Jake Van Scoyoc: The Myth, The Legend

“Oh, Jake, we could have had such a damned good time together.’ ‘Yes, Isn’t it pretty to think so?”. Their final discussion is right where they started in the back of a cab. Brett has just dug a hole even deeper into the abyss of disappointment that Brett has already given him. Jake has lost his masculinity in more ways than one. He has to live without Brett, and with his disability, denying him any chance at all with women. He has finally accepted the loveless relationship that has become of them, and will push forward knowing how it will never be.

Jake Barnes, on the other hand, was a soldier during World War I and has witnessed all there has to see about the brutal nature of humanity. He is forever scarred by impotence because of his war injury and therefore, will never be the same again. In a conversation with Georgette, Jake claims that “everybody’s sick. I’m sick, too.”(23) which demonstrates Jake’s atmosphere of melancholy when he makes a blanket statement under the assumption that everyone is miserable. Jake lost his innocence on the battlefield, and therefore, he always lived his live with a pessimistic outlook, illustrating the disparity between his and Robert’s personality that stemmed from their respective backgrounds.

how) contributing to her death." (179) "Fawell later states, in the same article, "Jake is

          The most prevalent theme in this story is loneliness. Jake is obviously lonely, so much so that he stoops to such pathetic lines as, "I'm kinda hoping so, just so it takes a little more time and we can talk some. Or else you can give me your phone number now and I won't have to lay my regular b.s. on you to get it later." His loneliness also shows when Gilb describes how, "her hand felt so warm and soft he felt like he'd been kissed." Jake seems to crave the human intimacy of love, and yet all he does is flirt with a woman whom he does not even care for enough to be truthful to. This is also situational irony. Corresponding with this theme of loneliness is the concept that everyone is looking for love. This need is very evident in Jake and is also displayed in Mariana. No intelligent female would even relent a little in the face of such an apparent swindler as Jake. However, Mariana must be a little flattered and lonely because she smiles at his attentions and even makes small talk with him.

She sees Jake as an unintelligent, brainless, violence obsessed marine who doesn’t deserve a place in her program. As time progresses, Grace grows fond of Jake, his helpful tendencies and selflessness.

“Why? What’s the point?”. Jake has a wife and a daughter and he hasn't spoken with his kid in months. His daughter refers to him as “the man that used to live with us” and he doesn't like speaking with his

In Dad, Jake must learn to become independent and live, without relying on others. Jake’s failure to achieve autonomy is first seen by his relationship with Betty. Everyday Betty must wake up and dress Jake, even

Jake: I know I can’t treat you like that but you’ve got to know I didn’t mean any of that stuff…I just freaked out on the situation, not at you…. I was drunk, and I walked in and saw the two of you together and I totally flipped out.

Jake is consciously aware that there is a problem, which is more than can be said about his friends. Perhaps the people that surround Jake are the issue, though. His close friends and the people whom he travels with include Lady Brett Ashley, Robert Cohn, Bill, and Mike. Brett, the target of Jake’s unrequited affections, is likely someone whom he should stop spending time with; however, it seems that he just can’t get away from her. She is a very strong and independent woman who isn’t known to behave in a traditionally feminine way. Jakes does remark that although she is very independent, “She can’t go anywhere alone.” Robert Cohn is a Jewish, wealthy expatriate; but unlike many of his friends, did not spend any time in the war. Cohn also falls head over heels in love with Brett, who soon rejects his affections as well. As a wealthy, Jewish, non war veteran Cohn stands out in the group and his fumbling attempts to court Brett are the source of much mockery and leads to many fights. Bill is also an American veteran who seems to be always drinking. He tends to use humor to try and deal with the emotional scars of war; however, is not immune to the immaturity and cruelty sometimes characterized by Jake and his friends. Finally, Mike is a very heavy drinking Scottish war veteran who is completely bankrupt. He is seen to have a terrible temper, which most often displays while he is drunk. Mike is also not comfortable with the

An important theme in this book that the character of Jake displays very well is transformation. Through out the book, you see Mr. Gerbati take Jake through a “transformation journey” from stealing to stay alive, to becoming the son figure that Mr. Gerbati once had. Jake found a much better, healthier, and more stable father figure to live by everyday after meeting Mr. Gerbati, and being

We see his insecurity when he says at the Cathedral, “I was a little ashamed, and regretted that I was such a rotten Catholic, but realized there was nothing I could do about it”, which tells us that he is conscious of his condition, but does nothing to fix it. It is evident that Jake doesn’t want to do anything about his problem because when he says, “, at least not for a while, and maybe never”, he knows the problem is there but dismisses it by saying never.

It shows how Jake is persistent and dedicated to his job, even if it always seems like he is in over his head. Jake, however, also departs from the film noir tradition when he lets his emotions get the best of him. The greatest example of this is seen during the exchange between him and Evelyn when he is trying to find out the truth about Katherine. Resorting for the first time to violence against a woman, the near desperation with which Jake pushes Evelyn to confess is an expression of his fears and anxieties about being completely lost amidst the lies that surround him. The result is the humanization of Jake Giddes’ character. He simply is not perfect, and ultimately fails to see the bigger picture of what he is involved with until .

However, Jake is not married, nor does he live with a woman in Paris. The characters of the

Clearly, Jake disregards the truth that his ideal romantic relationship with Brett would not work. The slight possibility of his envisioned romantic relationship with Brett motivates him to continue being lost in love. Nevertheless, at the end of the novel, in the taxi ride from Madrid, Brett claims, “Oh Jake, we could have had such a damned good time together” (251) to which Jake responds, “Isn’t it pretty to think so?” (251). His near sarcastic response depicts how Jake comes to par with the reality that he cannot have his ideal romantic relationship with Brett. He understands that because of his war injury, Brett and he will never be able to fully express their love for each other which prevents the chances of fostering an intimate relationship. Jake has accepted the fact that any legitimate relationship chances with Brett is a fantasy.

In New York, she reunites with her friend JO (21), who introduces her to JAKE (22), an all American type guy. They soon engage in a casual sexual relationship. Just as Dani begins to care about Jake, their relationship takes a different turn, when Jake stops texting and contacting her.