The Sun Also Betrays

The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway follows the life of Jake Barnes and his friends living in Paris. Throughout the novel he performs actions while remaining truthful to himself and his friends, but his friends and especially himself commit acts of betrayal during the novel. Betrayal in my opinion is the most powerful driving force in the novel because it creates the most tension, and is disruptive to the chemistry of Jake’s friend group the most through Brett’s betrayal of Jake, and Jake’s betrayal of Cohn and Montoya.

Throughout the novel Jake and Brett switch between being lovers, and close friends. In chapter eight Jake says, “I did not see Brett again until she came back from San Sebastian.”,  and also says, “Nor did I see Robert Cohn again.” (Hemingway, 75) Jake concludes that Brett and Cohn have gone off together to San Sebastian, this is upsetting to him and he feels betrayed. He is still in love with Brett at this point in the novel, and is saddened by the relationship forming between Brett and Cohn, feeling as though he is losing her. When Jake goes to Pamplona, Spain with his friend Bill to see the bullfights there and to join in the celebration of the fiesta surrounding it, Cohn comes along for the trip as well. Also, Brett and Mike have decided to meet the three men in Pamplona a day or two later. Cohn has since developed an unreasonable attraction for Brett, and wants to be with her all the time. After the first leg of the journey to Pamplona Cohn decides to wait for Brett and Mike. This action later creates tension between the group when Mike becomes drunk and explains to Cohn that he is a laughing stock, and that Brett has been with better men that Cohn. This confrontation is not the only way that betrayal affects Jake’s friends.

While Jake is in Pamplona for the bullfights, he stays at a hotel, The Hotel Montoya, of which Jake knows the owner. Montoya is a good friend to Jake, and enjoys Jake’s company because he believes that Jake has “aficion” and that he is an “aficionado” when it comes to the bullfights. Before the bullfights begin, Jake has the incredible opportunity to meet Pedro Romero, the newest and youngest bullfighter for the upcoming festival, because of Montoya’s pride in Jake’s “aficion”. The introduction to Romero however becomes a curse when, after the bullfights, Brett become in love with Romero. Brett says, “I’m a goner. I’m mad about the Romero boy. I’m in love with him I think?”(Hemingway, 187) Since Jake is now such a close friend of both Brett and Romero, he decides to do Brett a huge favor and introduce Romero to her. Brett and Romero then fall in love and Jake’s actions end up betraying Montoya.

Later on after the fiesta ends Jake has lunch with Bill, “Montoya did not come near us.” (Hemingway, 232) Montoya doesn’t interact with Jake because he has ruined a young and talented bullfighter by introducing him to Brett. Montoya wanted Romero to remain an innocent fighter that would focus on the bullfights and not on things unrelated to “aficion”. Jake has betrayed Montoya by introducing Romero to Brett and making him impure. Jake has also betrayed Mike by introducing Romero to Brett because Mike was planning on marrying Brett, and now his chances are ruined.

Finally, at the end of the novel Jake is beckoned back to Spain by Brett, who is in apparent need of help and says she is in trouble. Jake goes to Spain finding that Brett is incredibly shaken up because she has broken up with Romero. Romero and Brett were deeply in love, but Romero’s friends said that Brett’s hair was not feminine because it was short. In the end Brett kicks Romero out and is on her own. Brett betrays Jake by treating him as a back up, after breaking up with her first choice.

Brett and Jake are riding in a car holding each other, and Brett says “Oh, Jake, we could have had such a damned good time together.” Jake has loved Brett throughout the novel, and hasn’t been able to act on it because of his injury from the war. He responds, “Yes. Isn’t it pretty to think so?”(Hemingway, 250) When Jake asks this question he betrays himself because he has loved Brett throughout the whole novel and now at the end of the novel he has given up on a relationship with Brett by sarcastically talking about a relationship between them.

Cohn, Jake, and Brett commit acts of betrayal throughout the novel, as well as betraying each other in the process. Cohn betrays Jake by following Brett wherever she goes. Jake Betrays Mike and Montoya by introducing Romero to Brett. Brett betrays Jake by using him as a backup, and more importantly Jake finally betrays himself as the end of the novel by giving up on a relationship with Brett.