My last blog for this book!!!!

I want to talk about the ending of this book. The ending can definitely be considered ambiguous. Jake says: "Isn't it pretty to think so?" as a response to Brett saying they "could have had such a damned good time together" (page 251). After reading this, I wonder what happens next. You are not sure what Jake means by saying this. He could be sincere and wishing they had been together. At the same time, he could be bitter because it was her fault for them not. Also, it may even be sarcastic because we don't know if Brett was saying this jokingly or in a serious manner. The ending was not bad, though. Sometimes I think these kind of endings just ruin the book, but this time it really didn't. I hope to think that Jake said this sincerely and Brett did, too. I even hope that they ended up being together because I really liked Jake the best!
Overall, I actually enjoyed reading this book. I could understand it for the most part, and I even enjoyed the details. There was not too many like some books. I am not sure if I would have read this on my own, but I am not upset about reading it which is surprising since it was for school! (sorry!) Anyways, I next time I blog it will be about The Things They Carried.

Philosophy!

On page 152, Jake says "you had to be in love with a woman to have a basis of a friendship". I found this strange because I believe the complete opposite. I always think that a friendship is the basis to a relationship. In my Jesus and Relationships class, we learned that love grows from friendship, too. I do not agree with Jake at all because I think he is reallly wrong. Also, I think this 'philosophy' is what is making things worse for him and all of the other men in the story. By having a romantic relationship first with Brett, every single one of them besides Jake cannot be friends with her. I think this is saying something. In addtion, even Jake is having trouble being her friend because he still loves her. This way of thinking is just causing them a lot of problems. Without friendship, I believe a relationship can not last at all.

Last lit term..for real!

This will be my last literary term for good! I just keep finding them everywhere in this book. The last one will be a similie. Similies are literally everywhere in the story. Here's a few that I will list:

• page 49: "I'm like a cat."
• page 137: "...they were simply a little something shameful between us, like the spilling open of the horses in bullfighting."
• page 146: "Don't sit there looking like a bloody funeral."
• page 167: " 'You know English,' I said, feeling like an idiot."
• page 167: " 'He looks like a torero.' "
• pafe 186: " 'I feel like hell.' "
• page 226: " ' Low as hell.' "

All of these are different example of similies presented in the book. I think each of them provides more explaination to the reader. It is imagery because each of these things provides the reader with a picture in their mind. I know that this happened with me when reading. Also, it provides emphasis because it kind of exaggerates what is being said. For example on page 186, he doesn't just feel bad, he feels like hell. This makes a much stronger statement that just saying exactly what you feel. Similies are what authors use to describes things to a greater extent.

Cohn Climax

The climax of the book is when Robert Cohn hits Mike, Jake, and Romero. He loses control at this point of the book and goes on a rampage! He has so much jealously and sadness for losing Brett. I almost feel bad for him because it was all because of Brett he did this. He would have never had to leave his only friends if he had never been with her. Jake says Cohn will "pick up his old girl"(page 226) when he leaves all of them. That is sad because he will be so miserable then. Frances was terrible and very controlling of Cohn. He had no freedom and now because of Brett he is going to be back to that. Although I feel bad, at the same time I do not because it was just unnecessary to hit anyone. He should have controlled his actions. Mike has to go through the exact same thing, and he isn't out there hitting people. You can't control everything, and Cohn should have just moved on.

Mr. Mike

On page 234, Mike say "One never gets anywhere by discussing finances". I found this somewhat ironic because out of everyone Mike should be worrying about this. He has no money and on a few occasions he tells us that. I find it ironic also because if someone does not worry about this, then they will not get anywhere because soon enough they will be broke! Mike most likely has no money because he drinks so frequently and lives by this motto. I think in today's world no one follows this unless they have a ton of money or just don't care about the consequences. From this statement, I think they are not having as much financial problems as we are today. I think this just because its all that people worry about these days. It is rare to find someone who is not concerned about it. This statement kind of made me laugh a little because of the irony in who said it. I like how Hemingway did make the story somewhat humerous.

Ohhh Brett..

On page 212, Brett says: "Don't know why I get so nervy in church, Never does me any good". I just found this humerous when reading. She has every reason to be nervy in Church! She is not exactly a model person. She is not following the morals well at all. She is very casual with men and does not think twice about breaking things off. She is not what most women were at that time. She was much more masculine. I noticed that because she was in control in almost every relationship. She broke it off, and the men were left greiving and being upset. She did not think twice, except with Romero. For this reason, Brett is not what most woman were like in her time. She was very much the opposite. This caused her to not feel as welcome in places such as church where she was expected to be a certain way.

Passion

When reading, I was really interested when they explained what an aficionado was. Hemingway described it in the story as "One who is passionate about the bull-fights"(page 136). I found this interesting because it brought the Spanish culture into the story. It was almost like a teaching to those readers who are clueless like me! I have taken Spanish but never learned about the bullfighting like this book explained it. I actually understood it when Jake said the experiences he said. For Hemingway to write this, I am guessing he had to do a lot of research about it. He probably had to go to them and experience them firsthand to write about this. I have heard this word before but never in the contex of bull fighting,too. I just thought it was actually cool that there was a connection between the word and the culture. Just something I found interesting in the book.

I feel bad!

Okay, so I cannot help but feel bad for poor Jake. On Emma Schutte's' blog, she wrote about how she hated Brett. When she said that I had to comment because I thought I was the only one who felt this! I think I feel worse for Jake than anything though. He is clearly in love with Brett. He says he has loved her "a hell of a long time" on page 128, and I just feel so much sympathy for him. It is like he is having unrequited love. The worst part is that it is not even unrequited! She loves him but refuses to even feel anything since she cannot have a sexual relationship with him. She even told him this on page 33 saying "Don't touch me". She cannot stand to have him even touch her knowing that she will never be able to have anything sexual with him. I feel so bad for him! He has to sit there helping her with all of her man problems while he loves her! This has happened in similar situations in movies today such as "Maid of Honor", "10 things I Hate About You", "He's Just Not That Into YOu", and kind of in "She's the Man" . In each off these movies, either a guy or girl must help out the person they are in love with, but they must mask their true feelings. I think this compares with Jake!

I think my last lit term!!

Lierary Term #12

Details

• page 93: "We ate the sandwiches and drank the Chablis and watched the country field out of the window. The grain was just beginning to ripen and the fields were full of poppies. The pastureland was green, and there were fine trees, and sometimes big rivers and chateaux off in the trees."

So, this story has a ton of details throughout the entire book. I am not sure why, but this short paragraph really stood out for some reason. It just really makes me feel like I am there. I can see the fields and feel like I am right there with them. This is what details should do, and that's why I wanted to discuss this part. Details are the reason I liked this book. I could vividly picture each scene while reading. I think that is what made this book more enjoyable! It was confusing at times, not gunna lie, but I could visualize things a lot easier while reading and could figure out where things were taking place and the mood. Speaking of mood, details make this noticable! When reading this paragraph, I felt just relaxed and calm. The details made me have the ablity to feel that. I have said this plenty of times, but this engages the reader.

Lit termmm

Literary Term #11

Personification

• page 69: "The music hit you as you went in."

This would be personification because music cannot literally hit anyone. If anything, the music would be a shock to them when they are walking in since it is loud. This phrase is just one of the types of ways Hemingway describes the atmosphere of the characters. I think it really just is an abstract way to describe, but here it really is effective. The reader is able to put themselves into the place of the characters since Hemingway does such a great job of describing and making the book so real. Personification's purpose is to describe everything in a new way and to make the reader become a part of the story. I really think that this pharse does just that. When reading, I highlighted this because it stood out. I think it was a really good description. Personification strengthened this.

Another one!

Literary Term #10

Anecdote

• page 13: "I first became aware of his lady's attitude toward him one night after the three of us had dined together....."

This is an anecdote of Jake's said to the reader. Jake is telling us how he observed Frances and Cohn's relationship. He tells when he came to the conclusion he has about it. By telling us this story, he gives us a better understanding of the two. Anecdotes are used like this in most stories. It gives insight to the readers about why characters are the way they are. The reader is able to grasp the full understanding of who a person is and how the narrator, especially in first person point of view, feels towards that person. Also, it gives us an emotional feeling towards the people in the story. You can feel sorry for Cohn or hate towards Frances. Either way, anecdotes draw us in as readers to the story. It is no longer just a book you are reading. Rather, it is a new life you have emerged in. I think that anecdotes give a book a special touch that we can start to relate to the characters in the story.

I bet you can guess

Literary Term #9

Motif

• page 172: "she's falling in love with this bull-fighter chap"


• page 147: "Brett's had affairs with men before"

This motif would be that Brett continually falls in and out of love with men. She says that she wants to marry almost every single one of them. Brett meets them and almost immediately says she is going to marry the man. This seems a little absurd. I just don't see how someone can want to marry someone bases soley on looks. She doesn't know anything about them but wants to marry them. She pretty much is marrying as a result of her sexual desires. From this, the motif of sex comes about. She has sexual relations with, I assume, each of the men, or at least wants to and wants to marry them not for their knowledge or character, but for their looks. This is really showing that marriage is not thought of in high regards. It is not sacred to her or any of them for that matter. This is happening today! When I think of Brett, I can't help but think of celebrities such as Britney Spears. This may sound ridiculous, but it makes some sense. Britney Spears marries people and knows nothing about them and quickly divorces them She then moves on to the next guy she finds. This has happened a number of times, and I see this as similar to Brett. Both of them marry for the wrong reasons and obviously do not respect the holiness of marriage.

Literary term....

Literary Term #8

Motif

• page 112: "So they bought a drink and then we bought a drink and then they slapped us on the back and bought another drink."

Although this is only one instance in the story, drinking is a huge reocurrance among the characters. Not only is it drinking, it is excessive drinking. They drink all the time. When they hang out, they drink. When they have meals, they drink. When they meet people, they drink. And etcetera etcetera. Drinking is bound to happen if you are with theses characters. If this is occuring, then it is bound to be a hectic time. Pretty much every single important event that happens is in the presence of drinking. This can be connected to today because drinking is associated with having a "good time". Even though this is not necessarily true, it is the perception. People think its all fun and see celebrities drinking and find it acceptable. The truth is that it isn't glamorous at all. This story really shows this to us when we see Mike on numerous occasions make a fool of himself. He says rude comments and just is obnoxious! On page 149, it is quite obvious everyone notices this as well when Brett says "Mike was awful. He's terrible when he's tight". I mean at one point she wanted to marry him. For her to say this he must be bad.

Yayy a Literary term

Literary Term #7

Protagonist

In The Sun Also Rises, not only does Jake tell the story, he is also the main character or protagonist of the story. All of the actions or events of the story include him or his thoughts. If he doesn' t know about it, neither do we, the readers. He is involved in the sense that he is either there when it is taking place, that he is in the action, or that he is describing the aftermath of the action when encountering another character. Jake's hubris is that he is impotent. On page 120, Jake and Bill's conversation reveals he is unable to have sex when Bill says "Other groups claim you're impotent." and further into the conversation Jake pretty much says that he became impotent during war whenever he says "A plane is sort of like a tricycle. The joystick works the same way." On page 128, Jake says he loves Brett " 'off and on for a hell of a long time.' ". Earlier in the book, Brett says she she cannot love Jake by saying: "I can't stand it, that's all. Oh, darling, please understand!" and "I have to see you. It isn't all that you know". 'All that' is having sexual relationships with Jake. She cannot love him due to his disablility and this causes a hubris since he loves her and cannot have the love requited fully because of the inablitiy.