FINAL BLOG ON THE SUN ALSO RISES

This book was very interesting. The only thing I didn't like was that their was no climax. I was constantly waiting for the big point of the story. What i like most about the story was the need to follow the giant relationship. It just kept going and going. I liked how you could never guess what was going to happen next. The whole book I was predicting that Jake and Brett would be together but that didn't happen. I would say that I like The Things They Carried better because the story was easier to follow. Both of these stories were easy to share my thoughts on and i felt like I could relate pieces of my own personal life to them, as well. I like both of these stories and I found them an interesting addition to my summer. (:

Chapter 19

Jake leaves and goes for a trip in San Sebastian. He soon recieves telegrams from Brett saying that she is "in trouble". ....give me a break.

Jake gets there and talks to Brett about her boy(s) troubles. She has trouble sending away Romero but finally she does. She also says how she wants to go back to Mike (goodluck.) Brett and Jake continue to have a great rest of the evening together. They get drunk and talk about how wonderful their lives could be together. "Oh Jake...we could have a damn good time together." I think they should just give it up and be together. Why does Brett have to make things so difficult. She needs to just pick one guy. It seems that if Jake was making any process in accepting that they were just friends, it has all been shattered. She continues to get his hopes up. I truly think that she uses him when she has nobody else.

Chapter 18

Mike freaks out. It's about time. He finally realized the little impact he has on Brett's promiscuous decisions. He overturns the tables and messes his room up. And he is always drunk. Brett is nervous for Romero's bullfight. She holds on to his cape. This probably makes Jake feel bad (for the millionth time) but he doesn't say something. If I were him, I would have said something to her a long time ago. He probably feels that if he confesses his love to her and asks her to be with him, that she will say no and he will never see her again. I guess he is trying to just be friends. If that is the only way he can have her, he is going to take it. He is probably miserable inside.
Later after the bullfight Brett does the expected and leaves on a train with Romero.
What does she think is going to happen next? She has no money so she needs to marry Mike. Also, she has hurt Jake and Cohn. I think that if she is not careful, what goes around will come around.

Chapter 17

A huge fight breaks out when Cohn learns where Brett is. You would think that Mike would be the one to get mad but Mike was the one to tell Cohn where she was. It is confusing to me how Mike knows about Brett's affairs but doesn't make any effort to stop them. I think he knows that Brett can have any man she wants so it is best not to drive her away.
Jake hits Cohn after he called him a pimp. That really made Jake mad because he wanted anything but Brett to go away with Romero. He only introduced them because he knew how badly Brett wanted to meet them. He knows it is his own fault that they had relations but he only did it to make her happy.
Cohn later gets his. He walks in on Brett and Romero. Romero proceeds to kick the living crap out of him. I can't decide if I feel bad for Cohn. Part of me doesn't because he deserves it but part of me does because his crime is just the same as Romero's.

CONFLICT- Huge fight between Mike and Cohn... and Jake and Cohn...and Romero and Cohn. Pattern? check.
MOOD- fighting is constantly happening in this chapter. The author does a good job of setting the tense mood.

Chapter 16

I can't stand Brett. She is so annoying in this chapter. I think all of her "boys" should just leave her. Teach her a lesson. I still stand by my claim that she is a sophisticated prostitute. She flirts and flirts and flirts with Romero. Right in front of Mike. Then she goes on a walk with Jake and she asks him if he still loves her. Of course he does. You're the biggest tease around town. After he admits that he does, she tells him how much she loves Romero. She says she "feels like a bitch". Well if the boot fits. I feel really bad for Jake because she just uses him. He is in love with her and she is going on an on about somebody else that she loves. Jake leaves Romero and Brett alone for a second and when he comes back, they are gone. That's low.

DIRECT CHARACTERIZATION- Brett tells us exactly how she is and exactly how she will be throughout the entire book. She is very predictable in her scandalous ways.

Chapter 15

"it seems to everyone as though nothing could have any consequences."
The fiesta has began and everyone is excited. They are all having a good time. When Cohn goes missing nobody cares except Jake. It is very noble of him to go look for his friend and take care of him especially after what he did.

They are introduced to a new bullfighter. His name is Romero. I'm pretty sure that Jake has a crush on him. He says that Romero is "the best looking boy he has ever seen."....??? anyways.. Everyone is mesmorized by Romero's skill and grace. Brett is extremely impressed with him. I think part of the reason Jake likes Romero so much is because he knows that Brett loves Romero so much. If she is impressed by him, then Jake is going to envy him. Mike jokes that "Brett is falling in love with him" and he asks Jake to tell her that bullfighters beat their mothers. Which is again wierd. Somebody's jealous^^

Chapter 14

Jake hears Brett and Mike laughing together in the next room. That is probably torturous for him. Brett lies awake and tries to convince himself that it would be better to just be friends with Brett. He wants to be more but he knows that he will have to settle for less. He thinks about girls that make "swell friends" and Brett has always been a great friend to him. (even though she hooked up with his best friend...no biggie)
“Enjoying living was learning to get your money’s worth.”
Jake struggles with accepting his own philosophy. He thinks about how he wished that Mike would not insult Cohn. This is understandable because he is his best friend. It was bitter sweet watching them fight. He liked that it wasn't him and that Cohn was getting what he deserved, but it rubs him the wrong way watching his friend get ridiculed.

Chapter 13

Things heat up in this chapter. ITS ABOUT TIME. Mike, Brett, Bill, Cohn, and Barnes all go out and get drunk. That was their first mistake. Mike starts throwing insults at Cohn about following around Brett "like a steer". Mike tells Cohn that he should know when he isn't wanted. I think that's funny. Because nobody at that table wants Cohn to be there. Except maybe Brett. But she wants every guy to be there. Bill leads Cohn away and things cool down. I bet that Jake was loving every minute of that. Jake is in love with her and upset with his best friend for chasing her around. It probably felt good to see him get called out on it. I wonder why Jake didn't call him out first. I guess it isn't really his place because Brett is not his girlfriend. But Jake is his best friend and that is just wrong.

EXTERNAL CONFLICT- conflict between Cohn and Mike is heating up.
STEREOTYPE- Mike throws in some stereotypes about Cohn being a Jew. Later in the story he throws in some bullfighting stereotypes.

Chapter 12

Jake and Bill have a very peaceful day. They are taking advantage of their vacation. They go fishing and walk in the meadows. Jake and Bill talk about Brett and Jake admits that he was in love with her for "a hell of a long time". I think that Jake is still in love with her and he just won't admit it. It would hard to accept that your best friend had relations with the girl that you still love. I'm sure Jake is trying not to love her anymore but I doubt that it is working. When he was teasing Cohn and making him sweat it made me realize that Jake still really does love her. I think that if i comes down to it, Jake will be the one to fight for her.

IMAGERY-the beautiful landscape is described in depth

Chapter 11

Alcohol is so prevalent in this book. This cultute lives and breathes alcohol. They get on the train, they drink. They meet new people, they drink. They get off the train, they drink. I don't understand how they are still functioning to be completely honest. They learn new ways to drink on the train and so in return, they share their wine. I don't know why alcohol is so accepted in this culture but it seems like everyone in this book is constantly sipping.

When they get back to the hotel they are charged a very high price. The innkeeper is making up excuses but maybe he notices that they are drunk and he might be able to pull a fast one on them.

SYMBOL- alcohol is the symbol for emotion. Whether the character be happy or sad, they always take a drink.

Chapter 10

It's just Jake, Cohn, and Bill. Cohn is sweating it because he doesn't know if they know about his fling with Brett. If I was him, I would be sweating it, too. That's low of him to have an affair with her especially after knowing how his best friend feels about her. I think it's a good idea of Jake's to let Cohn sweat it out. He wants him to think about what he did.

When Brett and Mike arrive, Jake goes with Cohn to the station to meet them. This probably irritates Cohn but he wouldn't dare say anything about it. It turns out that Brett and Mike are not on the train so they return back to the hotel. Jake further irritates Cohn by not letting him see the telegram from Brett. Cohn deserves every bit of Jake's teasing.

SITUATIONAL IRONY- Cohn is unaware that Jake knows about his fling with Brett. Bill knows everything.

Chapter 9

Michael and Brett ask Jake if they can go fishing with him in Spain. Jake tells Brett that she needs to tell Cohn that she is coming. I think that Jake is secretly wishing that Cohn will find it awkward and not come. Either way, Cohn says he is looking forward to seeing Brett there. Its IRONIC how all of Brett's "lovers" will all be there at the same time. Her fiance doesn't know about Cohn. And I'm starting to think that even if he did know, he wouldn't care.

Jake and Bill get on the train and head to Spain. They meet a family there and have a funny conversation about alcohol. They arrive in Spain and meet up with Cohn. Cohn knows who Bill is because he has read all his books. "I've heard so much about you from Jake and I've read your books." I swear everyone writes books. I wonder if Jake is secretly upset with Cohn about his relations with Brett. Cohn doesn't know that Jake knows. I can't help but wonder how long Cohn has been having relations with her and how long Jake hasn't said anything.

STATIC CHARACTER- Bill. He does not change much throughout the course of the story.

Chapter 8

Jake does not see Brett again until she comes back from her trip. I cannot believe that Cohn is away with Brett. She seriously has problems. How many men does she need? Jake knows that Cohn is away with Brett and he never confronts him. I wonder why that is. I have been in a situation where i knew that my boyfriend was with another girl and they were both lying to me. I surely confronted them though. I know how Jake feels and its hard for him because Brett is not technically his girlfriend. He has feelings for her and its probably hard for him to know that she is with all of these other men, let alone his friends.

They see Brett and go have a drink with her. Bill is openly checking her out and when she leaves he comments on her to Jake. He will probably get with her, too. They meet up with Brett and Mike later that night. Michael is very drunk. He just keeps talking about how lovely Brett is. I notice that during this conversation that Jake hardly says anything. He probably doesn't like seeing Brett and Michael together like that.

Chapter 7

Lady Brett is too promiscuous. She's like a sophisticated prostitute. In this chapter, she visits Jake with the count. As soon as she gets there she dismisses the count so she can have some alone time with Jake. Why can't she just pick one guy? And it is strange how Jake doesn't get mad seeing her with other men. Maybe he doesn't love her as much as he says he does.

They go out and drink later that night. Cohn and Brett dance while the count just gets drunk. Brett all of a sudden feels sick and wants to go home. I can't tell what she is really thinking. It is so strange how her fiance stays behind while Jake takes her home. Michael is really not that protective of her.
When they get to her hotel Brett does not invite Jake up. She kisses him at the door. Why is she so open to cheating on her fiance? It might just be how their culture is and how they view women. They definitely have a different definition of love.

Chapter 6

I wonder why Harvey has something against Cohn.
"There comes Cohn."
"That moron."
Harvey does not hide his dislike for Cohn. He straight up tells him he is a moron and doesn't really have a good reason why. Pretty strange.

Frances talks her head off in this chapter. It is so annoying. She claims that she has this big secret that she has to tell Jake but when she joins Cohn again she doesn't hide anything that they previously talked about. She just keeps talking and talking and talking. You can Jake doesn't like her but he doesn't come out and say it. As he's walking away he looks back and Frances is STILL talking. How can Cohn stand her? No wonder he doesn't want to marry her.
"Cohn looked up as I went in. His face was white. Why did he just sit there? Why did he keep on taking it like that?"
It's apparent that he wants her to shut up...along with the rest of the world.

Chapter 5

"oh go to hell"
he stood up from the table his face white, and stood there white and angry behind the little plates of hors d'oeuvres.
"sit down," i said. "Don't be a fool."
"you've got to take that back."

I think this conversation with Cohn and Barnes is funny. They fight like little girls. Barnes didn't literally mean for Cohn to go to hell. Cohn wouldn't get over it until he took it back. When Barnes took it back he says "oh, don't go to hell, we're just starting lunch." This sarcasm tells me more about the relationship between Barnes and Cohn. They are more like brothers than actual friends. They bicker and get involved with eachothers relationships like brothers. I think it is good for them that they have that.

"you're really about the best friend I have, Jake."-Cohn

Chapter 4

Brett and Jake just need to give it up and be together. I really want to know more about their past because I can't understand why they resist eachother so much. He kisses her and she tells him to stop but then later she asks him to do it again. They love being together but no progress in their relationship is ever made. The count may play a huge role in why she is so hesitant. She is very comfortable talking about the Count, which is confusing to be. The fact that they have extremely strong feelings for eachother but they both know it will never work out is kind of sad. If i was in that position, I might just give up on the relationship. If it is in their best interest not to be together, then maybe they should just let it go.

Chapter 3

Barnes is insane. He picks a chick up, brings her to his friends, and introduces her as his fiance? He doesn't even like her, he just likes the IDEA of her. When she tries to kiss him, he refuses. He was interested in her in the first place because he thinks it will be fun to have dinner with someone.- "a vague sentimental idea that it would be nice to eat with someone". Okay so the guy doesn't want to be lonely. That is understandable. What is not understandable is how he ditches her later that night with Brett. If i were Georgette, I would be so confused. He doesn't like me because he shut me down when i tried to kiss him but he does like me because he called me his fiance but he doesn't like me because he ditched me but he does like me because he wants to eat dinner with me. Poor girl. I think that he just wanted to have her as somebody to show off to his friends but in all reality, Brett is his true lover.

Chapter 2

"I can't stand to think that my life is going so fast that I'm not really living it"-Cohn
"Nobody ever lives their life all the way up except for bull-fighters"-Jake
I didn't really understand this quote. I think Jake is telling Cohn that he must just accept his flaws and come to terms with the fact that his life will not always be perfect.

Last chapter Cohn's luck seemed pretty poor. This chapter it immediately starts out good. He has some great success with his new book. And women are nice to him ;) Cohn is overcome with the desperation to live his life to the fullest. His heart is set on going to South Africa and getting the heck out of Paris. Jake is not up to it and tries to convince Cohn that his life can be fulfilled elsewhere. Cohn wants to feel content with his life but doesn't really have a clue how to do it. Jake is good at identifying Cohn's problems but doesn't know how to solve them.

Numero Uno.

In the first chapter I learn that Cohn faced rampant Anti-Semitism. I also learn that he's a really good boxer. There is a definite connection between those points. Cohn boxed to cover up his feelings of not being good enough. If people made fun of me for my race, i would want to punch somebody too.

I was confused at the beginning because I thought that Cohn was talking about himself in 3rd person. I find out later that there is a different narrator. His name is Jacob Barnes. Barnes is Cohn's tennis friend. "Robert Cohn had two friends, Braddocks and myself. Braddocks was his literary friend. I was his tennis friend" (pg 13). Not much information has been revealed about the tennis friend. All we really know so far is that he was in WWII. It seems like Jake watches over Cohn. He sees how Frances is desperately trying to marry Cohn before Cohn even picks it up. I cannot decide what to think about Barnes yet.

MOTIF- In this novel, i saw a motif of women controlling men. Frances controls Cohn incredibly. For example, when Cohn wants to go to Strasbourg, he refuses because he knows that Frances will disprove.
PROTAGONIST- Barnes. He plays the part of the good guy/ hero.