Does Spain Bring out the Real Jake?
In The Sun Also Rises, we see a lot of dynamics between characters and settings that affect the attitude of the book's main character Jake. In terms of location there are clear differences in the way he acts from place to place. The place changes how much emotion he is willing to show and makes his behavior more or less genuine. The two main locations in the book are Paris and the Spanish countryside, which both bring out different sides of Jake. The situation tends to be worse for Jake when he is in Paris and his personality generally seems more closed off and even depressed. The Spanish environment brings out a side of Jake that the reader doesn't see till much later in the book when he gets to Spain with Bill but it features a version that I think is the calmer and best version of Jake. The drastic change in atmosphere from Paris to Spain eases his sadness with city life, and helps us realize that Jake is not as disconnected from his emotions as we think he is.
In Paris Jake is brought down by the stressful and unrelenting lifestyle of the city. Everyday, he seems unfulfilled and dreary when he goes about his life. Many of his friends see his dreary attitude as him just being laid-back but to the reader it is clear that it actually more of a feeling of depression from his injuries which causes him to be indifferent about anything that happens in his life. Brett takes a liking to his nonchalant-ness and starts to constantly come back to Jake when she needs someone to talk to. She drags him into her wild world and mentally exhausts him through her party lifestyle, worsening his mental health even further. This is shown when Brett shows up to Jake's apartment door in the middle of night disturbing his peace: "I woke up. There was a row going on outside. I listened and I thought I recognized a voice...She [Brett] was very angry" (Hemingway 36). On top of this, Brett also loops Jake into an emotionally taxing relationship by calling him "her one true love." By doing this she inadvertently torments Jake when she brings her various flings to meet Jake that tease him by showing him the relationship he and Brett could've had if he hadn't been injured in the war. Overall, the hustle of the city takes a toll on Jake and having Brett around only perpetuates the burden of city life.
When Jake takes a well-deserved vacation to the Spanish backcountry he becomes more open with his emotions and even confesses the nature of his injury to someone else for the first time in the book. While he's there, he seems to get relief from connecting with nature and appreciates the beauty of Spain. This relief is most plainly shown in the scene where Jake gets up at the crack of dawn (which he never does in Paris) to dig worms out of the soil for their fishing trip later that day (Hemingway 115). This is much different from the usual late wake-up and dreariness that Jake tends to experience. When Jake and Bill get out on the water that day we see an entirely new, more vulnerable version of Jake. Although it may partly be attributed to the fact that Bill is one of Jake's closest and realest friends, I think that Jake is relaxed by his calm surroundings by escaping the clubbing and ruckus of the city. Most importantly in Spain, Jake gets a break from Brett (at least for a few days) which is one of the main factors causing him emotional stress in life. Jake even becomes less ironic in Spain, which is a significant change for a character like Jake. He constantly used irony in Paris to be cynical of his surroundings and keep his image of being nonchalant. But clearly, Spain lifts the weight off Jake's shoulders in many ways.
In Spain Jake seems happier, less burdened, and freer, ultimately making him a noticeably upbeat narrator. He is less cynical and downhearted in conversation and in his thoughts and he stops being sarcastic and nonchalant about things he does and even loses his sense of irony that he used so heavily when he was in Paris. All in all, the few days of just Bill and Jake in Spain was a good breather between the hecticness of the rest of the novel and it also gives us a glimpse into a more peaceful and realer version of Jake.
In Paris Jake is brought down by the stressful and unrelenting lifestyle of the city. Everyday, he seems unfulfilled and dreary when he goes about his life. Many of his friends see his dreary attitude as him just being laid-back but to the reader it is clear that it actually more of a feeling of depression from his injuries which causes him to be indifferent about anything that happens in his life. Brett takes a liking to his nonchalant-ness and starts to constantly come back to Jake when she needs someone to talk to. She drags him into her wild world and mentally exhausts him through her party lifestyle, worsening his mental health even further. This is shown when Brett shows up to Jake's apartment door in the middle of night disturbing his peace: "I woke up. There was a row going on outside. I listened and I thought I recognized a voice...She [Brett] was very angry" (Hemingway 36). On top of this, Brett also loops Jake into an emotionally taxing relationship by calling him "her one true love." By doing this she inadvertently torments Jake when she brings her various flings to meet Jake that tease him by showing him the relationship he and Brett could've had if he hadn't been injured in the war. Overall, the hustle of the city takes a toll on Jake and having Brett around only perpetuates the burden of city life.
When Jake takes a well-deserved vacation to the Spanish backcountry he becomes more open with his emotions and even confesses the nature of his injury to someone else for the first time in the book. While he's there, he seems to get relief from connecting with nature and appreciates the beauty of Spain. This relief is most plainly shown in the scene where Jake gets up at the crack of dawn (which he never does in Paris) to dig worms out of the soil for their fishing trip later that day (Hemingway 115). This is much different from the usual late wake-up and dreariness that Jake tends to experience. When Jake and Bill get out on the water that day we see an entirely new, more vulnerable version of Jake. Although it may partly be attributed to the fact that Bill is one of Jake's closest and realest friends, I think that Jake is relaxed by his calm surroundings by escaping the clubbing and ruckus of the city. Most importantly in Spain, Jake gets a break from Brett (at least for a few days) which is one of the main factors causing him emotional stress in life. Jake even becomes less ironic in Spain, which is a significant change for a character like Jake. He constantly used irony in Paris to be cynical of his surroundings and keep his image of being nonchalant. But clearly, Spain lifts the weight off Jake's shoulders in many ways.
In Spain Jake seems happier, less burdened, and freer, ultimately making him a noticeably upbeat narrator. He is less cynical and downhearted in conversation and in his thoughts and he stops being sarcastic and nonchalant about things he does and even loses his sense of irony that he used so heavily when he was in Paris. All in all, the few days of just Bill and Jake in Spain was a good breather between the hecticness of the rest of the novel and it also gives us a glimpse into a more peaceful and realer version of Jake.
As I was reading the book, I also noticed the significant differences in Jake's character when he was in Spain as opposed to Paris. I think his willingness to talk about his injury clearly signifies his ease in Spain, as he even allows Bill to crack a joke at his expense and doesn't become offended by it. In stark contrast, he refused to explain his injury to Georgette in Paris. I agree with your analysis that the real Jake, the Jake without the burden of the chaotic world around him, is revealed in Spain. Great job!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I definetely agree that Jake acts completely different in Spain than in Paris. I also agree that Brett was one of the main reasons he was so unhappy and stressed in Paris. In Paris Jake had trouble looking at himself in the mirror and falling asleep. He didn't have those problems when spending time in Spain, especially in the week without Brett.
ReplyDeleteThe point about Jake's sleep habits in Spain vs Paris is really interesting and I think it really shows how stressful it was for Jake to be surrounded by so much drama in Paris. When he's in Spain he is separated from stresses of Paris and seems to be less afraid to try to go to sleep.
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