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Characters
Come here when you need to sort out who matters, what they want, and where they actually help your argument in The Sun Also Rises.
Contents
Character map
The narrator and protagonist. Jake is intelligent, self-aware, and emotionally restrained to the point of paralysis. His war wound makes a physical relationship with Brett impossible, which is the source of his quiet suffering throughout the novel. He enables Brett repeatedly, even when it costs him, because he cannot stop loving her.
The novel's central female figure and the object of desire for most of the male characters. Brett is twice divorced, drinks heavily, and moves from man to man without finding satisfaction. She is not simply a villain. She is also trapped, unable to commit to Jake and unable to find anyone else who matches him. Her decision to send Romero away is her one genuinely selfless act.
A Jewish-American writer and former boxer who is hopelessly romantic and socially tone-deaf. Cohn had a brief affair with Brett and cannot accept that it meant nothing to her. His jealousy and sentimentality make him the group's punching bag, and his attack on Romero is the novel's most explosive scene. He represents the romantic illusions the other characters have abandoned.
A nineteen-year-old Spanish bullfighter who is exceptionally skilled and completely self-possessed. Romero contrasts sharply with every other character in the novel. He does his work with craft and dignity, without cynicism or performance. Brett's affair with him and her decision to end it form the novel's moral climax.
Brett's fiancé, a Scottish veteran who is charming, broke, and bitter. Mike drinks constantly and directs most of his cruelty at Cohn, mocking him openly for his obsession with Brett. He is aware of his own failures but makes no effort to change them. He represents the self-destructive side of the Lost Generation without any of Jake's self-awareness.
Jake's American friend and fishing companion. Bill is the novel's most relaxed and genuinely funny character. He and Jake have an easy friendship that provides some of the book's warmest moments, especially during the fishing trip. He functions as a contrast to the emotional wreckage around him, though he is also a heavy drinker who is not entirely untouched by the era's damage.
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This guide is built from the original text to help you get oriented fast. It is designed for recall, paper planning, and getting unstuck, but it is still a paraphrased guide, not a substitute for the reading itself. Double-check anything important before you turn in formal work.
