Jake and Brett

   The ending of the Sun Also Rises is very ambiguous and interesting because it can be read in so many different ways, as we have discussed in class. When I first read the ending, I saw it as Jake being cynical and questioning Brett’s sentiment that they would have had a nice relationship if Jake hadn’t been injured. When Jake says “isn’t it pretty to think so”, I read it as Jake stating that in reality, their relationship would be completely different without Jake’s injury, and he might just be another one of Brett’s lovers like Mike and Cohn. I thought this because throughout the book Jake seems to realize that his injury is a defining characteristic of their relationship, and that the trust and friendship between him and Brett is reliant at least partially on the fact that they can’t have a sexual relationship. The dynamic between Jake and Brett that exists in the place of the novel could not exist in a world without Jake’s injury. Jake realizes this throughout the book which culminates in him ultimately admitting to himself and Brett that even if he wasn’t injured, their relationship may not have worked out.

   In the beginning of the book, we see Jake struggling to accept the relationship he has with Brett. He asks her if they can live together, and he cries at night because he can’t sleep due to him thinking about their relationship. Especially while they’re in Paris, Jake seems filled with regret and self-pity. However, when the story moves to Spain, Jake’s attitude slowly starts to change as well. Seeing how Brett treats Cohn and Mike makes him wonder if he would’ve been any different, just another sexual partner for Brett that doesn’t mean anything to her. Throughout this section, Jake defends Mike and to some extent Cohn as well, seeing as the way Brett treats them would cause him to act the same way if he was in their position.

   Brett starts to recognize that she is causing them to feel jealous, but she still blames Cohn and Mike for their bad behavior. Also, when she wants to go meet Romero, she understands that it is probably not in either of their best interests to get into a relationship and yet she goes ahead with it anyway all the while telling Jake that she knows how bad it is that she’s doing it. It seems that even though Brett can see what her actions do to the men around her, she chooses not to alter her actions to fit their expectations.