Most of my time spent on this blog was used thinking of titles for entries.

THEME and POINT OF VIEW


Well to wrap things up, I feel that I was supposed to get a theme about having a greater understanding for society and pitying its lack of morals and how the quality of life is going down the tubes. Most of the time though, I found from the very beginning of the book asking myself, "why do I care?" I really did, it's in my first blog. I feel most of the chapters could be summarized like this:

Begin with a heavily intricate description of the scene,

Jacob eats and drinks enough to feed France and Spain combined,

Everybody takes a stab at getting into Brett's pants,

Jake takes a shower and goes to bed.

At least Hemingway's consistent. I'm sure glad I can count on you!

Oh and since Jake told the story, it was in first person. Probably because Hemingway didn't identify with this heathen generation, but rather felt obligated to fix its woes through heart-pumping fiction.

This is me reading The Sun Also Rises on my computer from 1989.

And I never really figured out what the title meant, but I'm sure we'll discuss it in class.

I'm angry because I can't see my forehead.

"The driver started up the street. I settled back. Brett moved close to me. We sat close against each other. I put my arm around her and she rested against me comfortably. It was very hot and bright, and the houses looked sharply white. We turned out onto the Gran Via." pg. 251

Well, I'm sure glad I unknowingly picked out that first taxi scene with Brett and Jake. Hemingway has brought us back to where we began...with Brett and Jake in a taxi. There's some top-notch writing for yous. So, may I ask, what has changed from that point to the end of the book? Jake and Brett's relationship is the same. Brett isn't engaged. Jake passionately dislikes Robert Cohn. Everyone is still drunk. Mazeltov.

The Sun Also Rises in a nutshell, or rather on the rocks.

Is that what you had said?

MOTIF

"'Oh, rot,' said Brett. 'Maybe it works for some people, though you don't look very religious, Jake.'" pg. 213

Ooh, here's a doozie lit term. Motif. Just a few I've noticed are Brett's catchphrase "oh, rot." It's kind of her multi-purpose saying to mean just about whatever she wants, which illustrates her "change-at-the-drop-of-a-hat/I-do-what-I-want-because-I'm-an-independent-woman" personality. In addition, religion was made to be an ordeal, especially this whole Robert Cohn being Jewish. There were many times when insulting phrases were used and even classified being Jewish as a race in itself. Also, the Catholic Church and her "power" were mentioned several times. Even Jake was asked by Bill if he was really a Catholic. Bill, too, poked at a priest on the train ride filled with American Catholics hogging the dining cars by asking "When do us Protestants get a chance to eat, father?" Brett's character also deals with having a lack of organized religion. Another motif I felt to be prevalent was bathing. Brett always wanted to take a bath and Jake bathed often. This might be another religious reference as a kind of "trying to wash away their sins" type of thing, but then again, motifs are weird and I never seem to pick up on them.

Enjoy this nice, straightforward reptile motif!

But the legend of the rent was way past due!

"Outside the Bar Milano I found Bill and Mike and Edna." pg. 192

Wait. Who's Edna?

"Edna was the girl's name." pg. 192

Oh.

"I swung at him and he ducked. I saw his face duck sideways in the light. He hit me and I sat down on the pavement. As I started to get on my feet he hit me twice. I went down backward under a table. I tried to get up and felt I did not have any legs. I felt I must get on my feet and try and hit him. Mike helped me up. Some one poured a carafe of water on my head. Mike had an arm around me, and I found I was sitting on a chair. Mike was pulling at my ears." pg. 195

So, did we not spend two fake-out chapters at the very beginning of this book describing how Robert Cohn was some super-boxer with crazy Jewish powers to knock anybody's lights out? And then Jake swings at him. Personally, I just got angry and frustrated at the characters which is really a pitiful thing to do considering in the end, they're all just figments of my imagination. This just leads me to get angry at Hemingway, and trust me, he didn't need any help. But I guess if I was to be mature about this situation, I might point out that maybe Hemingway was showing the stupidity in both sides in the heated situation, thus calling this generation of lax morals to a higher standard, yada, yada, yada.

"'I gave Brett what for, you know. I said if she would go about with Jews and bull-fighters and such people, she must expect trouble.' He leaned forward. 'I say, Jake, do you mind if I drink that bottle of yours? She'll bring you another one.'" pg. 207

Also dealing with some pretty raw emotions is our dear old Mike. I can definitely sympathize with his situation. It's not easy when a women to whom you're engaged looks at a nineteen-year-old and says "Hmm, I want THAT one now." This is like Desperate Housewives: Roaring Twenties Edition.

Bayum!

I'ma search "chat to yo friend."

INTERNAL and EXTERNAL CONFLICT


"As we came out the door I saw Cohn walk out from under the arcade." "'He was there,' Brett said." "He can't be away from you." "Poor devil!" "I'm not sorry for him. I hate him, myself." "'I hate him, too,' she shivered. 'I hate his damned suffering.'"

So, at this point in the novel, I'm kinda just like, "So, uh, what's conflict here? Well, I guess it could be that whole Robert Cohn being creepy around Brett thing." If I have this straight, so far Jake likes Brett and Brett likes Jake a little, but they can't be together because "it's complicated." Robert likes Brett because of a dream getaway vacation, but now he's being really creepy about it and apparently "Jewish" as well. Mike is engaged to Brett and they plan to get married after divorce papers come through, but now Brett likes the barely legal Spanish boy and wants to corrupt him in a closet. Well, that's some external conflict for yous. It seems each character has major internal conflict happening, but Hemingway focuses mostly on the star-crossed relationship of Jake and Brett and has never really explained or even hinted very well as to why they can't be together except that it's kind of in Brett's nature to be afraid of commitment. I thought that was a guy thing. Oh, wait, Brett is a guy (or at least is supposed to dress like one, that flapper).

What a man.

I say, what a rigamarole at that shindig!

"Romero never made any contortions, always it was straight and pure and natural in line. The others twisted themselves like cork-screws, their elbows raised, and leaned against the flanks of the bull after his horns had passed, to give a faked look of danger. Afterward, all that was faked turned bad and gave an unpleasant feeling. Romero's bull-fighting gave real emotion, because he kept the absolute purity of line in his movements and always quietly and calmly let the horns pass him close each time..." last paragraph of pg. 171

What stuck me here was the technique that goes into bull fighting. I never realized how much some people may considered this an art, but the effort to at least try to turn killing bulls into something beautiful is valid. I can't blame someone for wanting to get good at a skill, but bull fighting is just for those crazy ones out there. Not to mention those "posers" referred strictly in this book as aficionados. I thought it interesting that it was always used in the context of "someone who is passionate about bull fighting." I bet you'll never see Jacob Barnes fight a bull (in fact, you won't, because he doesn't). So much for being "passionate." That's no better than being "passionate" about collecting Pokemon cards when you were seven.

Ole!

Can you tell me why my father left me?

STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS


Starting with the first paragraph on page 152, through page 153 until the break is Jacob Barnes' sTreAm oF COnScioUSnEsS, Ooo0Oo0Oo0oh! I related to the situation by remembering all those times when you just lay in bed, trying to fall asleep, but sleep won't come. In those instances, one often thinks about either very, heavy issues of one's life or some of the most random, fluffy topics. Jake decides to go for the works and considers his relationship with Brett to comparing the Eskimo, Cherokee, and English languages (English English, not American English). In this he contemplates how the English use inflected phrases to mean different things, for example "What rot!" could mean, "Oh quit, joking, sthilly!" to "Shut up!" If anyone has examples of American phrases that use inflections, please feel free to leave a comment as I would love to hear from you.

Now it's time to learn some useless Eskimo and Cherokee words!

Eskimo: a'agnerk - squaw duck
Cherokee: danistayohihv - Merry Christmas

Who needs Spanish, French, or German with Eskimo or Cherokee!

Cunegonde! Candide!

"We had a bottle of wine apiece." pg. 133

I don't know about you, but the amount of alcohol drunk in this little storybook seems like enough for each person to be dead from alcohol poisoning or cirrhosis of the liver. I guess they're just ghettofab like that.

Hey, it sparkles!

"Oh yes. They've never seen a desencajonada." pg. 136

Also, I feel like I should be carrying Google Translate in my pocket as I read this book. Cool it, Hemingway. Oh, and Google Translate says a desencajonada is an "unpacker."

"Breeding be damned. Who has any breeding, anyway, except the bulls? Aren't the bulls lovely? Don't you like them, Bill? Why don't you say something, Robert? Don't sit there looking like a bloody funeral. What if Brett did sleep with you? She's slept with lots of better people than you." pg. 146

Well, Robert's just a magnet for verbal abuse, which always seems to have ladies involved. Though he's a little creepy and kind of weird around Brett, I don't feel he deserves all this abuse. Hemingway really capitalizes on the Jews' history of being human punching bags. 

Doorbells and doorknobs and unicorns and rainbows and stickers!

IRONY and a PUN


"'Hey! that's not the way,' Bill said. 'Say something ironical. Make some crack about Primo de Rivera'"
"I could ask her what kind of a jam they think they've gotten into in the Riff." "'Poor,' said Bill. 'Very poor. You can't do it. That's all. You don't understand irony. You have no pity. Say something pitiful.'" "Robert Cohn."
pg. 119

I don't think either of them understand irony. If only the magical interwebz was invented in their day, then they could have gone to this site. It expertly and humorously (always a plus) explains how to use irony properly and what is and isn't irony. I'll point out that Abby Koop also used this site in one of her blogs, which I think we both found while procrastinating on http://www.stumbleupon.com/. I totally called dibs on it first in my head, but I procrastinated longer, so she put it up before me, but it was so my idea.

Indeed though, there was a pun involving jam in the quote. This further expresses Jacob's inability to comprehend the vast intellectual qualities of irony. If unable to understand irony, substitute two and a half parts pity. Blend.

Because sometimes you just need a Five Dollar Footlong.

"The Basques like it." pg. 109

I was way too excited for a normal person when I saw this, mostly because I knew who the Basques were! Oddly enough, I came about this bit of knowledge through playing in a wind ensemble (similar to Roncalli's marching/concert band, but slightly smaller) at the University of Indianapolis. The song was called "Basque Rhapsody" and our conductor explained that the Basques were like a folk people of Spain, which is made evident in The Sun Also Rises. The composer (who isn't dead yet, I think) grew up with this kind of music and was saddened at the amount of available printed music in this style, so he composed the piece. What helps get an overall "flavor" for the music is that it's a rhapsody. When most people think of that word they think of (if born before 1950) "Rhapsody in Blue" by George Gershwin or (if born after 1950) "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen. The word "rhapsody" comes from a Greek derivative meaning "to sew or stitch together." When applied to music, it refers to a song in which different sections of the song could stand alone as it's own song, yet when put together, creates the entire piece. If you think about either of the examples or if you happen to know any other famous rhapsodies, my attempt at explaining what a rhapsody is may make a little more sense.

Anyway, I found a recording by a different wind ensemble (we were better, AND they cut out a section, those butchers), so enjoy some music of the Basques, but even more importantly, check out all the nerdy band kids.

With a soda on the side? I'm Ron Burgundy?

IMAGERY, round 2


"It was hot, but the town had a cool, fresh, early-morning smell and it was pleasant sitting in the cafe. A breeze started to blow, and you could feel that the air came from the sea. There were pigeons out in the square, and the houses were a yellow, sun-baked color, and I did not want to leave the cafe." pg. 97


This stuck out to me due to the contrast when compared with the first excerpt of imagery I chose. This was a radical shift (well, about as radical as this book ever gets) from the dark, gloomy, and brooding Paris night scenes to a much more lively, fresher, sunnier setting. It seems also, that the setting stays much more "happy/carefree" while the characters roam about the Spanish countryside.


"We passed the bull-ring, high and white and concrete-looking in the sun, and then came into the big square by a side street and stopped in front of the Hotel Montoya." pg. 100


Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.

"Why I felt that impulse to devil him I do not know. Of course I do know. I was blind, unforgivingly jealous of what had happened to him. The fact that I took it as a matter of course did not alter that any. I certainly did hate him. I do not think I ever really hated him until he had that little spell of superiority at lunch - that and when he went through all that barbering. So I put the telegram in my pocket. The telegram came to me, anyway." pg. 105


No, tell me how you really feel. Another shift of this chapter is Jake's sudden hatred of his long-time friend, Robert, all because he for once had an air of superiority around him? Goodness.

Heffalumps and Woozles are scary, man.

"You don't remember him (Bill)," Brett said." "I do. Remember him perfectly..." pg. 88

Firstly, what you have just read is the biggest lie of the 20th century. Yes, even more than "I did not have sex with that woman."

"'We have got the loveliest hotel,' Mike said. 'I think it's a brothel!'" pg. 89

This just made me giggle.

"When do us Protestants get a chance to eat, father?" "I don't know anything about it. Haven't you got tickets?" "It's enough to make a man join the Klan," Bill said. The priest looked back at him." pg. 93

Even though I've got the whole Catholic thing going on, I thought this was funny too because I'm pretty sure I've been on the side of the large group hogging the dining cars before. Not quite that specifically, but close.

Also, I'm serious about this particular blog title. Watch the video.


Now pretend you're five.

You can't text message breakup.

SITUATIONAL IRONY


"[The restaurant] was crowded with Americans and we had to stand up and wait for a place. Some one had put it in the American Women's Club list as a quaint restaurant on the Paris quaisas yet untouched by Americans, so we had to wait forty-five minutes for a table." pg. 82

Situational irony is very much the currency of humor. It's format allows for an easy satirizing of culture, while not having such a potential for insulting someone. It does this because it usually describes a setting in which many people may sympathize or empathize, like the one above, without using potentially insulting dialogue.

Also on page 85, Mike uses the phrase, "a lovely piece" at least five times. Aside from annoying, this is bound to be a literary term somewhere in the universe, but I wouldn't know. It also shows that perhaps Mike is very protective of Brett around all of the other guys. He also seems pretty drunk. That'll do it too.

The Brotherhood of the Westside Bawlers

"She put her head on one hand and rocked it up and down." pg. 59

I have many issues with this statement. First, I'm having trouble picturing how this looks, no matter how many times I go back to re-read it. Second, Hemingway's got it all backwards. You put your hand on your head, not the other way around. That's weird, Hemingway, weird. And finally, I'm not sure if the hand is doing the rocking or the head. I expect antecedent issues from a third grader, not a magical, mystical writer who blows people's head's off with his books.

Also, let it be known that Count Mippipopolous has the best name in the history of mankind.

It reminds me of one of these!

Abba could really bring down the house.

VERBAL IRONY


Well, it's not like Frances had any emotional baggage or anything. <---(verbal irony, points for Christian!) But, chapter 6, the "Frances blow-up chapter" as it shall now be dubbed, was an effective mix of verbal irony, straightforward, painful truth, and hysterical ranting. I feel Hemingway didn't want to utilize an all-or-nothing approach to Frances' verbal tools to belittle Robert, which allowed the freedom to sound crazy in many ways. This is a more potent combination both to evoke the reader's emotions and to diminish the validity of Robert; however, strong verbally ironic phrases (ex. "What was it? About your going to England?" "Yes, about my going to England. Oh, Jake! I forgot to tell you. I'm going to England." pg. 55) are present throughout.

ALLUSION


In addition, Frances is allusioning up a storm in her verbal beat-down. "I suppose that we that live by the sword shall perish by the sword." pg. 57 and "Look at Hardy. Look at Anatole France. He died just a little while ago." pg. 57 are both examples of literary allusions. The first references the bible, which coincides with where Hemingway got the title for this most glorious of books. The second references "great" authors whom I don't know. Frances at this time was smashing Robert's writing career, so literary allusions seemed appropriate and all that much more hurtful. You go girl!

In a state of lethologica.

"What do you know about Lady Brett Ashley, Jake?"
"Her name's Lady Ashley. Brett's her own name. She's a nice girl," I said. "She's getting a divorce and she's going to marry Mike Campbell. He's over in Scotland now. Why?" pg. 46

Who needs a soap opera when you can read this book? The mysterious, twisted relationship of a woman, the sensitive, whiny friend, and an adventure in Europe complete with potential for adrenaline-pumping bull fighting are all the ingredients that would make even All My Children, One Life to Live, and As the World Turns jealous. With Jacob (which I am SO team Jacob, beeteedubs) pursuing a forbidden love, as we now find from his terse conversation with Robert, it becomes clearer the complexity of his relationship with Brett/Lady Ga -- Ashley. Also, Brett's alias begs the question of exactly how she got such a name. I'm feeling something SCANDALOUS coming on. That or my allergies. Either way, we all know the plot is bound to thicken due to massive pubescent-like bouts of angsty infatuation...and of course, God's thickener, corn starch.

Bonus points if you know what lethologica is without looking it up. You lose if you don't.

Exerting effort comes at the most inappropriate times.

IMAGERY


"The taxi went up the hill, passed the lighted square, then on into the dark, still climbing, then levelled out onto a dark street behind St. Etienne du Mont, went smoothly down the asphalt, passed the trees and the standing bus at the Place de la Contrescarpe,  then turned onto the cobbles of the Rue Mouffetard. There were lighted bars and late open shops on each side of the street. We were sitting apart and we jolted close together going down the old street. Brett's hat was off. Her head was back. I saw her face in the lights from the open shops, then it was dark, then I saw her face clearly as we came out on the Avenue des Gobelins. The street was torn up and men were working on the cartracks by the light of acetylene flares. Brett's face was white and the long line of her neck showed in the bright light of the flares. The street was dark again and I kissed her. Our lips were tight together and the she turned away and pressed against the corner of the seat, as far away as she could get. Her head was down." pg. 33

This imagery comes at the beginning of the chapter. It vividly paints Paris at night during a pensive cab ride. The imagery also sets the mood of the chapter with brooding, dark tones. In addition, the complexities of Jacob and Brett's relationship are outlined in the first few moments the reader sees them interact. This comes complete with suppressed sexual tension and soap-operatic overacting of emotions. Everybody loves the hot-and-cold, loose cannon female interest. It's ARTISTIC. Go getcha' some Jakie. In other news, this came directly from Hemingway's inner emo.

No, really, that's hardly an adequate use for lymphocytes.

"What are you called?" "Georgette. How are you called?" "Jacob." "That's a Flemish name." "American too." "You're not Flamand?" "No, American." "Good, I detest Flamands."
and
"Barnes! I say, Barnes! Jacob Barnes!"
pgs. 24, 25, respectively

Well, well, well, it seems Hemingway has thrown us for a loop! The first two chapters focus mainly on Robert Cohn as the main character, narrated by the mysterious character "I." In this chapter, however, the character's name is revealed to be Jacob Barnes. Brandishing his new name, Jacob turns the narration on himself and a very "friendly" woman named Georgette, ending the chapter with another lady, Brett. This shift in narration came unexpectedly for me because I was expecting a typical writing style. The "Robert Cohn Chapters" seem to imply Cohn's necessity as a main character of the plot. He probably still is (maybe, sometimes, could be) an important character, but now the narrator falls into a more comfortable position of narrating about himself in the first-person. I just tend to find it annoying when a character who's only watching things take place narrates. Well, those days seem to be over as Jacob Barnes finds some "action."

"What are you eating?" I asked. "Mayonnaise," came the reply.

FORESHADOWING


"No," I said, " I like this town and I go to Spain in the summertime."
and
"Nobody ever lives their life all the way up except bull-fighters."
pg. 18

Already in this early stage of the book, Hemingway foreshadows that Cohn's time with this  "I" character is limited. It appears that this "I" person has a thing for Spain and bull-fighting. Not only is this intriguing, but it may lead to a new plot besides just Robert being ill-content and whiny in Paris. The only reason I ever would have caught such a device is because I read the summary on the back of the book which mentions him (I/Jake) heading off to Spain for a rousing ol' time with his lady friend where chaos and frivolity are sure to ensue! Let's watch! Or rather, read.

This reminds me of a video! For you visual learners out there, here's a bang-up definition of foreshadowing according to Hermione Granger! If you want to skip most of the other schtuff, I suggest starting at around 1:50. If you have about two hours on your hands I suggest you start with the first video of A Very Potter Musical and let 'er rip!

FYI, because I know you were wondering,
aperitif n. - a small drink of alcoholic liquor taken to stimulate the 
appetite before a meal.

The Saga of Harrison Crabfeathers

Alas, here it is, the first of some beauteous blog entries. Do enjoy.

The Sun Also Rises


Well, Earnest Hemingway, you wrote quite a first chapter. So quite, in fact, that it left me with a few questions, which I suppose every good first chapter of a book should or else the reader may clock out early (On a side note, I just used an apostrophe in my blog! I'm such a good little Lit student).

The first of these questions though is, "Okay, you told me about Robert Cohn and his boxing, rich, jewy-ness, but why should I care?" I guess I better read on (as if I had a choice).

Also, I wanted to know exactly who Spider Kelly is in order to know if Hemingway is alluding to anything important. So kids, here's what the all-knowing Wikipedia has to say,
"Billy "Spider" Kelly (April 21, 1932 – May 7, 2010) was an Irish boxer from Derry, Northern Ireland whose career highlight was winning the Commonwealth (British Empire) featherweight title in 1954. He went on to win the British featherweight title in 1955."


Riveting.


So, I guess we're not really missing out. But he did die recently. Jeopardy question, anyone?


Anyway, let's get to that whole analyzing thing. ZOOOOOOOM!


What really jumped out at me the first time through this chapter was Hemingway's use of "rise," which happens to be the verb of choice of the title of this particular book. Coincidence? I think not. (Or maybe it is...) What I'm crazily referring to is "He had been taken in hand by a lady who hoped to rise with the magazine." and "When this lady saw that the magazine was not going to rise, she became a little disgusted with Cohn and decided that she might as well get what there was to get while there was still something available, so she urged that they go to Europe, where Cohn could write." pg. 13, 1st full paragraph.


Here, I believe, Hemingway makes a relationship between Cohn's writing career and his love life, both brutal and unforgiving, yet covetous of his time, in addition to "The Sun Also Ris[ing]," which still baffles me as to what that actually means.


Good day!