The Sun Also Rises: Chapter 19

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

Lady Brett Ashley is one of Hemingway's most famous female characters.

While her character embraced many of the new attitudes that were ushered in by the 1920s, her portrayal also shocked and offended some readers of the era. Even today, her character raises serious questions about behavior and morality.

• Is she simply a liberated woman acting on her emotions or is she a seductress who disregards all moral and ethical mores to fulfill her carnal desires?

To learn more about some literary critics' assessments of Lady Ashley, read the following article. As you read, answer the following questions in the notebook or journal you've been keeping on the novel:

• Which of Hemingway's acquaintances may have provided the inspiration for the fictional Lady Ashley?
• What is the author's opinion of Lady Ashley?
• What supporting evidence does the author provide to support her claim?
• Does the author overlook any evidence that might point to a different interpretation of Lady Ashley's character?

Read Character Studies: Lady Brett Ashley, by Stephanie LaCava, of the Paris Review. When you have read the article and answered the questions, write down your reaction in your reader's notebook or journal.

• Do you agree with LaCava's interpretation of Lady Ashley? Why or why not?

After discussing your perception of Lady Ashley, read the final chapter of The Sun Also Rises, Chapter Nineteen. As you read, write down what happens to the main characters after the end of the fiesta. You can use these notes to help you with the activities in the Got It? and Go! sections.

When you have finished reading and taking notes, move on to the Got It? section, where you will explore the events of Chapter Nineteen in more detail.