Lady Brett Ashley

"Isn't it pretty to think that"

Point of view of Brett responding to Jake

I can't believe Jake said that to me. I finally opened up to him and talked about our future together and all he says is "Isn't it pretty to think that". HOW RUDE! I know he loves me and I love him and yet he just dismisses the thought of having a relationship. That makes no sense whatsoever. I left Pedro for him and he doesn't even acknowledge that! If that's how he really feels then why did he come back to me. It's not like I begged him. He willingly came back to be with me.

Maybe he doesn't love me anymore. Maybe I pushed him too far with all the other guys I dated. I probably shouldn't have said "I love Mike" when I first saw him. But Jake knows I still love him. Why can't I love them both? My heart is big enough for all of them. But I guess it's pretty to think that too... Isn't it Jake.

By: Chelsie Edwards

Pedro Romero

Pedro Romero

“Romero never made any contortions, always it was straight and pure and natural in line. [...] Romero’s bull-fighting gave real emotion, because he kept the absolute purity of line in his movements and always quietly and calmly let the horns pass him close” (Hemingway, 171) 

                Hola, my name is Pedro Romero. You may know me from my days as a bullfighter. Those days are long behind me as I am writing this, but to think of those days brings me much joy. All of my practicing, my passion, my love for the bulls and the fights had led me through an amazing career I could never forget. I was always standing up straight, my cape never wrinkled, waiting for the bull to attack. The audience was always so nice to me, I could never ask for better fans. The people during the festival were so lively and excited! While the festival is a huge part of my career, it took me a very, very long time to get there. I will never forget the hardships and struggles of training with the deadly bulls when I was first starting out. I was never perfect, I never got to be perfect, but to be out there doing the best I could with the bulls was all I needed.

Robert Cohn

 

"He was a nice boy, a friendly boy, and very shy, and it made him bitter." (Hemingway 12)





 

          

        I am very often misunderstood. Most people make fun of me because I am Jewish. I haven't experienced the shame until I went to Princeton. At Princeton, everybody made fun of me. That is mainly the reason why I am so sensitive now. As a child, I grew up with Jews so I didn't know what it was like to be mocked because of my religion. I was hurt and confused as to why the people at Princeton treated me the way that they did. That is why I am so attached to Brett. She was actually nice to me despite my religion. I don't want to believe that she is not interested in me. That is why I lashed out on Jake and Mike when they tried to explain that to me. I lashed out on Pedro because I didn't like the idea of Brett being with someone else. Even though it was hard, I finally understand. I am used to being mistreated anyway.



Jake Barnes

"I mistrust all frank and simple people, especially when their stories hold together..." (Hemingway 12)

I am not a very trusting man. People just do not usually tell the truth. I tried to stay away from people in general because I do not enjoy drama much. Unfortunately, I picked the wrong friends anyways. I thought that their bluntness would decrease any problems, but they were too good to be true. When people seem like they are always truthful, odds are that they are almost never truly honest. It is all over now. Now I pay people and they have all been good to me.

Jake Barnes Characterization Blog

"Fake European standards have ruined you. You drink yourself to death. You become obsessed by sex. You spend all your time talking, not working. You are an expatriate, see." (Hemingway 120)

He has a point. I do hold myself to these standards of masculinity and friendship, that are only exemplified through a small group of people I do not like anyways. I have spent many a night up drinking because of these fake standards I have been holding myself to. Brett certainly has played a part into my drinking too. One second she is in love with me, the next she is crying in the back of a cab, complaining of my impotence. It confuses me so much, and I love her so much... can I ever please her? I talk and talk to try to make these "friends" that really just stay because I give a good tip, for what? To distract myself from the expectations of a serious job? Oh lord Bill is right. I am an expatriate. Something has to change, and I think I know where to start.

Jake Barnes

"I lay awake thinking and my mind jumping around. Then I couldn’t keep away from it, and I started to think about Brett and all the rest of it went away. I was thinking about Brett and my mind stopped jumping around and started to go in sort of smooth waves. Then all of a sudden I started to cry." (Hemingway 39)

I feel like I'm walking around in circles.  No matter what I do, I always back in the  same place.  Every time I look at Brett all the old feelings come rushing back. I'm helpless.  I know she is bad for me, but I can't stay away.  I thought I could push her away like I do with my other "friends",  but I was mistaken.  I love her.  She says she loves me too, but she always runs off with another man.  It seems as though my heart is something only to be trampled on.  She leaves me in this pathetic state. I'm addicted to Brett, and this is my punishment.

Jake Barnes

                                 "'Yes.....Isn't it pretty to think so?'" Chapter 19, pg. 247

            After years of fawning over this toxic girl, this girl with no inch of remorse, who so carelessly crushes the souls of the men around her, I am done. After I got back from the war she was my lifeline. She was all I needed in this world and for the first time in my life I feel free of her. I’ve been waiting after her for years in hope of her learning to except my disability because once we were in a constant state of euphoria but I can’t recall that last time I was satisfied with where we stood. Us being in a relationship, it’s nice to think about sure but I’m done putting her on a pedestal. She has plenty of men to fawn over her, I’m sure her losing one will do no damage. 

Lady Brett Ashley

                                                       

"This wine is too good for toast-drinking, my dear. You don't want to mix emotions up with a wine like that. You lose the taste." – Count Mippipopolous"  (Hemmingway, 59)

My, name is Brett Ashley, my ex-lover Count Mippipipilous said this to me one day and i completely disagree. A young beautiful women will never lose her "taste". I am a lady who loves the attention of men. I lost my first love in the war and have been on a destructive love path ever since, no-one said that i couldn't have fun along the way. Jake is my favorite of them all, he has the emotion stability i need, but Mike is my type. Count Mippipipilous, Mike, Robert, Jake, and Pedro have all "mixed in the wine" but i do think i am "losing taste" because i have seem to have lost Jake's attention. I guess ill find someone else to make me a lady before i turn 35.        

Lady Brett Ashley

Lady Brett Ashley

“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 started all that. She was built with curves like the hull of a racing yacht, and you missed none of it with that wool jersey.” (Hemingway 29-30). – Jake 

I like when men pay attention to me. I want them to desire me. I have done many things in my life I am not proud of. I can’t change my decisions now because it’s too late. What can I say, I like having control. I like how Jake loves me. Unfortunately I can’t be with him because he won’t make me feel good intimately. But I love how he always comes back to me. Men tend to need me. Cohn needed me for his thrill of having an affair. Mike needs me because I take care of him when he’s drunk. They all need me, they all desire me. I absolutely love that.

Robert Cohn

“For four years his horizon had been absolutely limited to his wife. For these years, or almost three years, he had never seen beyond Frances. I am sure he had never been in love in his life” (Hemingway, 16).

I totally agree with this quote. I, Robert Cohn, am an adventurer. I want to live my life to the extreme before I die. Yes, I was limited to my wife once, but my life is too short to be limited. Frances is a great girl but she’s wants a family and to settle down, but I’m not into that. I want to have mistresses and travel the world. Which is why I wanted to go to South America. The mistress part brings me to Brett. Brett is a storm that will just sweep you off your feet.  She took me up on an offer that would break me. I tried to chase her and make her my mistress, but she wasn’t into being with someone. I told her I loved her, but I wasn't in love with her, I was in love with the adventure. I admit I failed to get her. I've lost my best friend trying to get her. Eventually, I had to go back to Frances, at least she took me in. I think my days of trying to be someone I’m not is over. However, in the end I still have never loved anyone in my life.

Robert Cohn

“You know Robert is going to get material for a new book. Aren’t you, Robert? That’s why he’s leaving me. He’s decided I don’t film well. You see, he was so busy all the time that we were living together, writing on this book, that he doesn’t remember anything about us. So now he’s going out and get some new material. Well, I hope he gets something frightfully interesting.” (Hemingway, 57).

I have grown farther and farther away from Frances in the past few months, working on my book and all, but it seems as if she’s always right in front of my face. I just want to work in peace. She can’t seem to let go that I don’t see our “relationship” progressing anymore. Yes, I went into it looking for someone, she just turned out to be the wrong someone. Honestly, I just don’t have feelings for her anymore. She’s just too demanding for me. Someone like Brett would be the best girl for me. As for my “research,” I just need to get away from her. She’s distracting me from my work. Travelling away from her is the only reprieve I can get. Her constant whining and demand for attention drive me insane. Don’t you think so, Robert? Or Well, I have to ask Robert… She can’t make a decision on her own. I just don’t understand why she’s still with me. She just needs to move on like I did.