The Sun Also Rises
Krysta Kenney
Dr. Susan Finch
ENGL 370
15 December 2011
The Woman Behind the Mask:
Brett Ashley in The Sun Also Rises Lady Brett Ashley in The Sun Also Rises has always been regarded as one of Ernest Hemingway’s most hated characters. Both critics and readers have seen her simply as a bitch, and do not view her as a likeable or relatable character in any way. Her alcoholism, her use and abuse of men, and her seeming indifference to Jake Barnes’s love are just a few reasons why Hemingway’s readers have not been able to stand Brett, and do not give her a fair chance. It is clear that Jake is biased in his narration, but no one wants to question his opinions and judgments of Brett; in fact, since the book was published, readers have blindly accepted Jake’s account of her. Likewise, Margot’s character in “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber” is also distorted by the male characters, specifically Wilson, and made to look guilty of a crime she did not commit. Although Jake in The Sun Also Rises and Wilson in “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber” show Brett and Margot negatively, both women are in fact capable of good qualities, and both represent the idea of the new woman in a positive way. In The Sun Also Rises, Jake is clearly an unreliable narrator. For one thing, he is telling the story after the fact, and already knows how the events of the Fiesta are going to turn out. He foreshadows the events to come multiple times, for example: “It seemed they were all such nice people” (150). Jake is the only one ever telling the story, so the reader begins to rely on what he says as truth. However, this is dangerous because Jake admits himself that he is biased, especially when describing Robert Cohn to the reader. Near the beginning he states, “Somehow I feel I have not shown Robert Cohn clearly. The reason is that until he fell in love with Brett, I never heard him make one remark that would, in any way, detach him from other
Dr. Susan Finch
ENGL 370
15 December 2011
The Woman Behind the Mask:
Brett Ashley in The Sun Also Rises Lady Brett Ashley in The Sun Also Rises has always been regarded as one of Ernest Hemingway’s most hated characters. Both critics and readers have seen her simply as a bitch, and do not view her as a likeable or relatable character in any way. Her alcoholism, her use and abuse of men, and her seeming indifference to Jake Barnes’s love are just a few reasons why Hemingway’s readers have not been able to stand Brett, and do not give her a fair chance. It is clear that Jake is biased in his narration, but no one wants to question his opinions and judgments of Brett; in fact, since the book was published, readers have blindly accepted Jake’s account of her. Likewise, Margot’s character in “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber” is also distorted by the male characters, specifically Wilson, and made to look guilty of a crime she did not commit. Although Jake in The Sun Also Rises and Wilson in “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber” show Brett and Margot negatively, both women are in fact capable of good qualities, and both represent the idea of the new woman in a positive way. In The Sun Also Rises, Jake is clearly an unreliable narrator. For one thing, he is telling the story after the fact, and already knows how the events of the Fiesta are going to turn out. He foreshadows the events to come multiple times, for example: “It seemed they were all such nice people” (150). Jake is the only one ever telling the story, so the reader begins to rely on what he says as truth. However, this is dangerous because Jake admits himself that he is biased, especially when describing Robert Cohn to the reader. Near the beginning he states, “Somehow I feel I have not shown Robert Cohn clearly. The reason is that until he fell in love with Brett, I never heard him make one remark that would, in any way, detach him from other
Cited: Hemingway, Ernest. The Sun Also Rises. New York: Scribner, 2006. Print. Hemingway, Ernest. The Short Stories. New York: Scribner, 2003. 3-37. Print.