Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises - Essay Example

Moreover, social interactions with people further upset them emotionally and psychologically. This paper aims to analyze the significance of the selected passage (from Chapter 4) in narration of their relationship and how it has transformed overtime after the world war. It also targets at examining the various aspects of frustration faced by these members of the lost generation. Earlier in the passage, it is illustrated that Brett shows up drunk at Jake’s place quite early in the morning at half-past four without knowledge of the exact hour.

In a series of dialogue, she asks for a drink, tells him that she turned down Count’s several offers even of ten thousand dollars, and made him aware that she is in love with Jake. She seems to be very much impressed by Count’s wealth and talks about rotten painter, Zizi the duke. She keeps on drinking and also asks Jake to drink with her. She then tells him that count is waiting in his limousine outside and has invited both of them to dinner the next night, to which Jake agrees. Despite of Jake’s firm insistence, Brett refused to stay with him longer.

They kissed each other twice before she left. Jake observes her walking up the street to Count’s car from window. He gets frustrated as her presence always reminded him of his impotence. The frustration is best illustrated in Jake’s own words saying that, "This was Brett, that I had felt like crying about. Then I thought of her walking up the street and stepping into the car, as I had last seen her, and of course in a little while I felt like hell again. It is awfully easy to be hard-boiled about everything in the daytime, but at night is another thing” (Hemingway, Ch 4).

These series of events narrated in the passage are a significant presentation of the immense love, affection, hatred and frustration felt by the characters throughout the story. The author has particularly emphasized on Jake’s inability to deal with his emotions, awkward attitude of Brett towards him, and their excessive drinking habits and negligence towards time capturing inevitable frustration of the entire generation after the world war. The passage clearly demonstrates the power Brett enjoys over men.

Her attitude towards Jake is though not welcoming, somewhat reluctant and she openly refuses to spend time with him, still he keeps on loving her. In contrast, she admires Count as being a wealthy and nice person, and prefers him over Jake grieving his spirit. She also changes the topic when Jake looks at her meaningfully while listening to her views about count. Jake throughout the passage feels less than a man as she is reluctant to make love to him. Another idea expressed in the passage is that Brett never exceeds kissing him in sexual pleasure.

She comes to see him while drunk but then leaves quickly. This implies that she actually had deep feelings for him too but was hesitant to openly express them due to his impotence or she might be afraid that his inability to satisfy her would eventually depress him more. Brett’s frustrations and feelings towards Jake are most evident when they kissed good night. This is when she shivered while kissing and said, "I'd better go." When Brett invites Jake to accompany her and Count for breakfast and drinks, he politely refuses by saying that "I'm too far behind you now to catch up and be any fun" (Hemingway, Ch 4).