Can Brett Truly Love Jake?
Throughout The Sun Also Rises, we see the complicated nature of Jake and Brett's relationship. Both characters claim to love each other although Brett's actions do not reflect that love. From the beginning of the book, it is clear that Jake has strong feelings for Brett and does things for her even if it hurts him. Brett also claims to be in love with Jake but she has a fiance named Mike and sleeps with other men. She even goes as far as saying that she could not fully be with Jake because she would break his heart and cheat on him. This is ironic since she is hurting him anyway by keeping him at a distance to engage with other men. A potential reason why Brett cannot fully love Jake is his injury. Brett feels that Jake cannot fully fulfill her desires causing her to look for that in other people. The main reason why I feel that Brett does not truly love Jake is because of her personal problems.
In the novel, we don't see Brett's thought process as she navigates her relationships with Jake and other men. However, it is clear that Brett has commitment issues and is scared of being in an emotional and physical relationship with someone forever. A prime example is when Romero and Brett are at the Hotel Montana in Madrid. When Brett learns that Romero would want to marry her someday, she freaks out and calls Jake to come get her. Considering she has a 'fiance' marriage should not scare her as much as it does. She is so shaken up about the idea of marriage that she turns to Jake to help her. Naturally, Jake comes running because he loves her and will do anything for her even if he is unhappy. This also shows how Brett uses Jake whether she truly realizes it. She gives Jake enough attention that he stays hooked and will help her when she is unwilling to do the same for him.
At the end of the story, there is minimal development in Brett's character. She continues to use Jake and give him false hope even though Jake isn't as receptive. When they are at the bar after Jake gets Brett from the hotel, Jake is clearly in a bad state and Brett tries to help but she doesn't know how. Jake saves her the trouble and suggests they go for a drive and Brett awkwardly agrees. There is a lot of tension in the last few pages of the book which suggests that Jake might be reaching his breaking point. However, while they are driving away, Jake puts his arm around Brett and she leans into him like everything is normal. The last two lines of dialogue show the nature of their relationship and how nothing will change. Brett claims that she and Jake would have had a good time together and Jake agrees even though the undertones to his agreement aren't clear.
The question of whether or not Brett can truly love Jake is complicated. However, I do think Brett can truly love Jake. If Brett wants to truly love Jake, she doesn't need to learn to live with his injury or leave Mike. She needs to let Jake go and stop letting her internal issues hurt other people. If Brett and Jake stay in this cycle, they are only going to hurt each other and not make any progress.
Yes! Brett is the problem throughout the entire book and I am so glad you are bringing this about. Much focus is given to Jake and how he reacts to his situation with Brett, yet not enough to the root of the problem: Brett. Lady Brett Ashley, told by given her name, and insight from the book, has had two prior marriages with Mike set to be her third. She continues to leave them, likely due to her commitment issues as you previously suggested. Jake became the place for Brett to stow her issues, always turning back to him in the end.
ReplyDeleteIt is a curious point that Brett reacts so strongly against Romero's desire to marry her, when she's perfectly okay being perpetually engaged to Mike, who is "so damned nice and so awful." But I think a key phrase is when she clarifies to Jake that Romero wanted to "really marry" her--there's this sense that "really" implies a more traditional kind of marriage, where Brett would need to embody a more traditional femininity, and where (it's implied) her lifestyle would need to change drastically. The implication is that the marriage with Mike is not quite "real" in this traditional sense--it's IRONIC, the way that all such relationships have an aspect of irony in the modern setting of Paris (similar to how Mike doesn't "really" have medals from the war, since he doesn't value them--he says he got "the usual ones," but he can't remember which).
ReplyDeleteIn the end, it's Romero's non-modern traditionalism that scares Brett off. Not much about the engagement to Mike sounds very "traditional."
This is such an interesting topic! I think the question of whether or not Brett can truly love Jake depends on what Brett defines as "truly loving" someone. While for most that may seem like a singular physical and emotional relationship, I think Brett views true love as simply a strong emotional bond, even if that means she has physical relationships with others. By this definition, Brett herself probably considers her loving of Jake as being "true" even if we judge it is not being so, and instead being highly selfish.
ReplyDeleteIt's so interesting how Brett leaves Romero so abruptly. It's as if she has some sort of knee-jerk reaction against being in a committed relationship; perhaps she feels "detained" when in a relationship, reminded of her true love that she knows she'll never be replaced. She seeks to find temporary pleasure and fulfillment from little flings, because that's all she can manage. The war and the losses that came with it have sort of dampened Brett's soul, so she can no longer pursue any relationship with depth.
ReplyDeleteGreat topic! I think it is fair to attribute Brett's fear of marriage, the most permanent a relationship can become (in theory), to commitment issues, though I also think it is important to consider that these commitment issues very likely have some sort of root in her past experience with marriage, having a terribly abusive husband whom she was scared to live in the same house with. It is completely understandable to me that one would be tentative about commitment and the role that a woman has to start playing in marriage, especially one of the type that Romero seems to seek. She is able to be free in her open engagement to Michael and is not tethered down in a role and environment that has been traumatic for her in the past and restricts her free personality. Great post though, and your thoughts were very well-written and interesting to read!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. While Brett does take advantage of Jake emotionally, they also share a deep mutual connection that she doesn’t have with anyone else in the novel, which makes their relationship unique. Brett truly relies on Jake, and Jake relies on her in return. It’s a tragic cycle, though. As you mentioned, Brett is a multifaceted character. She’s endured past marriages, suffered abuse, and lived through the horrors of war, serving as a nurse in a more nurturing and serious role. This contrasts sharply with the "party-girl" or "new woman" persona she presents in public. Moreover, Brett helped Jake through his injury, and they both hold deeply personal knowledge about each other—things they don’t expose or ridicule in front of others. There’s an unspoken rawness between them, as if they don’t need to wear masks to be understood by one another. I also find it heartbreaking how Brett insists she doesn’t want to hurt Jake by being unfaithful, yet she continues their emotional entanglement while sleeping with other men. It’s ironic and complicated, to say the least. Anyway, I’ll stop rambling now. Awesome blog post, Chizara!
ReplyDelete