The sun also rises

                   

“Unconsummated Love in   The Sun Also Rises revised for the second time “Essay 1 Final Paper

    Life is full of many different and unique types of hardships.  All individuals must learn how to cope with their problems from their environment, their own personal experiences and their friends and family and the people around them.  There are many lessons people must acquire in order to be able to understand the world around them. This is also true in the literary world because all authors convey and explain unique messages about life’s lessons their characters must learn to overcome   obstacles in order to achieve their goals and dreams in life. Literary characters must also learn to face who they really are in life and they have to learn to accept the reality of the world they live in.  

In Ernest Hemmingway’s   novel The Sun Also Rises one theme that is very present is the unconsummated love between Lady Brett Ashley and Jake Barnes.  As a result of their inability to be fully intimate together, Brett has many meaningless affairs 

    Brett Ashley’s character is responsible for the unconsummated love between her and Jake for many reasons.  First of all, she is the complete opposite of any other woman in the 1920s`so her independence becomes more   important than her love for Jake. In addition, even though Brett and Jake are both genuinely in love with each other, they are unable to move forward in their relationship past very intimate kisses because Jake was wounded in World War II and he is unable to have children.  One of these intimate kisses is shown in the cab scene when Brett and Jake kiss in the dark; they kiss, but Brett pulls away, begging Jake to understand. Jake asks if she loves him and she says that she "turns all to jelly."(pg 40). But as they discuss the "hell" of what it was like the last time they were together, Jake decides that they should stay away from each other. Brett disagrees, commenting that she's now paying for the hell she puts other men through all the time. It’s clear that there is real love behind Jake and Brett's relationship, but there's also something that's standing in the way of them being together.  Even so, this love is not something Brett or Jake can give up. They talk about how injuries like Jake's are supposed to be funny, but how "nobody knows anything."(pg 40-43). Jake says he rarely thinks about his injury, but agrees that it is funny, and fun to be in love, but Brett persists that it's hell. She says that it's not about wanting to see Jake but about having to see him. Then Brett asks Jake to kiss her once more before they arrive. Brett is shaky as they leave the cab, which proves that even though Brett and Jake love each other wholeheartedly, Brett rejects Jake because of his wound. ` In addition, the audience is only exposed to Brett’s true feelings when we learn about her intimate relationship with Jake who is the only person that Brett is genuinely in love with and he is the only person that sees Brett’s true self.  This is shown in the novel when Brett says. Oh, darling, I’ve been so miserable,"" (Hemingway., Pg. 40 Brett says despite Brett’s earlier show of high spirits, she can admit her misery to Jake; their intimate relationship allows her to let down her guard and reveal her feelings to him. 

Besides the   fact that Jake is wounded, that was not the only reason Brett and Jake did not end up together; after all, if Brett was really genuinely in love with Jake she would have found a way to be together with him.    Brett was in denial, too. For example, when Jake says it’s funny," I said. "It’s very funny. “And it’s a lot of fun, too, to be in love." “Do you think so?" her eyes looked flat again. "I don’t mean fun that way. In a way it’s an enjoyable feeling." "No," she said. "I think it’s hell on earth." (Chapter 4. paragraph 4) This proves that Brett is in denial because Brett can’t handle her feelings for Jake – she wants him but can’t have him, which creates the sensation of "hell on earth" for her. Jake, on the other hand, experiences a kind of simultaneous pain and pleasure in seeing Brett.  She could never bring herself to fully accept the reality of Jake’s wound; consequently, she was never emotionally strong enough to commit to a serious relationship with Jake to fill the gap of loneliness in his heart. Also, Jake was never able to let go of his past because he could not be with the one person he truly loved. In order to try to fill the void of loneliness she had, Furthermore, in an attempt to forget about Jake, she ran around with other men. Brett had meaningless sex with all the guys except for Jake. When `Jake asks her to settle down, she rejects him’. Jake says “Couldn’t we live together, Brett? Couldn’t we just live together?” Brett replies to him” I don’t think so. I’d just tromper you with everybody. You couldn’t stand it." (Chapter 7.  Paragraph 7) Jake attempts to find some kind of unconventional solution to their no” sex problem,” but Brett knows herself too well to accept it. Her statement that she’d just tromper (cheat on) Jake with everyone is true, and both of them know it.  

As a result, `of not being able to be together with Jake, Brett has many dysfunctional affairs.  One of Brett‘s affairs was with Cohen, Brett even slept with Cohen Jake’s best friend and went to Saint Sebastian with Cohen, who was infatuated with Brett, but she hated Cohen. Brett knows that Jake  was really hurt when he found out that Brett had slept with Cohen `but she does not seem to care; Brett wanted to make Jake a little jealous by sleeping with Cohen so Jake Could finally express his true feelings  for `her Cohen, He is only hurt because he was able to have sex with Brett and knows that she truly doesn't love him.

Another dysfunctional affair that Brett had was with Mike her fiancé Brett‘s family set her up with Mike .Mike and Brett did not love each other.   Mike; only stayed with Brett because he was bankrupt and Brett’s family was rich. She would sleep with Mike too. Mike was ok with all of Brett meaningless affairs with other because   he did not care about her. Mike was always drunk and he was different person   

Finally, the most meaningful affair that Brett had was the one   with Pedro Romero because he was the closest to Jake; ` he was a bullfighter. During the bull fighting party in Spain Jake did not want Brett to fall in love with Pedro Romero because he did not want to lose her, but he was the one who pushed Brett and Pedro Romero together which led to them having an affair.  Also, Jake cautions Brett against falling for Pedro Romero because he knows that Brett is not really in love with Pedro Romero, but she is infatuated with him, and attracted to him. Brett is in love with the person that Pedro Romero represents the qualities of his personality including his handsome face, self-confidence, his charisma, strong will, his sexual freedom, these are the qualities that Pedro Romero has which, remind Brett of Jake.  In fact, Pedro Romero and Jake are the same in Brett’s eyes, except for the fact that Pedro Romero has his own sexual freedom that Jake does not have. Pedro Romero is the person that Brett wishes Jake could be so they can be together. but ironically he was the one who pushed Brett and Pedro Romero together which led to them having an affair. This led to Brett and Jake parting ways for good.   

In conclusion, In Ernest Hemmingway’s   novel The Sun Also Rises one theme that is very present is the unconsummated love between Lady Brett Ashley and Jake Barnes.  As a result of their inability to be fully intimate together, Brett has many meaningless affairs. Unfortunately, Jake was truly in love with Brett and he thought if it was not for his wound,   they would have been together. Because of Brett although may be they could have worked together However“, when Brett says” Oh Jake’. ““We could have had such a dammed good time together. “Jake responds with ambivalence he says” yes “Isn’t it pretty to think so “(251), which critics have debated for years whether Jake was being ironic _ that he was sarcastic with this phrase, or more happily, he honestly did agree with her words.