The Sun Also Rises
The Sun Also Rises is a novel by Ernest Hemmingway it was written in 1926. The
narrator of the book is Jake Barnes, he is a First World War veteran who is
currently living and working in Paris as a writer. Jakes friend Robert Cohn is an
American like Jake but is Jewish and is in a relationship with Frances Clyne who
is a controlling and over bearing woman. Jake is deeply in love with Lady Brett
Ashley a divorcee, who by contrast to Frances is a free spirit though she is prone
to bouts of selfishness. Frances is unwilling to commit to Jake not because she
doesn’t love him but because she is unwilling to give up sex, which she would
have to do if she entered a relationship with Jake because he was made impotent
by a war wound.
In the next chapter Jake and Robert have lunch and it quickly becomes apparent
that Robert is besotted with Frances. However Jake announces that Frances is
engaged to Mike Cambell , this revelation causes Robert to fly into a rage.
Frances does not meet up with Jake later that afternoon as they had planned
instead she stands him up only to turn up at his flat later that night with the
Count Mippipoplous a rich Greek aristocrat. They send the count out to buy
champagne and then Francis tells Jake that she is leaving for San Sebastian in
Spain and that this separation will make it easier on both her and Jake.
A few weeks later both Jake and Robert are travelling outside Paris. Jakes friend
Bill Gorton arrives in France and he and Jake make plans to attend the Bull Run
in Pamplona and they agree to meet Robert en-route. By chance Jake runs into
Frances who has now returned from Spain and Frances asks if both she and her
finance would be allowed to join Jake and his friends on their trip to Pamplona.
Jake agrees and then Frances confides to Jake that Robert was in San Sebastian
with her.
Bill and Jake meet Robert in the South of France and the three travels to
Pamplona together planning to meet Frances and Mike on the night of their
arrival. However the couple doesn’t show up. Bill and Jake head of into the
countryside to fish whilst Robert waits for Frances in Pamplona. Jake and Bill
spend a happy five days fishing, Jake then receives a letter from Mike saying that
he and Frances are about to arrive in Pamplona. Jake and Bill then head back to
Pamplona to meet their friends. The whole group meet up and they go to watch
the bulls being unloaded ready for the bull fights. Mike frequently mocks Robert
at this point in the novel for following Frances around.
The fiesta begins and the city has a party atmosphere with everyone drinking
and enjoying them selves. During the first day a nineteen year old bull fighter
names Romero distinguishes himself as a truly courage’s bullfighter. Frances is
engrossed by the skeptical of the bullfights and is particularly taken with
Romero. A few days later the group is sat eating lunch when Frances spots
Romero siting at another table. Frances asked Jake to introduce her to Romero,
which Jake does. Mike continues to be verbally abusive toward Robert and they
almost fight but Jake manages to salvage the situation. Later Frances comes to
Jake and tells him that she has fallen in love with Romero and asks for Jakes help
in finding him. Frances finds Romero and she spends the night with him.
Jake, Mike and Bill then meet up all of who are very drunk when Robert arrives
drunk and wanting to know where Frances is he attacks both Mike and Jake. Jake
returns to the hotel to find Robert crying hysterically on the bed. Jake forgives
Robert for the previous night and then finds out that Robert had also attacked
Romero after finding him with Frances.
The next day Romero fights amazingly, he kills a bull that had killed a man
during the Bull Run. After killing the bull he cuts of its ear and gives it to Frances
(I know so romantic). Romero and Frances leave together for Madrid and Robert
has already left for home leaving only Mike, Bill and Jake.
The three men drive to Bayonne and then separate. Jake leaves to San Sebastian
to relax for a few days, however he receives a telegram from Frances asking him
to come to Madrid to meet her. He leaves at once for Madrid where he finds
Francis alone in a hotel room; she tells him that she has split with Romero in
order to allow him to pursue his career. She also tells Jake that she wants to go
back to Mike. Jake arranges for them to leave Madrid during the taxi ride through
Madrid Frances tell Jake that she and Jake could have been a wonderful couple.
Jake answers, “Yes, isn’t it pretty to think so.”