Reading Around Jake's Narration: Brett Ashley And The Sun
Reading Around Jake's Narration: Brett Ashley and The Sun Also Rises
"Reading Around Jake's Narration: Brett Ashley and The Sun Also Rises." (By Lorie Watkins Fulton. Hemingway Review 24.): 61-80.) After reading Fulton's article, consider your own view of Brett Ashley. Is she responsible for all the troubles in the novel, or has she been a much maligned character in the novel? Use specific details from both the novel by Hemingway and the article by Watkins Fulton to support your view. Must be 350 words and use attached reading as the only reference.
Paper For Above instruction
The novel The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway presents Brett Ashley as a complex character whose actions and personality significantly influence the narrative's unfolding. Lorie Watkins Fulton’s article offers an insightful analysis of Brett's role, particularly through Jake Barnes’s perspective, which provides a nuanced lens to evaluate her character. A close examination reveals that Brett Ashley is often maligned, and her behavior should be understood within the context of her emotional struggles and societal constraints, rather than solely blamed for the turmoil among the characters.
Brett Ashley is portrayed as a vivacious and independent woman who defies traditional expectations of femininity and societal roles. According to Fulton, Jake’s narration tends to depict Brett through a lens of both fascination and moral judgment, often emphasizing her promiscuity and emotional volatility. However, Fulton argues that this portrayal might overshadow her vulnerabilities and the societal pressures she faces as a woman in the 1920s. For instance, Brett's repeated romantic involvements and impulsive actions are not merely acts of irresponsibility but also responses to her desire for love and stability in a fractured world (Fulton, 61-80).
Furthermore, Brett’s culpability in the novel’s conflicts is often exaggerated in common interpretations. While she does contribute to the romantic entanglements and misunderstandings, Fulton notes that her behavior is also shaped by her circumstances—losing her fiancé, her independence, and her societal acceptance. For example, her affair with Romero and her inability to commit stem from her inner conflict and societal limitations rather than malicious intent. Her longing for companionship and love is a universal human desire, yet she is frequently scapegoated for the resulting chaos (Fulton).
Critics like Fulton challenge readers to reconsider Brett not as solely responsible for the novel’s troubles but as a victim of her environment who seeks fulfillment in a constrained and often dismissive society. Her actions, while disruptive, highlight her resilience and desire for genuine relationships rather than mere caprice.
In conclusion, Brett Ashley’s character is more sympathetic once the societal and personal contexts are considered. She shouldn’t be primarily blamed for the troubles in the novel; instead, she deserves understanding as a multi-dimensional figure confronting her personal and social struggles. Hemingway’s portrayal, enhanced by Fulton’s analysis, invites a reevaluation of Brett’s character from a one-dimensional seductress to a figure of emotional depth and resilience.
References
- Fulton, Lorie Watkins. "Reading Around Jake's Narration: Brett Ashley and The Sun Also Rises." Hemingway Review, vol. 24, 2014, pp. 61-80.
- Hemingway, Ernest. The Sun Also Rises. Scribner, 1926.