Monday, January 26, 2015
Snow Day Post: Brett
A post by Eileen and some smart comments by Rachel D. and Keegan have already gotten this discussion started a bit, but what are your impressions so far of Lady Brett Ashley? She tells Jake that she's "miserable" (32), yet on the surface, perhaps doesn't seem to be. She claims to love Jake, but is marrying someone else. She is, to put it mildly, a complex person. What do you think of her so far? Her relationship with Jake? Her overall demeanor?
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I find Brett's complex character extremely interesting. I'm excited to see where her character goes throughout the book and how she develops. Brett is said to be "a drunk," but there is more to her than that. She seems to never be satisfied, and is a scarred individual. I marked a conversation between Brett and Jacob on page 35: "'it's funny,' I said. 'It's very funny. And it's a lot of fun, too, to be in love.'" I love this line from Jacob, but Brett's response is what's interesting: "'No,' she said. 'I think it's hell on earth.'" Perhaps, Brett's lack of love, and her disconnection from the beautiful thing we call love, is what makes her so miserable. It is why Brett is lacking that is still mysterious at this point, though.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Paige, Brett is still too mysterious and we can only hope the story reveals more about her later.
ReplyDeleteHowever, she seems to want to be happy, but does everything in her power to permit that from happening. For example, she expresses she wants to marry Jake because she loves him, but she is about to marry someone else. She makes an appointment to meet Jake and then does not show up. Seeing Jake obviously would have made her happy, but she attributes her late night visit to Jake's and forgetting their meeting on alcohol.
Other than really needing a lover that can have sex, I'm a little clueless on Brett. She seems to want to be the center of attention (proven by traveling bar to bar with a group of seemingly loud gay men), but I'm not sure what is holding her back from being happy. You know, other than perhaps she likes victimizing herself, but with the lack of information it is hard to peg her down.
I agree with Paige and Danielle; Brett is an interesting character and I want to see how she develops throughout the novel. She is a drunk who uses her drinking as an excuse for multiple things and pretends like they were mistakes. She is stopping herself from doing what she wants to do, being with Jake, and is instead marrying someone she does not love, which she has done multiple times before. I want to know why she continues to do this and hopefully the more I read of the story, the more clear her character will become.
ReplyDeleteI admit to be enchanted by Brett. Her flippancy reminds me of Fitzgerald's Daisy, but her desire to be on the forefront of all social happenings is a little nod to Fitzgerald's Jordan Baker, for me. I like best the quiet moments between Brett and Jake, when they are riding in the cab, and when she steals away to his apartment. Because of these little moments, I can't quite rationalize Brett's relationship with the count, other than perhaps she is afraid of committing to Jake because she thinks real love is "hell on earth," as Paige mentioned. Brett is certainly troubled, but to what degree is still unclear. Do you guys think Brett and Jake had a history before? How might they have been involved if they love each other in this painful, star-crossed way?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Eileen, I think that Brett and Daisy share certain characteristics. For instance, Brett seems wishy-washy when it comes to love. I don’t know that she really knows what true love is because she seems to tell everyone that she loves them (Jake, the count, Mike Campbell, and presumably her ex-husband Mr. Ashley). I would suggest that Jake is Brett’s Mr. Gatsby. When Brett is around Jake she seems to be able to relax and live in the moment, which might be why she claims that she loves him. However, like Daisy, Brett is a married woman and on top of that she is going through a divorce and beginning another marriage with Mike Campbell. Brett shares an infidelity with Daisy that I think is tragic. I’m not convinced that Brett will find happiness with any man she spends her life with.
DeleteI wonder if it isn't that Brett has a lust for money, hence marrying the lord that granted her the title lady and the next poor person who will likely turn out to be loaded. She has had the opportunity to marry for love, however, that does not satisfy her. Perhaps she has a bit of a misogynistic streak and wants her cake and eat it too? She wants the power and money, but she wants the love affair as well? I guess we'll have to read on!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy the character of Brett. I believe that Brett is similar to Daisy from The Great Gatsby, because they are both tragic at times. Also, both characters are with men who they do not "truly" love.
ReplyDeleteI think that Lady Brett Ashley is probably miserable for most of the day. I believe she has endured a lot of pain throughout her life and that is why she drinks so heavily. As Paige touched on,Brett seems like someone who does not really know how to love.I think she puts on a facade for most of the people in her life. However, I do think that when she is with Jake is happy and not afraid to be herself.
I believe that Brett is in a relationship with someone she does not really care about, for exactly that reason. I think she is someone who has been hurt a lot by people she cares about. Maybe she worries about a relationship with Jake ending badly.
I found Lady Brett to be intriguing because she does not seem to fit the stereotypical female role of staying in the background. She speaks her mind and does not seem to mind whether she is the center of attention or not, as she chooses to leave a party early twice. She seems to be masking a pain. I completely agree with the previous statements of Lady Brett seeming to have characteristics similar to Fitzgerald's Daisy, in that they both seem to be confused and flamboyant.
ReplyDeleteWhat stands out the most to me about Brett is that she seems to need validation from men. There's a dialogue between Brett and Jake where he mentions that she likes to "add them up", in reference to men, and she replies, "Oh well, what if I do?" We have learned that she is "in love" with Jake, but is to be married to someone else. Not to mention, she actually getting divorced to marry this other man. Brett sees her value in her ability to charm men. I suppose she seems "sad" at times, but all I can think at this point is "poor little rich girl". What real "hardships" can she really have endured that she had not brought upon herself? My opinion could change but this is what I have seen so far concerning Lady Ashley.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Brett is a complex character. Not only is she popular and everyone, even gay men, want to dance with her, I would argue that she is the central character in The Sun Also Rises, at least to this point. I do note, however, that Brett, like the other characters in the book, drinks heavily. Indeed, she drinks more than anyone else, which indicates that she is self-medicating. She is a conflicted person, and staying drunk is her way of numbing the pain she feels. For instance, she is in love with Jake, but simultaneously repulsed by him, presumably because of his war injury. Perhaps she was one of his nurses. If Jake’s injury has rendered him impotent, how can he fulfill Brett’s sexual desires, not to mention his own? What a conundrum.
ReplyDeleteI am enchanted and fascinated by Lady Brett. Her complexity draws me to her and makes her relate-able I think. I absolutely love the relation to Fitzgerald's Daisy Buchanan that many of my classmates have made. I also see the relation between them, particularly in their flippancy and wishy-washy decision making, as well as the fact that both seem to be more in favor of marrying for money rather than love. I think it would difficult to say exactly what I think of Lady Brett just yet, simply because she is such a complex character. However, I will comment on her relationship with Jake. While we are making Fitzgerald correlations I might as well mark the similarities between Brett and Jake, Gatsby and Daisy; the men in these relationships are utterly, and completely head over heels for these women, and the women have so much control over them. However, Brett seems to be very much aware of her power over Jake. Despite her miserable, indecisive and, almost constant, drunken state Brett is very much aware of how much Jake loves her and uses that knowledge to her advantage. Therefore, while Brett is a bit, as many have said, flamboyant and possibly damaged, she is a character I think readers should keep their eye on as they continue throughout the book.
ReplyDeleteI found Brett to be the most desirable female character thus far. She seems to be very outgoing and confident. However, she clearly has a wall up when it comes to Jake. It seems to me that Jake is head over heels for a girl that only seems to be leading him on. In contrast, Brett says she is in love with Jake multiple times yet she contradicts every statement. She never seems to want to be alone with Jake. Either she has another guy with her or has to meet up with someone. It seems to me she is only stringing Jake along, which I hope throughout the book proves me wrong. When Jake cries over her late at night I cannot help but to root for him to get the girl in the end.
ReplyDeleteI too noticed that Brett always seems to have another man in her company whenever she is with Jake. Do you think she may do this as a sense of self preservation? In other words, do you think Brett is afraid of who she is when she is alone with Jake? I feel as if the foundation of true love between Jake and Brett is there, but she cannot handle the full implications that would come with choosing to be with him. At the same time she cannot help but love him and so I think that may be where you are seeing her "stringing Jake along."
DeleteAfter reading the first part of the book, I find myself very interested in Brett. Yes, she is a confusing character that does not exactly know what she wants in life, but I find that relatable. I do agree with Leah on her comment, "I wonder if it isn't that Brett has a lust for money." That is exactly what I thought while reading, and right now it is the only logical reason that I see to back up why she is marrying him instead of Jake, besides the fact that he cannot have sex. I also believe that Brett is "miserable," and the main reason that I say this is because she drinks heavily, and most alcoholics are drinking to relieve some sort of misery in their lives. I really do admire how outspoken she thus far in the book. I am excited to find out more about her character as I read on!
ReplyDeleteI think Lady Brett Ashley is a woman who is both ashamed of who she is and afraid of who she wants to be. In an ideal world Brett and Jake would run off together, get married, and live a long and happy life together as a couple who are in love. Realistically, Brett is confined by her superficial desires of money, status, and the need to be recognized by those around her. Beyond that, I do not think Brett sees an ultimate future with Jake. As is has been implied in other posts, we as readers can infer that Jake is impotent due to a war wound. Brett may not only require the pleasure of having sex to keep herself satisfied, but she may also decide to one day have children. With his injury Jake cannot provide on either of these accounts, and for that Brett may resent her love for Jake because it restricts what she currently wants or may way in the future. Ultimately when Brett refers to herself as being “miserable” I think it is because she has decided on the ultimatum that she cannot have both love and her current lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteI think Lady Bret Ashley reminds me of a lot of female protagonists that I have read. She is complex in the way that she seems conflicted in who she loves. She is in love with one man but marrying another. That story has been done before. What I really think her conflict is is what she values more. Does she value her relationships (such as the one she shares with Jake) or does she value her place/role in society? If she claims to be bored, why wouldn't she present that in her appearance? If she was as in love as she claims to be, her status shouldn't matter and she would be honest with herself and choose Jake. I think as the story goes on she will become more conflicted with herself and have to make a tougher decision than just who to marry. She will have to decide what really matters to her which is not always an easy task for a female protagonist to accomplish.
ReplyDeleteBrett is most definitely an interesting character. Like many of my other classmates, I enjoy her presennce in The Sun Also Rises. I couldn't agree more with what Danielle said. That "she seems to want to be happy, but does everything in her power to permit that from happening'" and like Nicky said, I think Brett is afraid: afraid of who she is, who she might be, of getting hurt, and maybe of being truly happy in general. This is why I believe that she drinks regularly, like Jake, to numb the pain of their existance.
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