Trying to Sleep: Jake's Shift from Paris to Spain
The Sun Also Rises is a novel about the complexities of love, relationships, and identity in a post-WWI world. Most of the characters are expatriates, and the book describes their lives and stories as they take place in different settings. The first part of the book takes place in Paris as we are introduced to Jake Barnes, the main character, and the tangled relationship he has with Brett Ashley. Hemingway brings us into 1920s Parisian society as his characters pass through bars, cafés, and clubs in quick succession. Later in the book Jake and Brett's friends decide to take a trip to Spain. Jake and Bill have the chance to go fishing on their own, away from Brett, Mike, and Cohn. During this small period in the book we notice a significant change in Jake's attitude and narration style. Compared with the intense, bustling, emotionally-charged scene of Paris, Jake is calm, relaxed, and satisfied. Two contrasting scenes stick out as examples of this effect. In the beginning of ...