“Two men, both soldiers, both failures, both heavy drinkers, and both without the best of genteel social graces, would provide the best examples of what good men do when they are underestimated in facing adversity. These men, from similar generations, were used as flawed men to procure the better good.” Author Unknown.
The story of the Phoenix rising from the ashes is a universal myth about a legendary bird that cyclically regenerates or is reborn. Across many cultures, it remains one of the most enduring symbols of resilience, transformation, and hope.
It is perhaps why Atlanta is said to have “rose like a Phoenix” after it survived and rebuilt when the burning flames set by invasion forces during the American Civil War had turned to embers.
Ernest Hemingway knew of the legend. God gave Hemingway the gift of the pen. While Hemingway did not write a specific essay on the mythical phoenix, the concept of the phoenix rising from the ashes, symbolizing renewal, resilience, and transformation after total destruction is deeply embedded in his work, particularly in The Sun Also Rises (1960) and his personal philosophy of overcoming trauma.
What was that trauma? It was rooted in his near-fatal wounding during World War I and subsequent psychological struggles, fundamentally woven into the thematic structure of The Sun Also Rises. The novel serves as a “phoenix rising” narrative, where the characters, the “Lost Generation”, the attempt to rebuild a sense of self, purpose, and masculine identity after being broken by the war.
The Phoenix and “The Sun Also Rises” The title of Hemingway’s debut novel, The Sun Also Rises, refers to the biblical passage in Ecclesiastes that “the sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose”.
But, what is the Legend of Rebirth?
In the most common versions of the story, particularly from Greek and Egyptian mythology, the Phoenix is a magnificent bird with brilliant gold and scarlet plumage.
The Life Cycle: Only one Phoenix exists at any given time, and it lives for a period ranging from 500 to over 1,400 years.
The Nest: When the bird senses its life is coming to an end, it builds a nest made of aromatic branches and spices like cinnamon and myrrh.
The Fire: The Phoenix sets its nest ablaze and is consumed by the flames, reduced to a pile of ash.
The Resurrection: From those very ashes, a new, young Phoenix rises. In some versions, the new bird emerges after three days, symbolizing a fresh start untouched by its previous death.
The Final Act: The young bird often gathers the ashes of its predecessor, seals them in an egg of myrrh, and flies them to Heliopolis (the “City of the Sun”) in Egypt to be placed on the altar of the sun god.
Winston Churchill also knew the legend. Churchill was a British statesman, military officer, and author who served as Prime Minister twice (1940–1945 and 1951–1955). He famously led the United Kingdom to victory in the Second World War against Nazi Germany. A prolific writer and orator, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953.
But, he too had to rise from the ashes. During World War I, he was responsible for sending British war ships into the Straits of Gallipoli in order to engage Turkish troops encamped on the cliffs.
It was a disaster.
Tens of thousands of British sailors were slaughtered by the Turks firing heavy artillery from the cliffs. The British fleet turned around and fled in failure.
Churchill was ruined. He atoned by volunteering to fight in the awful trenches in France as a soldier. He survived and for years remained in self exile. Little did he know that he would be called on again to serve his country. As the Third Reich spread across Europe, England was the next taget. It has been said that Adolf Hitler was afraid of only one man; Sir Winston Churchill.
Hemingway and Churchill point out that in life the Phoenix also rises.