The Sun Also Rises

Novel | Ernest Hemingway
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Do you think that Brett is a sympathetic character? Give reasons.

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Do you think that Brett is a sympathetic character? Give reasons.

Or, Do you feel any sympathy for Brett in “The Sun Also Rises?” Give reasons. [NU: 2022]

Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) in “The Sun Also Rises” (1926) shows the “Lost Generation.” Lady Brett Ashley is one of the central figures. She is beautiful but broken. Her charm wins love. Her pain brings sympathy. Paris, Madrid, and Jake’s love surround her story.

Brett and Jake’s Painful Love: Brett loves Jake Barnes, but Jake is wounded in the war. Actually, he becomes impotent in war. He cannot live a full married life. Brett cries, 

“Oh, darling, please understand!” 

She explains their barrier. She loves him deeply, but cannot stay. This helplessness makes us feel sympathy. She suffers because of the love she cannot fulfill.

Brett’s Search for Happiness: Brett moves from one man to another. She spends nights with Count Mippipopolous, with Mike Campbell,

and even with Robert Cohn. She admits, 

“When I think of the hell I’ve put chaps through. I’m paying for it all now.”

This shows her guilt. She is not only careless; she feels trapped. Her restless life is a sign of her inner emptiness. Readers feel pity because she cannot find peace.

Brett’s Final Struggle in Madrid: At the end, Brett goes to Pedro Romero, the young bullfighter in Madrid. But she leaves him, too. She knows she will ruin his life. She writes to Jake for help. This shows her honesty and self-control. She cries for her fate and says, 

“Oh, Jake… we could have had such a damned good time together.” 

This tragic end makes her sympathetic, because she sacrifices her own desire to save others.

Brett is not only wild. She is wounded inside. She brings pain to men, but she also suffers herself. Her broken love with Jake, her guilt, and her sacrifice make her a sympathetic character.

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Ernest Hemingway
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from The Sun Also Rises