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?
This is such an interesting insight! I'll admit that the only time I specifically focused on a name was in reference to Brett. I was fascinated when I found out she carried the title of "Lady" and yet her companions call her by a name that is rather strong and masculine. To me that says a lot about her character. When the other characters call Lady Ashley Brett, I see it more of a term of endearment or a fond nick-name that only those she is close to her can call her. I also like how you noticed that Jake refers to his friends by first name or last name based on his fondness for that particular friend. An overall unique post!
ReplyDeleteVery good observation Caroline. I am just curious to know how you feel with this theory and Montoya and Romero. Of course Romero and Jake are not super close buddies; however, Montoya is very fond of Jake and one would think that Jake would reciprocate the fondness. Any thoughts?
ReplyDeleteYou bring up a really good point. I think it is also interesting that the women are either called by their first name or nothing at all while the men are constantly called by their last names. It makes you wonder about how a character identifies themselves. I also find it interesting that the female protagonist has a traditionally male name. I wonder if Hemingway did this intentionally or if it was just a common name during the period.
ReplyDelete