Does Jake Prefer Spain over France?
In The
Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway, Jake Barnes spends part of the book in
France and part in Spain. The narration style in these sections is different,
as well as Jake’s overall mood. In France, we see Jake have trouble falling
asleep. He stays awake thinking about his war wound and the Catholic Church
then he starts to think about Brett. He begins to cry and after that he stays
awake even longer and just “listened to the heavy trams go by”. This
sleeplessness is different in Spain where he falls asleep much easier. We get
only two sentences of him falling asleep early in his visit, which contrasts
with the page and a half of him trying to sleep in France. Earlier, he had
cried himself to sleep but now that he was in Spain it “felt good to be warm
and in bed.”
We also get different levels of
description of Jake’s surroundings in France and Spain. In France we don’t get
much description, most of the details we get are Jake quickly describing his
surroundings while going somewhere, like in a taxi ride. When Jake is in Spain
he describes every sensation and view in detail. They’re mostly positive
descriptions, for example when they were in Bayonne and Jake talks about how
hot it is. Instead of the warmth being a negative thing he says, “It was hot,
but the town had a cool, fresh, early-morning smell and it was pleasant sitting
in the café.” As he moves around Spain the descriptions can go on for
paragraphs at a time and stay extremely detailed and positive.
In Book III, Jake thinks about how it is
so much easier to make people happy in France than Spain because in France
everything is on such a “clear financial basis”. He compliments France by
saying that no one becomes your friend for any unclear purpose. Jake says that
life is much simpler in France than in Spain, and even acknowledges that it is silly
for him to return to Spain because of this simplicity. Yet, he goes back to San
Sebastian. Once we are back in Spain the descriptions immediately make it seem
to be the most perfect place in the world. He describes San Sebastian by saying
that it always feels like the early-morning and he says “it is always cool and
shady on certain streets on the hottest day.” He is happy to be in Spain and
has a very relaxing time swimming and meeting new people. When Brett calls Jake
away from San Sebastian he says, “Well, that meant San Sebastian was shot to
hell.” Because of this short statement of disappointment, we can tell that he
was enjoying his time there, and at least a little upset to leave.
Overall, Jake seems to be happier and
more relaxed in Spain. He rests easier and is surrounded by a beautiful
landscape and down-to-earth community. Since he is separate from all his
problems back in France, he is able to unwind in Spain and really enjoy himself
and the experiences he has there.
I liked this post – it was a great sum-up of the things we talked about in class. I think this difference in perception of the two different countries is a nod to romanticism and pastoralism. Although Hemingway doesn’t seem to be a pastoral author (he uses very little description, modern language, and doesn’t have a fluffy light tone), I think this contrast of Spain vs France really shows his pastoral streak. It definitely seems like the simple, happy, rural farmers of Spain make Jake much happier than anyone he ever encounters in urban, modern Paris.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post! I really like how you compare the two places and how not only Jake's mood changes , but also Hemingway's writing style reflects this change in mood. I think Jake deep down enjoys the life that he lives while in Spain, but I'm not so sure if he truly realizes this. He does complain about Spain and talk about the things he likes better in France, but when he is actually in Spain his life seems a lot lighter and relaxed which contributes to his positive mood.
ReplyDeleteNice post! I think one reason Jake has such positive descriptions of Spain is because during the times when he is describing the country or what a good time he is having Mike, Cohn, and Brett aren't with him. When he is with Bill fishing in the Spanish countryside, he can just relax and really open up to Bill. However, one Mike, Cohn, and Brett come, Paris pretty much comes to Spain and it appears that Jake is not having as much fun anymore. So in some ways I think that the people who Jake is with have a pretty major effect on how stressed he is and whether he's having a good time or not.
ReplyDeleteJake really does seem much more comfortable in Spain than in Paris. As you say, Jake seems to get drunk to get through the day in Paris, mostly perhaps to keep Brett’s constant wandering off his mind. He is hurt by her behavior, but does not speak up, realizing that his physical shortcoming is coming in the way of building a future with Brett. I think part of the reason he is able to relax is because the group of friends he hangs out with in Paris and their dynamic do not surround him in Spain, giving him the much needed solitude and restful sleep. So I would say it is a combination of the landscape and absence of worries (especially Brett and Cohn?) that helps him enjoy his stay in Spain.
ReplyDeleteVery nice post! I think it was a great overview of how Jake is depicted in the two countries. A point you brought up was about how Jake talks about friends in Spain and friends in France. I took this statement cynically when I was reading, interpreting that Jake was criticizing France for it's materialism. In France, you find friends who can benefit you and you like people who pay you more money. In Spain, I thought, Jake found an amiable and open, dare I even say pure and idealistic, environment that he wasn't used to in France. I saw Jake's analysis of how people interact in France and Spain to be something that Jake enjoyed about Spain, and fit into the idea that you talked about that Jake is much more comfortable and happy in Spain than he is in France.
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