The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway, would work well in conjunction with a history lesson about the aftermath of World War I, specifically about the effects of the war on the "Lost Generation." Receiving historical context of the time period and learning about Hemingway's own experience with the war are essential in order to understand the novel. Teachers should provide students with a brief overview of Hemingway's life and cite the reasons so many Americans, especially writers and artists, found themselves in Europe following the war.
A definition of the "Lost Generation" and information about the group of writers who defined that generation will also aid students in understanding the characters in the novel. Accompanying this book with other works by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ezra Pound, and T. S. Eliot, for example, will allow students to analyze the characteristics of a novel from the "Lost Generation."
Summary
Hailed as one of the definitive novels of the "Lost Generation," The Sun Also Rises examines the aftermath of World War I through a group of American and English expatriates living in Europe. Protagonist Jake Barnes and his cohorts travel from Paris, France to Pamplona, Spain for the festival of San Fermin. During their time in Spain, tensions arise as true feelings and personalities are exposed.