Brett

 While reading The Sun Also Rises, I found that Brett is definitely represented as stereotypically manly and assertive. For example, her use of the word "chap" throughout to describe both herself and other people. "Chap" is usually a word that is used to refer to a man, and her use of it for herself shows how she may relate more to men. Also, her hanging out around gay men may reveal that she might be more comfortable around men than women. These gay men aren't attracted to her, so there is no possible tension or anything like that, but she can just hang out with them. This also happens on page 63, when the text says: "'Where should I have him put it, sir?' asked the count. 'In the kitchen,' Brett said.". While the count is asking a man (probably Jake in this context) with the word "sir", Brett is the one who responds without a second thought. She also takes control of the conversation whenever she's talking, which is in contrast to the stereotypical vision of women at the time.

Comments

  1. EssraaOctober 16, 2020 at 5:17 PM

    I definitely agree and like how you described her, as she fits all these characteristics, immensely. It's pretty interesting and outstanding how strongly Ernest Hemmingway contrasts her personality and character to typical women of the time period in which this novel takes place. Lady Brett is for sure one of the more intriguing characters to analyze within the book, especially in comparison to her relationships with Jake and other men in the novel.

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  2. DinaOctober 17, 2020 at 6:05 PM

    Your observation of her traits are very agreeable, but building on this idea further, is it possible that her personality affects her romantic relationships? We know that she is much more masculine than the average woman. We also know that her romantic relationships are very complicated and vague, as we have read that she has gone through multiple divorces and keeps leading on many men. Could her masculine personality traits be the cause of this?

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  3. Nabeel BashirOctober 17, 2020 at 9:06 PM

    Brett definitely possesses an untraditional femininity compared to what was considered "normal" for women at the time. I agree that this makes her a unique and interesting character. The example you use of Brett with the gay men at the club is indicative of this, and Brett constantly holds a dominant wherever she is.

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  4. KiranOctober 18, 2020 at 1:53 AM

    While I think that thing about her answering the count's question was more because she knows she has a large amount of control over Jake, I do agree with how masculine Brett treats herself. It almost seems like she would be offended to be treated as a women, for who knows what reason.

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  5. Katya S.October 18, 2020 at 4:03 AM

    I think this may also be the reason that Jake is attracted to Brett. After losing his masculinity, he kind of turns to other people to live vicariously through them (his role is that of a reporter). Brett is the perfect candidate for that because she has so many masculine traits and she has a thriving love life, two things Jake really wants.

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  6. LillianOctober 18, 2020 at 6:43 PM

    I also found it interesting the extroardinary lack of female characters in this book, other than Brett and like the quiet dull woman who are only introduced in the context of men. She is presented as the one female character with a personality, and that personality is considered masculine.

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  7. Aakash V.October 18, 2020 at 7:45 PM

    Wow! These are some very interesting points that I haven't really looked at it that closely or I guess really considered at all. I do think there is truth to your arguments Zo and you make some very agreeable points to back up your argument. I may not see it as clearly as you do, but I definitely would not rule out the possibilities or validity to your statements. Brett is a very complicated person who has a lot of levels to her - there's no denying that, I think we could most likely agree. She has been affected by all these hard experiences in her life, including the death of her true love and now this roadblock in her relationship with Jake, and she does commit a lot of actions that make us stop and consider: "What does this mean about Brett's personality?". In general, definitely some interesting points and some food for thought. Nice post :)

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  8. LaraOctober 18, 2020 at 8:19 PM

    Brett does seem very assertive. Maybe that's why Jake is attracted to her, he seems to value masculine traits very highly. You bring up lots of interesting points, hopefully we explore this further.

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  9. AlyssaOctober 18, 2020 at 9:35 PM

    This is very interesting to point out, as I didn't think much of her line at the time I read it. I think that Brett is very independent (in some aspects at least), and this can make her come off as more "masculine". It's likely that she's also become a little more "hard" after going through something like losing the love of her life, so being around and acting like men who tend to show less emotion might be easier on her.

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  10. AnyaOctober 18, 2020 at 11:02 PM

    Brett is the only significant female character in the story so far, and she is only seen hanging out with men. Hemmingway doesn't discuss any relationships Brett has with other women. It seems that, because of her assertiveness and "masculine" behavior, she feels more accepted by men than by other women, who might disapprove of her excessive promiscuity, style of dress, and masculine qualities. This is probably why she is not shown to have any female friends.

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