Towards the beginning of reading The Sun Also Rises, we established that this novel could be seen as a sort of unrequited love. However, Brett and Jake's relationship seems pretty interesting and different from what I usually thought. Unlike the normal star crossed lovers, Brett and Jake actually do spend quite a lot of time together. And really the only thing that stops them from being together is Jake's war wound.
Throughout the novel, we see Jake attempting to forget about Brett and his war wound. He really enjoys the company of Bill, because Bill's dramatic demeanor really helps Jake forget about other things. In addition, Jakes time spent in Spain away from Brett (both when he first gets there and afterwards when he is there alone) is probably the most relaxing part of the book. Also seen towards the beginning of the novel, Jake states "It is awfully easy to be hard-boiled about everything in the
daytime, but at night it is another thing" (42). This shows that he is constantly focusing on something else and distracting himself during the day so he doesn't have any opportunity to think about Brett.
Many times in the novel Brett also confesses her love to Jake. However, on the outside, she seems like she doesn't actually love Jake and is simply using him. For example, when Brett asked Jake if he loved her and then proceeded to confess her sudden love for another man. I believe that is her way of forgetting about her love for Jake, by constantly engaging herself in trivial affairs. While I don't think that is the only reason she does this, I think that is an important factor in her reasons. In the same way that Jake distracts himself, Brett does the same.
We also find that throughout the novel whenever Brett is in trouble she will always ask for Jake. This might seem like another time that Brett is taking advantage of Jake, however she seems genuinely happy around him. And because both Brett and Jake seemed to have already accepted their fate, their relationship can have this honesty that might seem exploitative to others. Nothing is stopping them from spending time together, so their love is constantly being re-sparked, however, I think over time, this love isn't as intense as when they first met. And in some ways, their love has transformed into a very valuable friendship. Putting their relationship into words is incredibly complex with all their history, circumstances and culture.
We also find that throughout the novel whenever Brett is in trouble she will always ask for Jake. This might seem like another time that Brett is taking advantage of Jake, however she seems genuinely happy around him. And because both Brett and Jake seemed to have already accepted their fate, their relationship can have this honesty that might seem exploitative to others. Nothing is stopping them from spending time together, so their love is constantly being re-sparked, however, I think over time, this love isn't as intense as when they first met. And in some ways, their love has transformed into a very valuable friendship. Putting their relationship into words is incredibly complex with all their history, circumstances and culture.
It also raises the question of whether or not things would have been much different if Jake didn't have a war wound. Jake implies at one point that he would have become "an ass" just like Cohn; does he see that Brett still would have had her carefree nature when it came to relationships? Or was he merely implying that if he had been the in the same circumstances as Cohn he would have acted badly? I really wonder about this aspect.
ReplyDeleteGreat points on the "distractions" that Brett and Jake maintain in their relationship. I wholly agree with this aspect in Jake's perspective. That line about being "hard-boiled in the daytime" is a heartbreaking truth on his masculinity, constantly trying to keep it intact for his psychologically scarred connection to Brett. Because Jake thinks that he isn't a man due to the war wound, and whenever he is around Brett he is reminded of her sadness that they couldn't have a full relationship. However, I find it pretty pessimistic and destructive of him. Not to say that in the same situation I wouldn't behave the same or even worse, but artificially making your own perceived masculinity a massive priority can have awful effects on your psyche.
ReplyDeleteBrett and Jake's relationship is definitely difficult to put into words. Despite this you made some important observations, like how they both care about each other a lot yet have to distract themselves from thinking about their relationship. I hadn't considered that the exploitative aspects of Brett and Jake's relationship could be perceived as stark honesty, and thinking about it in that way makes me wonder--would Brett be hurting Jake and herself more if she weren't open about her other relationships or not? Having these sort of questions just further demonstrates how complex Brett and Jake are.
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