Post 3

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 As I read The Sun Also Rises, a question that lived rent free in my head was whether Brett was emotionally taking advantage of Jake. It is obvious that despite the numerous instances of Brett using Jake as an emotional punching bag, there are few to no examples of Jake using Brett for emotional support. It may be tempting then to assume that this relationship is toxic and Brett is using her femininity to "lock" Jake into a sort of vicious cycle. However, I think that it might be more appropriate to view this relationship as more nuanced.

I WANT to blame Brett because it does seem like she is just taking over Jake who is affected by war trauma in a different way than her. However, I have been convinced against this assumption because of a few key factors. Both characters suffer trauma inflicted upon them by the war. If we take it that trauma is the reason for Brett’s “torturous” behavior, then there must be a similar output for Jake as well. While we do see him enjoy Pamplona and his holiday, he acts fundamentally different when he is with Brett. Perhaps this goes to show that Jake has “persona 1” when he isn’t with Brett but releases the pent up “persona 2” when he is with her. Thus, this would show a sort of difference in how the two characters think of emotional support; maybe Jake values his accompaniment with Brett as much as Brett values her “Oh darling, I’ve been so miserable” with Jake.

I also find it interesting that Jake seems to have no significant objection to coming to Brett’s rescue. After Brett had sent Romero away, she was very depressed. She sends for Jake who was far away and Jake drops everything to be with her. Two concomitant factors play into my idea that there is less of a “toxic” relationship than it seems. Firstly, Jake goes to support her and lovingly caresses her despite the fact that he knows that Brett will likely never be romantically “with” him– consider the fact that Brett got Jake to court Romero for her. Second of all, Jake shows no objection to helping Brett out. While those in a toxic relationship often have trouble trying to find the problems in it and have no idea, it is still shocking that Jake would go to such great lengths for her... This probably isn’t his first time doing this!

I think that the best way to describe Jake and Brett’s relationship is that it is complicated. Hemingway leaves numerous open ends and conveniently does not supply enough context to make a solid conclusion about said relationship, coinciding with the literary movement of the time. 


Comments

  1. KaraNovember 11, 2022 at 11:15 PM

    I totally agree and at first I wanted to say that it was a toxic relationship and that Jake was being used by Brett but that doesn't seem true. Brett took care of Jake while in the hospital because she was his nurse so he could be trying to pay her back by coming to her rescue. Jake does seem to have 2 different personas like you are saying which could be harmful but seems to realize by the end what is happening with the relationship with Brett. I agree that it is complicated and unless we had more context and information from both sides we can't say it is toxic or healthy. We know it is complicated because they have deep love for each other but are lacking sexual connection that Brett wants due to the injury of Jake's. Great post!

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  2. Xenia MongwaNovember 18, 2022 at 2:13 PM

    At first I didn't really understand Brett as much or why she treated Jake the way she did. I definitely agree with you that they seem that they need each other for emotional support. I find it interesting how they started the story together, and there was space between them for some time, and then they are together at the end. It shows that their emotions for each other are still strong even with Jake's injury as a limiting factor.

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  3. MitchellNovember 18, 2022 at 3:06 PM

    Brett and Jake's relationship may be the most "complicated" in all of American literature. It is easy, initially, to resent Brett and to side with Jake and to see her as almost deliberately or at least thoughtlessly inflicting punishment and suffering on him. But it's not at all clear how intentional any of this is, and it might instead be a simpler matter of her finding herself in a messy situation (Brett excels at these!) and *needing* her dear friend and confidant for emotional (and financial) support. Her emotional needs do cause Jake to suffer, but that's not necessarily Brett's fault--it's the fault of the situation, and neither can do anything about it. We instinctively feel like Brett is "betraying" Jake or "unfaithful" to him, when she has affairs with other men. But she is open about this situation, and she has made no commitment to be "faithful" to Jake. Her actions might cause him collateral emotional damage, and she might seem to take him for granted at times. But that's not necessarily intentional, and it's not necessarily her fault.

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