Each of the main characters has a unique ending in The Sun Also Rises. These endings seem rather appropriate considering Jake's feelings for each of these characters. I knew immediately after reading the first chapter that the ending of The Sun Also Rises wouldn't be a stereotypically happy one. But I also knew that the ending was bound to be interesting.
In the end, Hemingway managed to separate all of the characters (physically, not emotionally) except Jake and Brett. I think there's a lot of significance to this. It's almost like stripping down to the bare essentials. How do Jake and Brett act when there's no one around, no Romero, no Mike, no Cohn, just no one? In the end, there's no one to disturb Jake and Brett. Both of them seem very unprovoked, contrary to how they felt in earlier chapters.
Neither Jake nor Brett seem completely happy at the end, but they seem content. When Brett says, "Oh, Jake, we could have had such a damned good time together,", it's obvious that she wishes Jake didn't have an injury. But she doesn't sound bitter about it. She seems happy about what could have been, but fairly fine about what her life is now.
Jake, despite being the narrator and main character, is harder to read. Our class struggled to completely understand Jake's last line: "Yes. Isn't it pretty to think so?" It must be hard for Jake to love someone that he can't be with. But I don't think he will go about it in a completely negative way. We've seen several times that Jake enjoys being alone. So I think he'll be fine, even if he can't be with Brett. But I do think that having Brett's friendship makes Jake's ending happier. They understand each other emotionally like no one else does, and that will always mean something, even if they aren't dating or married.
Brett's ending makes a lot of sense based on what Jake feels about her. But don't worry, I haven't forgotten about the other characters. Cohn's ending HIGHLY reflects what Jake feels about him. Cohn ends up leaving because he has disappointed almost all of the main characters. He is sad because none of his "friends" have completely accepted his apology for his behavior, and damaged because Brett didn't reciprocate his feelings. I don't think Jake only holds bitterness for Cohn, but I do think Jake would say that Cohn got what was coming to him.
Bill and Jake have a rather sweet ending, though I wish it had been longer. Their relationship was actually my favorite one in The Sun Also Rises. They have a genuine, honest, and fun friendship that many of the other characters lack. They have a nice goodbye, where Bill says that he had a good time and then Bill and Jake say their "So long"'s to each other. Jake also watches Bill through the train window, which I thought was almost kind of sad, because they probably won't enjoy each others' company for a while. While Jake doesn't explicitly say that he'll miss Jake, it seems sort of implied based on the way he acts in the moment. Maybe I'm reading into this too much, but I think they will miss each other.
I never thought that Jake had any super deep feelings for Mike, negative or positive. So it makes sense that Mike's ending wasn't too significant. Jake, Bill, and Mike all shook hands, and then they separated. It was a nice goodbye, but there was nothing too emotional in it.
In the end, Hemingway managed to separate all of the characters (physically, not emotionally) except Jake and Brett. I think there's a lot of significance to this. It's almost like stripping down to the bare essentials. How do Jake and Brett act when there's no one around, no Romero, no Mike, no Cohn, just no one? In the end, there's no one to disturb Jake and Brett. Both of them seem very unprovoked, contrary to how they felt in earlier chapters.
Neither Jake nor Brett seem completely happy at the end, but they seem content. When Brett says, "Oh, Jake, we could have had such a damned good time together,", it's obvious that she wishes Jake didn't have an injury. But she doesn't sound bitter about it. She seems happy about what could have been, but fairly fine about what her life is now.
Jake, despite being the narrator and main character, is harder to read. Our class struggled to completely understand Jake's last line: "Yes. Isn't it pretty to think so?" It must be hard for Jake to love someone that he can't be with. But I don't think he will go about it in a completely negative way. We've seen several times that Jake enjoys being alone. So I think he'll be fine, even if he can't be with Brett. But I do think that having Brett's friendship makes Jake's ending happier. They understand each other emotionally like no one else does, and that will always mean something, even if they aren't dating or married.
Brett's ending makes a lot of sense based on what Jake feels about her. But don't worry, I haven't forgotten about the other characters. Cohn's ending HIGHLY reflects what Jake feels about him. Cohn ends up leaving because he has disappointed almost all of the main characters. He is sad because none of his "friends" have completely accepted his apology for his behavior, and damaged because Brett didn't reciprocate his feelings. I don't think Jake only holds bitterness for Cohn, but I do think Jake would say that Cohn got what was coming to him.
Bill and Jake have a rather sweet ending, though I wish it had been longer. Their relationship was actually my favorite one in The Sun Also Rises. They have a genuine, honest, and fun friendship that many of the other characters lack. They have a nice goodbye, where Bill says that he had a good time and then Bill and Jake say their "So long"'s to each other. Jake also watches Bill through the train window, which I thought was almost kind of sad, because they probably won't enjoy each others' company for a while. While Jake doesn't explicitly say that he'll miss Jake, it seems sort of implied based on the way he acts in the moment. Maybe I'm reading into this too much, but I think they will miss each other.
I never thought that Jake had any super deep feelings for Mike, negative or positive. So it makes sense that Mike's ending wasn't too significant. Jake, Bill, and Mike all shook hands, and then they separated. It was a nice goodbye, but there was nothing too emotional in it.
I agree that Jake and Brett can be more themselves when the others aren't around. While we disagreed about what the ending meant, I think the two finished on a positive term, at least friendship wise. By this point it's pretty clear that they may never get sexually involved, yet I think that's what's holding them together. By being always stuck in this stage, they have developed deep feelings for each other, and nothing's gonna affect that anytime soon. As for Brett and her future, I'm not sure where she's headed. I feel tempted to say that she'll just find more guys and treat them the same as the ones we've seen, but she seems to have an epiphany in the last chapter. Maybe she really will turn around and stop being a so-called bitch.
ReplyDeleteI think the importance of ending the book with just Brett and Jake by themselves focuses on their personal development throughout the novel in a more confined space. While Jake's development is harder to describe, the small space of the car definitely emphasizes the changes in their relationship but in a good way. Similarly, Jake's relationships with the other characters in the book reaches good a stopping point. Of course, the relationships between Jake and them may continue (especially with Bill) but Hemingway does a nice job of not stretching out their story and allowing the reader to interpret what happens next. Anyway, this post points out the benefits of the short and simple ending compared to the typical all is well conclusion that many novels adapt.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that Jake and Brett are the most themselves around each other, but I also thought it was interesting how Jake acted when he was around the other guys, especially Bill. Their fishing trip in Spain, just the two of them, before the others arrive, seemed to me to be one of the most calm and peaceful scenes in the book—maybe second only to Jake's solo stay in San Sebastian. Like you said, their friendship is genuine and honest, and I think that's important. Jake is more like himself when he's around Bill, too.
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