chapter 15 ("always it was straight and pure and natural in line"); and the final exchange in Chapter 19 ("Isn't it pretty to think so?"). You must identify at least two specific techniques—selected from parataxis, understatement, the conditional mood, irony, or free indirect discourse—and maintain a cohesive argument throughout the essay instead of merely listing quotations. This essay serves as the summative assessment and will be submitted at the end of the lesson.

   Exit ticket

   Write one full sentence identifying which of the four quotations you were given you found hardest to connect to the idea of 'loss as a permanent condition', and explain in a second sentence what that difficulty reveals about the limits of your current argument.

Activities

Assessment

• Chapter 1 and 4 paragraph (Lesson 1): marker checks whether the student names a specific technique — parataxis, omission, or free indirect discourse — and links it to Jake's psychological wound rather than simply summarising plot.
• Peer-mark of comparative café/river paragraph (Lesson 2): student reviewer checks that both quotations are embedded (not dropped in) and that the paragraph makes an explicit claim about Jake's need for escape rather than describing the two settings separately.
• Exit ticket, Lesson 3: checks whether the student can articulate why Montoya's trust constitutes a moral framework — if the student writes only about social awkwardness, they have not yet grasped the afición code.
• Two linked paragraphs on the fiesta (Lesson 4): marker checks that the second paragraph on Brett moves beyond plot summary to make an interpretive claim about agency, and that at least one quotation from Chapter 17 is used as evidence.
• Exit ticket, Lesson 5: checks metacognitive awareness — a student who cannot identify any difficulty with the four quotations has not yet engaged critically with their own argument and needs a targeted intervention before the summative essay is marked.

Standards covered

Common Core 11 12

• RL.11-12.1 — Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
• RL.11-12.3 — Analyse the impact of the author's choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g. where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed).
• RL.11-12.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyse the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.
• RL.11-12.5 — Analyse how an author's choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.
• W.11-12.1 — Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

AP Literature

• Literary Argumentation (LAN-1) — Develop a thesis that makes a defensible claim about a literary text and support it with evidence and commentary.
• Figurative Language (FIG-1) — Explain the function of specific words and phrases, including connotative meanings, in shaping the reader's interpretation.
• Narration (NAR-1) — Explain the function of point of view and how the narrator's choices shape meaning, including what is omitted or withheld.
• Structure (STR-1) — Explain how the sequence of events, the arrangement of scenes, and the pacing of a text contribute to its overall meaning.
• Character (CHR-1) — Explain the function of contrasting characters and how their relationships reveal the text's thematic concerns.

AQA

• AO1 — Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology, and coherent, accurate written expression.
• AO2 — Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts, with particular attention to the effects of language, form, and structure.
• AO3 — Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received, including the post-WWI expatriate context and Hemingway's iceberg theory.
• AO5 — Explore literary texts informed by different interpretations, including feminist readings of Brett Ashley and New Critical readings of Hemingway's prose style.

Edexcel

• AO1 — Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology and coherent, accurate written expression.
• AO2 — Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts, focusing on Hemingway's use of understatement, parataxis, and narrative omission.
• AO3 — Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received, including the Lost Generation, post-WWI disillusionment, and 1920s expatriate culture.
• AO4 — Explore connections across literary texts, for example comparing Hemingway's treatment of masculinity and loss with other modernist texts on the A-level reading list.