The Sun Also Rises By Ernest Hemingway

In the novel The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway, the author introduces women in a new light. The women of this time are more independent, masculine, and carefree. They do not conform to the way society tells them to act. Hemingway shows these changes that occur in the 20th century through the character Lady Brett Ashley. Although Hemingway depicts his female characters as being strong, he is highly opinionated regarding the effects of their behaviors on society. Hemingway believes that women like these are bound to make an impact that is not as positive as they intend it to be. He shows this by making Brett a desirable and extraordinary woman; she causes men to go into a frenzy whenever she is near them because she does not act like a woman should.
She is promiscuous and unsympathetic towards the feelings of her admirers. Her lack of commitment makes her desirable to men mainly because people tend to want what they cannot have. Jake makes a comment about how she likes to “add them up” (30), to which she replies “Oh, well. What if I do?” This proves her carelessness as well as her ability to control her surroundings. She never apologizes for her actions, even when she has no intention of hurting the people she really cares about. Given the choice, she chooses what is expedient rather than what is right. She is a very attractive female, but what makes her even more attractive is her masculine clothing and hair. As Hemingway says on page 29, “Brett was damned good-looking. She wore a slipover Jersey sweater and a tweed skirt, and her hair was brushed back like a boy’s...She was built with curves like the hull of a racing yacht, and you missed none of it with that wool