A common flaw for most of the characters in The Sun Also Rises is the inability to openly discuss their emotions or address the critical issues ruining their relationships amongst themselves. This lack of open communication leads to several major conflicts throughout the book. It also highlights several other character flaws as they dance around the issues they have no desire to discuss (Hemingway). Hemingway uses themes such as social norms, personal insecurities, and emotional transference to put the characters’ communication flaws on display. He also uses several symbols as communication enablers of varying effectiveness. Near the end of the book, he finally shows the value of open communication and emotional honesty.
The most obvious limiting …show more content…
Many of the characters see things in Cohn that they hate about themselves. This unhealthy method of coping with their problems, serves as means to understand their own insecurities. A prime example is the scene in which Jake snidely comments about how Cohn was dominated by his first wife and later by Frances, yet his relationship with Brett is incredibly similar. Jake is frequently bending over backwards, to meet Brett’s wishes even when they are directly opposed by his own. Another example is how Jake mocks Cohn’s naïve set of morals but this is only because of Jake’s anxiety over his own immorality. This transference is not exclusive to Jake; Mike’s abuse of Cohn is result of his own insecurities about Brett. Additionally, Brett’s disgust with Cohn’s affection is more about how she feels about Jake, because Cohn mirrors Jake’s unrequited love …show more content…
The most frequent and in some ways the least effective of these social lubricants is alcohol. During the chaps’ periods of inebriation, some layers of stigma appear to be shed, though the oppressive forces of machismo and transference are present. This is made apparent when Mike drunkenly mocks Cohn; being intoxicated emboldened Mike to address something that was bothering him but not directly or effectively (Hemingway). His verbal attack on Cohn masked his true anxiety over both Brett’s frequent promiscuity and her newfound fascination with
The most obvious limiting …show more content…
Many of the characters see things in Cohn that they hate about themselves. This unhealthy method of coping with their problems, serves as means to understand their own insecurities. A prime example is the scene in which Jake snidely comments about how Cohn was dominated by his first wife and later by Frances, yet his relationship with Brett is incredibly similar. Jake is frequently bending over backwards, to meet Brett’s wishes even when they are directly opposed by his own. Another example is how Jake mocks Cohn’s naïve set of morals but this is only because of Jake’s anxiety over his own immorality. This transference is not exclusive to Jake; Mike’s abuse of Cohn is result of his own insecurities about Brett. Additionally, Brett’s disgust with Cohn’s affection is more about how she feels about Jake, because Cohn mirrors Jake’s unrequited love …show more content…
The most frequent and in some ways the least effective of these social lubricants is alcohol. During the chaps’ periods of inebriation, some layers of stigma appear to be shed, though the oppressive forces of machismo and transference are present. This is made apparent when Mike drunkenly mocks Cohn; being intoxicated emboldened Mike to address something that was bothering him but not directly or effectively (Hemingway). His verbal attack on Cohn masked his true anxiety over both Brett’s frequent promiscuity and her newfound fascination with