Brett Ashley Quotes

In The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway, Lady Brett Ashley is a representative of the New Woman, changing the American landscape. This is shown when she changes from a female to male role, as she pleases. For example, when she takes the place of a male role she demands that people please her such as, when she ordered Jake to “kiss” (Hemingway, 15) her “once more before [they] get there.” (Hemingway, 15) Although changed back to her female role when “she gave [Jake] her hand as she stepped down” (Hemingway, 15) For a man to help a woman out of a car is known as a chivalrous and an expected action, especially in the past, in addition, the man is suppose to initiate the kiss. Brett is a woman who wants to display a secure, stable, satisfied and independent life to the point where readers are not able to

anticipate her next action because she resembles a wild card, her constant switching from a female to male role keeps readers on their toes to wonder what will be her reaction to the next situation presented. Her alternating roles contribute to her round characterization by her non-traditional roles allowing her to have depth as a character. For instance, even though her character is shown to have “her hair...brushed back like a boy...” (Hemingway, 12) and to wear a “slipover jersey sweater” (Hemingway, 12) she would never be expected to be surrounded by a “fine crowd” (Hemingway, 12) as a girl who dresses “like a boy” (Hemingway,12), other men would be expected to be critical of her, instead of “watching her” (Hemingway, 12) and wanting “the next [dance].” (Hemingway, 12) Throughout the book, as Brett attracted many men, she was also attracted to other men as well, Hemingway emphasizes this with an insensitive tone, in an unsympathetic light, indirectly in order to reveal the reason for Brett’s actions. For example, Hemingway rarely fixates too much on Brett’s emotional damage, the readers are prevented from seeing this when she says “Oh darling...I’m so miserable,” (Hemingway,16) but afterwards the topic changes and Brett;s thought are forgotten, readers are forced to read between the lines, in order to truly understand Brett. From her lack of explanation, all readers see is how she disrupts the lives of all the different male characters.

For example, she taunts pure people like Romero, who is probably still a virgin because he does not “mix that stuff” (Hemingway, 90), for Romero, bullfighting always comes first , and there is Jake who is impotent. Although, between the lines, Brett thinks about all “the hell [she] put chaps through...[she is] paying for it all now” (Hemingway, 14). Brett is not necessarily thinking about these men, instead she is punishing herself for all that she has put men through by being involved with people who can not match up with her sexually. Likewise, Hemingway shines light on the relationships that Brett has destroyed between men to punish herself. For instance, after Cohn begun to like Brett, Jake was enraged to where he even said, “to hell with Cohn, (Hemingway, 117) damaging their friendship. Additionally, Brett’s interaction with Jake caused Mike to lose control of himself and become “a bad drunk” (Hemingway, 78) and become “unpleasant after he passed a certain point,” (Hemingway, 78) and throughout the trip, he was constantly passing this

point. Brett did not have to do anything except exist and interact with Romero, to make three men act irrational. Her interactions were to only get away from the lonely state she felt on the inside. Brett goes beyond a representation of female independence , not only is she independent, but she forces the men to be dependent on her, without her there would not be a story. While other characters are easy to understand, she has more to her than what meets the eye. Even though Jake is the protagonist, readers can not help but focus on her and her independence, leaving the other characters in the shadows. Hemingway’s tone in the book has readers yearning for more and giving the spotlight to not Brett, but Lady Brett Ashley.