Dynamic Character (out of order- should be after Oxymoron)

pg 181 "Do you think you amount to something Cohn? Do you think you belong here among us?" At this point I think it is safe to say that Mike could be considered a dynamic character. Throughout the storythe reader sees Mike as a kind man (or atleast I did). He never says much. Though there have been hints of his jealousy over Brett before, this is the first time Mike ever lets out his real feelings. He finally snaps. His character goes from that of a quietfriend to a jealous man. Though he later goes off to say that he was drunk i believe that he truly meant everything he said to Cohn. He finally had enough and needed to do something about it.

Irony

FINALLYYY!! pg 251 "Oh Jake," Brett said, "We could have had such a damned good time together." okay so when i read books i always cheat and read the last few sentences or so of the book just to see how everything will turn out in the end. When i read this part i thought okay, so Brett and Jake arent going to work out after all. However, when i read the chapter in its entirety i got a new perspective on this. Rather than thinking Brett was talking about her relationship with Jake, i later came to believe that she was referring to her realtionship with Romero. I think this because she kept dwelling on her late relationship with Romero and how right they would have been for eachother. I think this is the perfect example of irony beecause while Brett is talking about her relationship with Romero, Jake and the reader take it to mean her relationship with him. Which triggers his response "Yes," "Isnt it pretty to think so?" So although i really disliked this book... a whole lot, i thought the ending was pretty good. I like how Hemingway added this bit of irony to end the story on a happier note- at least seeing that Jake was somewhat happy in the end.

Unrequited love

pg 243 "Send a girl off with one man. Introduce her to another to go off with him. Now go and bring her back. And sign the wire with love." So i know Cohn did not truly mean what he said when he accused Jake of being a pimp. But here it almost sounds like that Jake is admitting to being one though it is not his fault at all for the way Brett behaved. I really did not like Bretts character for this reason. She seems like a tease. She goes from one man to the next unwilling to commit to any of them. And yet men are still attracted to her. In the story Jake, Cohn, Romero, and Mike all have deep feelings for her, but one by one she plays them all. It seems like this moment in the book is sort of like Jake's epiphany. He realizes that Brett will never settle down with one man, and yet he loves her anyways. What i think is really interesting about this is that I read Hemingway wrote this story based off of one of his own travels. If that is true, i cant help but to wonder if Brett was based off of a woman he loved whom treated him poorly.

Buying Friendship

pg 237 "If you want people to like you, you have only to spend a little money." This quote stuck out at me for two reasons. First of all because of its obvious shallow nature. I think Hemingway added this to prove that Spain is a much better place than France. The people in spain are more easygoing than that of France. It seems like Hemingway is trying to deliver the message that people in France are somewhat shallow and they base friendships off of money. I think it seems pathetic that Jake admits to over tipping people in order for them to create some sort of false friendship with him. Secondly, this phrase stuck out at me because i dont believe it to be true. Basically what this is saying is that a person can buy friendship. And if that were true then why couldnt Jake or Robert Cohn buy Brett's friendship, the only friendship either of them really values. I dont really understand why Hemingway would include this bit of information into the story other than to show the difference between the people of France from the people of Spain. I dont belive he put any truth behind it.

Paradox

pg 226 "We watched the beginning of the evening of the last night of the fiesta. The absinthe made everything seem better. I drank it without sugar in the dripping glass, and it was pleasantly bitter." & "You wouldnt believe it. It's like a wondergul nightmare." I think this page contains several examples of paradox. The first..obvious enouhgto understand simply refers to their last night of the fiesta. This example sort of reminds me of the statement "last first day of school"(which will be monday! yay!) it seems like it doesnt really make sense, but if you think about it, it does. Next is the phrase pleasantly bitter. Im not really sure how something could be pleasantly bitter, but that is how Jake describes his ,drink. Finally the last paradox i found on this page describes the overall trip as a wonderful nightmare. As they reflect upon their time in Spain it seems fitting Hemingway described it as a wonderful nightmare. A lot of things took place during their stay in Spain- some good and some bad. Although a lot of bad things happened, they had the time of their life in the end.

Balance

pg 219 "Because they were against Belmonte, the public were for Romero." This sentence shows balance in how it is written as well as in its meaning. Initially the spectators came to the bull fight to watch all of the matadors. However, the audience becomes greatly displeased with Belmontes performance. Therefore they took all of their attention and excitement from Belmonte and put it on Romero. It is balanced in the sense that they are exactly the opposite- the public is against Belmonte / the public is in favor of Romero. Hemingway goes on to say "Belmonte was no longer well enough. He no longer had his greatest moments in the bullring." Romero has now taken Belmontes place.

Bull Fighting

pg 201 "That's it. All for fun. Fun, you understand." I really liked this quote because it summarized my exact feelings. I dont really understand the fascination with bullfighting, and i imagine that many other Americans don't either. It seems so stupid to risk your life for such entertainment. I think Hemingway adds this perspective on purpose. To a lot of people bull fighting is stupid and reckless and dangerous. However, all of the people attending this fiesta dont see it that way at all. These people dont care if they are risking their lives because they are living in the moment. They are happy with life as it is and partying like there is no tomorrow. I truly feel like Bull fighting is not worth risking one's life, but the people in the story make it out to be such a valiant and noble profession. I find it funny how the waiter says its all for fun, because i dont see the fun in being chased around by a bull. That's because it's not for fun- its for honor.

Epiphany

pg 198 "I just couldnt stand it about Brett. I've been through hell, Jake." this point in the story is when i belive Cohn finally has an epiphany. He has fought two meninan attempt to defend his love for Brett yet she detests him more than ever. Cohn is reduced to tears because he realizes she will never love him. Cohn finally stops following Brett around and moves on. I think it is kind of sad how throughout the novel he follows her around like a lost puppy and she does not give him the time of day. It seems like Cohn should have had this epiphany much earlier in the story- maybe even before the story begins. After all, since she was "with Cohn" Brett shows interest in Jake and Mike. In addition to the two of them, there is a point in the book where Mike mentions that Brett has slept with plenty of better men. Which makes me wonder why Cohn held on for so long? But then again, Jake is still in love with Brett as well. Anyways, im glad Cohn finally has an epiphany- hopefully he will move on from Brett completely and gain some respect for himself.

Dynamic Character

pg 181 "Do you think you amount to something Cohn? Do you think you belong here among us?" At this point I think it is safe to say that Mike could be considered a dynamic character. Throughout the storythe reader sees Mike as a kind man (or atleast I did). He never says much. Though there have been hints of his jealousy over Brett before, this is the first time Mike ever lets out his real feelings. He finally snaps. His character goes from that of a quietfriend to a jealous man. Though he later goes off to say that he was drunk i believe that he truly meant everything he said to Cohn. He finally had enough and needed to do something about it. I think it was really shocking to see a different side of Mike. Most of the characters in this story i felt were sort of one-dimensional. The author tells us about them directly and the way the characters act give us the same kind of information. I feel like Mike is the first character whose actions (at this point in the story) are dramatically different than that of his actions earlier on in the novel. The only other character whom i feel is the same way is Robert Cohn- which is weird because they both sort of push eachother to the edge to force out that other side of them.

Oxymoron

pg 169 "Romero whatshisname is somebody." I think this statement serves as a sort of oxymoron. I say this because i find it to be very contradictory. Mike, at this point, is speaking very highly of Romero. He says he is somebody- meaning someone of importance. However, what i find to be contradictory is the fact that although Mike supposedly holds him in high respect, he cannot seem to remember his last name. But then it got me thinking, maybe Mike didnt just forget Romero's last name. I think that he was trying to talk him down a little out of jealousy. I say this because Mike mentions the way Brett kept her eyes on Romero during the fight. It's easy to see that Mike is jealous. On the other it is not easy to see whether Mike really has a poor memory for names, or if his jealousy causes him to sort of discredit Romero. I think this oxymoron was used on purpose to draw attention to the fact that yes Romero was a highly respected person, however he was not respected as highly by Mike.

Personification

pg 158 "the banner danced up and down with them as they came down surrounded by the crowd." Hemingway uses personificatiion to describe the banner as dancing while it blows in the wind.I believe he did thisto help the reader visualize the sense of chaos and excitement that was taking place at the time. It was in the midst of the fiesta where everything was crazy.People are dancingup and down the streets, and fireworks are being set off. Hemingway does a good job of helping the reader visualize this "party scene". Within the same page Hemingway goes on tosay that even when it was quiet "You had to shout any remark to make it heard." Its hard to imagine such an atmosphere lasting for seven days and seven nights, but with the authors detail and description, it becomes much easier.

Similie

pg 146 "Dont sit there looking like a bloody funeral" & "Why do you follow Brett around like a poor bloody steer?" These similies are used as insults against Cohn. Mike says these in a rage because Cohn has silently admired Brett during the whole trip. MIke just cannot put up with it anymore and finally snaps. After seeing the poor, quiet, steers at the bull ring Mike compares them to Cohn. He suggests that RObert Cohn is silent and depressing ressembling a funeral. He also says that Cohn is like a steer in the way that he follows Brett around silently. These similies help the reader see Cohn from Mike's point of view. Hemingway uses these similies to make Cohn seem even more helpless and shy.

Cliche

pg 126 "First the chicken; then the egg." This seems like such a cliche. its funny because the men get to talking abbout this ongoing, never ending question because chicken and eggs are both part of their lunch. I just thought it was clever how Hemingway added this into the story. It was sort of a relief to me because i honestly didnt understand half of the stuff that was going on within the story. this cliche seemed to grab my attention. It was even a little comical because it is a debate that people are still discussing almost a century later. Finally, the people in this story talk about something that i could relate to- rather than discussing fishing, drinking, and bull fighting all of which i take not particular interest in. I think this is a cliche because it is a mystery that has been pondered for years and yet no one is ever to answer the question. I like how Hemingway included it to try to gain his readers interest again.

Analogy

"Well," I said. "a plane is sort of like a tricycle. The joystick works the same way." this could be, i guess, described as an analogy. Though i got sort of confused what they were even talking about (which happens in this book no thanks to the old english diction and the fact that the author doesnt bother to mention who is talking half the time so you really have to pay attention to the dialogue). I know, atleast, that the men were discussing Jakes injury. I think that Hemingway chose to talk about it in this way for two reasons. First of all, because of the nature of the injury it is just easier to talk around the subject rahter than to be blunt about it. Secondly because i dont think he really wanted to say what the injury was in the first place. I believe Hemingway left that up for the reader to determine (which like i said before, i wonder if i would have figured it out). Using these different analogies and symbols the men briefly joke about Jakes injury which apparently doesnt bother him much anymore. Ithink that is probably the weirdest part of the story- Jake acts like he doesnt care about his inury yet it is the only thing that stands between him and Brett.

Alcohol

"Is the wine included?" "Oh, yes" "Well, I said. "Its all right." I thought this bit of dialogue fit perfectly well with the story. My thought so far of this story was that Hemingway emphasizedthe importance of alcohol. This bit of dialogue provesjust how important it was. I think it's crazy how much money they are willinmg to spend on drinks. I guess however that it makes sense within the context of the novel because (as we learned in Spanish class) that Europeans see alcohol as a social drink- and not as a party drink (like americans see it). Although there are several moments withing the story in which characters get drunk- or "tight" they dont act riddiculous as Americans tend to do when they abuse alcohol.

Description

pg 97 "We passes some lovely gardens and had a good look back at the town, and then we were out in the country, green and rolling, and the road climning all the time." Chapter 10 i felt had a great deal of description of the scenery. This sentence is just a short example of why i believe this to be true. ALthough Hemingway seems to invlude a great deal of detail (which i hate: i feel like it takes away from what is happening in the story, makes it too specific and therefore hard for me to visualize, and bores me to death) throughout the novel. I think from this chapter on he really emphasizes the beautiful scenery- and definitely overdoes it. I think he does this because he loves the nature and outdoors fo the places where the characters are traveling. I suspect he described them just as he remembered them from his travels. After all this story is said to have been written after actual events in his life. I almost got the impression that Hemingway preferred Spain because of the beautiful descriptions included within this chapter.

Parable

pg 77 "Injustice everywhere.." I guess this story within chapter 8 may not have been included to serve as a parable, but i though it seemed fitting to deem it one. As all the men are talking about their travels as they sip on their drinks, Bill describes one of his latest encounters. While telling the others about his time in Vienna, Bill tells of a black man he met who took part in a prize-fight. After he won people started a riot because he beat a white person. They refused to give him his prize because he beat a white person. This "parable" seems like it was added to the story to give the reader a glimpse of the prejudice of the time. ALthough it has been nearly a centurey since Hemingway wrote his story and it took place in a nother country- this sort of prejudice and injustice is visible in the world still today. In addition, Bill's attitude towards the events of the evening give the reader the impression that he is a good and honest man.

Ironic

pg 70 "Oh, darling." Brett said, "I'm so miserable.." "The drummer shouted: 'You cant two time' " I felt that this page could be characterized as somewhat ironic because Brett arrives with Mike but as she dances with Jake she claims to be miserable. I thought it was ironic that she said she was miserable as she danced with Jake because for one she chose to go off and dance with him, and for two, it is her fault she cannot have a real relationship with him. Just as Jake and Brett are dancing coincidentally the drummer happens to sing the words "You can't two time-" which i felt were fitting to the certain circumstance. That is because it describes what Brett is doing at that exact moment. She cant make up her mind. She is in love with Jake but because of her selfishness and vainity she wont commit to him. Instead Brett finds herself with Mike. Later in the story though Brett turns her attention to a Bull Fighter named Romero... it seems Jake and Mike arent her only victims.

Motivation

pg 35 "I dont mean fun that way. In the way it's an enjoyable feeling." "No" She said. "I think it's hell on earth." "It's good to see eachother." "No. I dont think it is." So, this part to me was the pointin the story in which i believe Jake is most outright about his certain "injury" in the war (which, if i hadnt been told what it was before i read the book, i wonder if i would have ever figured out what it was.. id like to think so at least). Although Jake has a positive attitude about it, saying "it's supposed to be funny" it is rather depressing what happened to him.I say this because even this early in the book it is obvious that Jake and Brett are in love. However, Vrett uses Jakes injury as her sort of motivation or reasoning to keep away from him and to avoid commiting to him or even desiring a relationship with him. Brett cannot accpet Jake for who he is after his accident regardless of the love she has for him. Jake really does surprise me with his willingness to accept this and not seem upset with the way Brett acts towards him. When she is with him she is in love, but once she remembers why it, in her eyes, will never work out, she wants nothing to do with Jake. Even though Brett describes their relationship as hell on earth i think that Jake is the one who should feel that way, not Brett.

Direct Characterization

pg 11 "He cared nothing for boxing, in fact he disliked it, but he learned it painfully and thouroughly to counteract the feeling of inferiority and shyness he had felt on being treated as a Jew at Princeton." When i first read chapter 1 i concluded that the majority of the chapter served as a direct characterization of Robert Cohn. This chapter gave me a look at his past experiences as well as described him as a shy and insecure man who only feels his best in the boxing ring. Though I didnt think much of this description of Cohn as i read the book initially, i finally saw where in came into play- the last few chapters. Towards the end of the novel Cohn gets into a fight with Mike and Jake. Although he is practically mute throughout the whole story, he finally stands up for himself- using what he learning in his boxing training as his only defense. This chapter really describes Cohns personality, however the rest of the novel unfolds how the others feel about him. I really don't understand why everyone had such a negative feeling towards Robert Cohn. I understand that they felt his silence was annoying and he was sort of like a shadow that followed them around, but what i dont get is why he even joined him on their trip anyways?