The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway Essay

“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.

While Jake was going to bed, he thought to himself, “ I suppose she only wanted what she couldn't have” (pg.39). He is saying that he cannot be in a romantic relationship with Brett because they both know that he can’t give her what she wants which is sex. He is not able to indulge in sexual intercourse. Based on the context, it seems as if they had been in a romantic relationship in the past and his penis injury must have been the reason why they broke up. Brett continues to date other men and unlike Jake, they do not have any physical wounds. Jake loves Brett, and even though they are not together, he feels jealous and insecure when he witnesses other men talking about her. Most men in society believe that having a penis is what makes them manly and powerful. Based on this expectation, it would be hard for Jake to associate with men who have penises because he may feel uncomfortable around them. The fact that he is castrated will make him feel emasculated because he is different from other men, especially Brett’s significant others. Jake’s lack of self esteem is caused by his physical condition and this makes him

“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

Although Jake has feelings for Brett, he usually does not bring them up to her or others. Last but not least, he has a physical wound although it is not similar to other code

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

The value of monetary exchange extends to his relationships, particularly with Brett: “I had been getting something for nothing. That only delayed the presentation of the bill. The bill always came. That was one of the swell things you could count on” (Hemingway, 152). In this instance, Jake is referencing that his friendship with Brett, has given him the benefits of having as much of a romantic relationship as he can, which makes him feel he has cheated Brett of deserving payment. This explains why Jake supports Brett’s sexual promiscuity, as other men are capable of giving her what he cannot, sexually.

Jake was not only aware of his actions but he was also aware that his

A large portion of the friendships in the novel have no respect for other people's feelings. Case in point, Jake meets a bike group director, and the two have a drink together. They appreciate a friendly discussion and make arrangements to meet the following morning. Jake, on the other hand, sleeps through their meeting, having no respect for the fact that he will never see the man again. Jake and Cohn show another, still darker sort of false friendship. In spite of the fact that Cohn truly likes Jake, Jake must frequently hide his hostility toward Cohn, it is elevated when Jake finds out about the affair between Brett and Cohn At a certain point, he even claims to despise Cohn, “I mistrust all frank and simple people, especially when their stories hold together, and I always had a suspicion that perhaps Robert Cohn had never been middleweight boxing champion” (Jake 22 ). This failure of authentic connections with other individuals is a part of the aimless wandering that portrays Jake. Jake and his companions wander socially and in addition geographically, “Going to another country doesn’t make any difference. I’ve tried all that. You can’t get away from yourself by moving from one place to another. There’s nothing to that” (Jake 11). This further shows how the characters feel even after they go to a different country. Nothing about them or their lives changes, it makes them even more lost and disconnected, because they don't know why they still fill the same even after a trip. This is just a way to escape yourself, but they can't. Hemingway unveils that in the setting of war it was easier to shape friendships with other individuals. After the war it demonstrates much more troublesome for these characters to do as

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 .

This reveals that Jake is emasculated by this horrific event. He is left with the constant trouble of never being able to give Brett, the woman he loves, what she wants the most. There is an awkward moment when Jake and Brett are sitting in the back of a cab and Jake remarks, “and there’s not a damn thing we could do” so Jake's only choice is to leave Brett unsatisfied (34). This decision reveals the powerlessness Jake feels not being able to please Brett because of his injury. The war that Jake was in stripped him of his manhood and resulted in him never having Brett's love because he cannot contribute equally in

Jake decides to focus on the character Robert Cohn and his flaws. In the beginning of the book, Jake introduces him by saying, “Robert Cohn was once middleweight boxing champion of Princeton. Do not think that I am very much impressed by that…” (Hemingway 1). Jake describes Cohn to be insecure throughout the entire book, when really Jake is completely insecure of himself. Jake is not “impressed” by Cohn because he suffered from getting his nose flattened, which is nothing compared to Jake’s injury. Jake is continuously jealous of Cohn because he has an affair with Brett, which Jake will never physically be able to do. As he compares himself to Cohn, he becomes wrapped up in the drama of his alcoholic friends and forgets about his self worth. Jake ends up having a major identity crisis, trying to be the man he used to be before the war.

What is Pedro’s habit to look older? Smoking cigars. Why did Jake let Romero sleep with Brett? Because he loves Brett.

Jake is not a wealthy man; however, his ego gets the better of him. Time and again, he keeps a tight check of his bank account balance. But when Brett starts hanging out with Count Mippipopolous, Jake is not averse to offering up his money when they all go out together. Money takes a back seat to Jake's ego. Once, Brett sends the Count out for champagne so that she could be alone with Jake. Whereupon she talks to him about her fiancé, Michael and this shoots down Jake's already bruised ego to its lowest. However, For Jake, just to be with Brett is pure happiness. He is so blinded with love for her that he doesn't even flinch when she does

Barnes was a former soldier in the war who was discharged after an injury that left him impotent, which is similar to Hemingway’s situation. (Hemingway n. pag). Thus, this novel imitated the roman à clef writing style since it portrayed events and people from his real life. He drew the storyline from when in 1924, Hemingway, his wife, and a couple of American expatriates took a trip to the Pamplona festival. His real life entourage of Harold Loeb, Lady Duff Twysden, John Dos Passos, Donald Ogden Stewart were depicted as the main characters in his novel (Bloom n. pag). People who knew Hemingway’s actual entourage understood the metafiction portrayed in The Sun Also Rises and how scandalous it was when the novel published. However, the events that had occurred made for a great story and his friends were the “collateral damage” (Bloom 16). Hemingway craved success so he felt that losing his friends was an appropriate price to pay. Moreover, Hemingway chose to revolve the story around the bulls because they were an obsession of Hemingway. He was drawn to how bull-fighting represented brutality that he could watch but not be harmed by. Bull-fighting excited him and he wanted to involve this interest of his because his because it was a subject that he was well-informed about. The authentic culture of bull-fighting juxtaposed with

Before the LaMotta vs. Fox fight at Madison Square Garden, Jake tells commissioner Eagan to put the money he was going to bet on Fox and put it in Jake’s hand. He then introduces a quote which reappears throughout the movie when he tells Eagan, “cause Jake LaMotta don’t go down for nobody.” Jake would go on to fight Fox and purposely lose the fight. He sat in the locker room bawling in disbelief that he purposely lost. He tells Joey, “I took the dive. They want me to fall down too? I don’t fall down for nobody.” Even in the face of a planned loss, Jake’s hubris is