Lady Brett: Is she really a Lady?

During our class discussion about Lady Brett Ashley, I started to do some thinking. Over the course of the past week, it has been determined, at least by my opinion, that Lady Brett is a kind of polarizing figure. Those exist a lot in the world of literature so it's not all that surprising. What was surprising for me is that she is really not that much unlike women I have known. Hell I am one of those women.

The biggest character flaw that people seem to find with Brett is that she cannot make up her mind about who she decides to love. One day it's Jake, the next Michael, so on and so forth. She does not seem to genuinely love these men (as is made obvious by her choice to pursue Pedro towards the end of the novel). However, she seems to love the attention that these bring men bring with them. They make her feel beautiful and special but most of all they make her feel wanted. I think everyone at some point in their life has wanted someone to make them feel that way whether they are a man or a woman. I know I certainly have shared a few classes with men I thought would be my new husband (even if the only time we ever spoke is when they were asking me for my answers). Maybe Brett is not in love with these men but she is in love with the idea of being in love, the infatuation stage if you will. She loves the feelings the infatuation gives her which is why she acts so wrecklessly with these men and their feelings.

As I said before, she may be a polarizing figure, but on some level I can relate to her and the way she feels. Then again, that's just me.

Brett's Emptiness

This week while reading I began to give a lot of thought to the character Brett. Although some are not to fond of her and others are fascinated by her, I am unsure how I feel about her. I feel that she is missing something in her life. It is as if she feels the need to sleep with men to fulfill a hole in her life. It is very possible that she feels unsatisfied in her relationship because of the love she lost during the war. She even says at one point that she is depressed and unhappy. I do not feel that she really has feelings for the men that she sleeps with except for Jake. Like someone had commented today, Jake and Brett have a relationship that works out on their own terms. I do not believe that she is "madly in love" with Romero. I feel that it is an infatuation because Romero is foreign and new to her, thus temporarily filling her emptiness. -Brittany Kief

Lady Brett's search for completion

As we discussed in class today, Lady Brett is missing something in her life. I would argue that what she is missing is the true love she felt for the man she lost during the war. I do believe that her love for Jake is genuine too, but it lacks something that she previously had with her true love. She is searching for the feeling of completness that she felt with this love. I believe that this loss of love had crippled Lady Brett in a way. I would agree with what some of my classmates said about Brett being deppressed and that this deppression is what cripples her. I don't believe that Brett thinks she will ever find a love like the one she had and that this is what prevents her from having a happy relationship with Jake.

Robert Cohn: The Bull With No Balls?

As I continue to read The Sun Also Rises the one character that keeps sticking out to me is Robert Cohn. Undeniably, Cohn is the social outcast of the book. In class we talked about how he is portrayed as a character and we came up with something along the lines of: masculine, Jewish, and generally disliked by his group of “friends.” In all, Cohn is everything that Jake is not. I truly think that is where Jake’s dislike for Cohn stems from. So far we have learned that Cohn hooks up with Brett, is untainted by the tragedy of war, and extremely masculine. For these qualities and facts I think Jake is envious of Cohn, and so naturally he is portrayed as the bad guy of the novel. Although he may be a bit full of himself, I do not see Cohn as an idiot. He knows he is disliked and generally made fun of for his race and actions so WHY does he stick around? Is it his love for Brett that keeps him from abandoning his “friends” and moving on, or does he relish in being disliked because it means he is at least getting attention? Personally I do not see how Cohn’s pride allows him to be ridiculed by not only his “friends” but by Francis as well. I cannot help but wonder what is going through his mind. My question for you guys is this: How would you perceive the novel if there was a character role reversal and Cohn was made the narrator instead of Jake? In short, what would Cohn have to say?

What's In a Name: What People are Called

     Names fascinate me and I found it interesting how Jake referred to people. He referred to his friend Cohn by his last name. He introduced Cohn’s girlfriend by Francis, but then avoided using her name very often again. Brett again gets introduced by a first name, but she is referred to by her first name. Mike Campbell is never discussed outside of dialogue, but he is always referred to by first and last name when he is being spoken of. Bill is spoken of using a first name. 

     Something that stuck out about this was that people who were in a more intimate relationship with Jake were discussed using their first name. Bill is a close friend that Jake goes fishing with. The conversations between the two go beyond casual acquaintances to the point of incredibly close friends. Jake is looking to create a romantic relationship with Brett.  

     With Cohn, while they are friend, the relationship is a bit more tense and not as intimate as the other two relationships. Did anyone else think about this when they were reading?

The Many Relationships of Lady Brett

The general fascination with Lady Brett has dominated many of the blog posts for the class this week. However,  while I am also highly fascinated by Lady Brett, I am also very interested in the relationship she has with all of the men in the novel. For instance, her relationship with Jake is very fascinating because her affections towards him seem to be the most genuine ones she has. However, despite the obvious fact that Brett loves Jake she denies him and seems to refuse to be with him. Instead, Brett chooses to flirt, sleep around, and publicly display her affection towards Mike. While on the topic of Mike, his and Brett's is the second most fascinating relationship Lady Brett is involved in. It is continually brought up that Mike is her fiancé, as if everyone must be reminded, yet, Brett seems to be continually annoyed with him: "Shut up, Michael. Try and show a little breeding," or even "Come off it, Michael you're drunk" are heard regularly throughout the novel. Continually Brett seems embarrassed or annoyed by Mike;therefore, readers can wonder as to why, besides the money, she stays with him.
We briefly discussed in class that perhaps Jake is a masochist, because despite the pain seeing Brett but not being with Brett causes him he continues to keep in her company. However, I am beginning to think that perhaps Brett is the masochist. It has been agreed upon that Brett is quite the complex character, therefore, it is a possibility that she is the masochist either instead of or along with Jake. She is consistently drunk and seems to put herself into situations where she is with men she either loves or supposedly loves. We, as readers, get to know Jake's thoughts but we do not know Brett's, how then, can we say that she simply toying viciously with all the men instead of doing the same thing they are doing: attempting to find a sense of normalcy, love, and security after the war.

Mr. Unreliable

I am not ready to hate Robert Cohn. I was surprised by the lack of support Cohn received in class on Wednesday as we pondered the idea that he may be both foolish and an outcast. However, I’m not so sure Cohn really is a fool or an outcast. The problem that I have with calling Cohn a fool or an outcast is the fact that our narrator is Jake, and I don’t believe Jake is a reliable character. Jake is condescending when he states that Cohn is a good man in one passage and then in the other he states how rotten of a guy he is. Hemingway writes, “I like him. But he’s just so awful” (107). Jake’s comment that Cohn is “nice” and “awful” is a discredited contradiction. Jake’s inability to decide if he truly likes Cohn leads me to believe that he is unreliable. Furthermore, as Mike verbally attacks Cohn, Jake decides to leave himself out of the situation and instead of sticking up for Cohn who he “likes,” he watches the escapade unfold because he finds it enjoyable. I believe that, so far, Bill is the only reliable main character in The Sun Also Rises. Although Bill often becomes intoxicated, he seems to keep his bearing. Bill is the only one to help Cohn escape from Mike’s scolding, even though he admits that he doesn’t like him. Because Bill helps Cohn when he is in need, instead of turning his back on him like Jake, I believe that Bill is the most reliable character.

Gray Areas

There is no denying the fascination that comes with Brett Ashley’s character. She is brains, beauty, and charisma all in one. Lovely and provocative, Brett breathes life into this novel and is essentially the focal point of the piece it seems. Every man she meets is swept away by her charms, and many are granted her prize. There have been questions about her motives and statements regarding her promiscuity, but what does it all mean about her character? After much consideration, I don’t believe we can paint this woman in black or white, as is true for most people. Okay, Brett sleeps around. While some people find this alone to be morally unsound, I don’t think it is. Monogamy isn’t for everyone and I respect the decision follow one’s own desires. I, however, wish that Brett had more self-control. While I understand that it is hard to distance yourself from somebody you love (Jake), isn’t it harder to watch that person be hurt by you time and again? Brett is impulsive; she does whatever she wants to do with little regard to how it may affect other people. Do I think she is an inherently bad person? No, I don’t believe that. I’d even go as far to say that she feels remorse for her actions, but she will repeat them. I will admit, I gained some resepect for Brett knowing that she is honest with her soon-to-be husband about her ways. In conclusion, I feel very sorry for Brett. I don’t even think her promiscuity makes her happy at the end of the day. It gives her instant gratification which generally comes with not so gratifying consequences.

Love and War as Metaphors for Life In Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises

As intimated in my previous post, it could be argued that love and war in Hemingway’s novel are closely related blood sports. Indeed, I think that love serves as a metaphor for war and vice versa, in which combatants and lovers incur risk, suffer losses, experience ecstasy and joy, endure pain, and experience virtual death that, paradoxically, makes them feel alive. Although it can be agonizing for Brett and Jake to be together, it is equally impossible for them to be apart. Brett is permanently lodged in Jake’s memory and there is no escape for him. We are less sure about Jake’s effect on Brett.

The story is also a metaphor for life in that there are fleeting moments of intense pleasure, but they are ultimately counterbalanced by intense emotional suffering. Like war, life is a struggle for survival. Death provides the only avenue for escape. No one gets out of here unscarred.

All of the men in the novel are powerfully attracted to Brett, whom I would argue exudes sensuality. She cavalierly exercises power over men that can be interpreted as emotional abuse. In essence, Brett has weaponized male lust, and she is using it in a way that is reminiscent of the battle front of the war. Ground is won and lost at the expense of many lives. Ground gained one moment is lost the next, and the battleground is littered with corpses. Does this make Brett feel more alive? The conflict is existentially pointless.

One example of this behavior occurs when Mike tells Jake about the letters that Cohn sends his fiancé: “Mark you. Brett’s had affairs with men before. She tells me all about everything. She gave me this chap Cohn’s letters to read. I wouldn’t read them” (147). “‘He calls her Circe,’ Mike Said.” “’He claims she turns men into swine’” (148). Although this seems true, the only power that anyone has over you is that which you allow them to have.

Robert Cohn: the "frienemy"

As we venture through the novel, it is clear that Robert Cohn is not the most popluar amongst his acquaintances, or is he? Jake always says he likes Cohn, but then hates him and is jealous of him. Bill goes off on a drunk tangent and verbally attacks Cohn, and Mike does the same thing. It's Jake's reactions to these incidents that make it seem like he does like Cohn, but, then again, he doesn't always like Cohn--Cohn in the friend everyone dislikes. The passage that really caught my eye while reading for Friday's class is on page 152. Jake says that he "liked to see him hurt Cohn." "He," referring to Mike. Immediately following this statement, though, Jake says he "wished [Mike] would not do it, though, because afterward it made [him] disgusted at [himself]." I think my main question her is why? Why has Jake developed this love-hate feeling toward Cohn?

All About Brett

I'm just going to say it, Brett is my favorite character in this novel. She is damaged, complex, in some ways mysterious, and all around intriguing. I'm not sure why, but I never made the connection between Hemingway's Brett, and Fitzgerald's Daisy, but after others had mentioned it, there are definitely similarities. I think it's really just the promiscuous persona of the women and their desire for attention. Brett, however, helps makes this novel more masculine, because her character is emasculated. We have discussed how Brett wears her hair short, uses terms such as "chap," and dresses in more a masculine way. As we continue reading, more masculine implications are made. On page 138, towards the bottom, Jake says something I found almost humorous: "Brett was wearing a Basque beret. So was Mike."The way in which Jake casually inserts "So was Mike," was funny to me, but it also serves as another example of how Brett is emasculated. I also think Brett's desire to drink portrays something more masculine. Sure, women can drink and enjoy it, but to drink to such an extent was something seen more in men--take Jake, Bill, and Mike, for example. Either way, I am surely interested to see how Brett's character continues to evolve.

Brett- A Positive Role Model?

In our class discussion on “The Sun Also Rises,” we talked about Brett’s character, and many people made the point that they found her to be masculine because she is very outspoken and does not hold back her feelings. She also drinks heavily, and she even misses a planned meeting with Jake and blames it on her drunkenness. Brett says she is in love with Jake, is engaged to Mike, and goes on a get away with Cohn to San Sebastian where we are to assume they had sex. If men in our society choose to have multiple girlfriends or partners, they are seen as “studs,” but if a woman was to do this, she would be seen as a slut or easy. Do you find the way that she treats men to be wrong, or do you find her to be a positive role model for women to look up to? 

Blood Sport as a Substitute for War in Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises

Horrific as it is, war makes those who fight in them feel alive. It is the close proximity to death and shared traumatic experience that brings men together in comradery. Hemingway’s novel The Sun Also Rises is set in the aftermath of World War I, during the early 1920s, a time of excess and exuberance. The men in the story, with the exception of Robert Cohn, and one woman, Brett (Lady Ashly), has survived the ordeal of a world war. Jake, the story’s narrator, has been rendered sexually impotent as a result of a war injury, perhaps resulting in castration. Presumably, Brett, who was his nurse during the war, knows the full extent of Jake’s injury and its implications for his masculinity. As a result of war, a fraternity has formed between the main characters, including Brett and Jake.

Jake, Brett, Mike, and Bill, disillusioned with war, were living in Paris and fly fishing in the Basque region of Spain. They attend boxing matches, bull fights, and other blood sports that are traditionally associated with masculinity. These are war-like sports that test a participant’s courage and define his masculinity. Indeed, war is a form of hyper-masculinity. All of the primary characters—with the notable exception of Cohn—are heavy drinkers. People drink to numb their pain and to forget. Although none of them probably realizes it, they are looking for a substitute experience that can make them feel as alive as they did in the war. 

That could also explain Jake’s infatuation with Brett, a woman who makes him feel alive but also, like war, causes pain and suffering. This is confirmed when Jake pleads with Brett: “Couldn’t we live together, Brett? Couldn’t we just live together?” She responds: “I don’t think so. I’d just tromper you with everybody. You couldn’t stand it.” Jake’s conundrum is that he can never consummate his love for Brett. It is this deprivation that draws him to her and causes the kind of pain and suffering that is equivalent to castration.  Love can be a blood sport, too.