My Thoughts on the Main Characters of The Sun Also Rises
As we near the end of The Sun Also Rises, the dynamics between the characters become increasingly complex. In class, we discussed in small groups where we were in relation to the main characters of the novel, and it was a fascinating conversation, because I found it difficult to draw conclusions about “good” and “bad characters.” However, while there was no clear cut answer for most of the characters of the novel, I did find that I could sympathize with almost all of them. Here are my thoughts on the main characters:
Brett seems to be the main source of drama of the novel. To be honest, I found myself judging her initially for her infidelity, especially knowing the extreme pain it causes Jake. However, her story is complicated by her past relationship with Lord Ashley, and it provides a new lens through which to analyze her behavior. She comes across as strong and invulnerable, but I feel like it’s a facade and she’s acting out of the trauma she faced in an abusive relationship. I’m not sure of whether she is truly happy with her life and constantly cycling through partners. It’s hard to imagine that she is, given that she has found true love with Jake, but can’t pursue it.
Jake is arguably the most sympathetic of all of the characters. I thought he was a condescending, complete jerk at the beginning of the novel based on his initial description of Cohn. But as the novel goes on I only continue to feel sadder for him. First of all, his injury prohibits him from being with the woman he loves. And despite their understanding, it becomes increasingly clear that it is excruciating for him to see Brett with other men. I can’t help but imagine how it would feel to be in his position, and when I do, I don’t want to think about it for too long because it’s so painful. I totally get why Jake doesn’t like to dwell in his feelings. If I were him, I’d try to avoid thinking about her, too. Also, it becomes clear that his hate toward Cohn is rooted in his own insecurities, and largely because he is actually in a very similar situation.
Then there’s Cohn, who I just feel bad for, constantly. He just doesn’t get it—the post-war world—and he’s repeatedly singled out for it. And while I even get annoyed sometimes when he asserts his outdated, chivalrous personality and tries to fight people or pursue Brett, there’s a humor about it that makes him likeable. He’s the type of character that makes you say to yourself in a pitiful, but fond, way, “Oh, Cohn.”
Despite his minimalistic style of writing, Hemingway is able to paint extremely complex portraits of multidimensional characters, all of whom are still sympathetic and entertaining.
I really admire Hemingway - his characters are incredibly complex and multi-dimensional, especially considering how short the book is and how sparse descriptions are. It's absolutely incredible. I love how all of the characters could be painted as either heroes or villains - they're all both too compelling and not compelling enough.
ReplyDeleteHere are my thoughts on your thoughts on Hemingways characters:
I agree somewhat with your stance on Brett - I don't judge her for her "infidelity", when she didn't commit herself to anyone in the first place. I don't think that, for Brett, love and fidelity always go hand in hand.
I completely feel the same when it comes to Jake, however - he does have so many hidden insecurities! (I also thought he was condescending at first.) I also love how he never truly becomes emotionally vulnerable with us, and yet there are these subtle signifiers that show us (especially towards the end) that he's upset. I feel like his refusal to think about the pain also makes it that much rawer, in a way.
I also feel bad for Cohn, although not enough to make me like him. I thought I would be fond of him too, at first, but eventually he just started getting on my nerves. Maybe it's because I simply like Jake much better, but I agree with some of Jake's perceptions about Cohn's innocent outdatedness and self-pity.
I feel like one of the strengths of this book is that it's easy to (perhaps grudgingly) love these characters because of their gritty realness - we are, in fact, able to sympathize with thirty-year-old alcoholic Parisian residents. I'm really going to miss these characters.
I like how you describe your thoughts on each character in terms of their relationships with the other characters. Like Elisha said, it's incredible how Hemingway manages to craft such complex characters in such a short book. I think this is because Hemingway does an excellent job of describing the interactions between his characters, and we learn about them through those interactions. In "The Sun Also Rises", Hemingway has created a beautiful and tragic web of characters, each with their own connections to each other.
ReplyDeleteThis was a good non-biased analysis of each character. I often found myself saying "Oh, Cohn" under my breath when I read a naive thing he did. I also didn't like Jake in the very beginning but as the novel continued it was obvious that Jake was more complex and was in immense pain even though he tried his best to not show it. Regarding Brett, with the new information later in the novel about her past relationship you can understand why she may have done the things she did. Granted you are left wondering that maybe if Jake didn't have his accident if maybe she would be happy and learn to love again? I'm not quite sure but it was something that I found myself thinking about even after I finished reading the book.
ReplyDeleteThere's some evidence that, for all their meanness, some of the characters in the novel feel the same way about Cohn, like when they commiserate about how he's "so awful" but also "nice," and that "makes it worse." It's like they can't help but hate him (as Jake says, he brings out the worst in him), and they feel bad about it afterward.
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