Lady Brett and Her Sons: Characters' Family Roles in The Sun Also Rises

A panel presentation this week has brought up the idea of Brett as a motherly figure in Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises. This raised up quite the discussion in class, and I would like to build off of these ideas by bringing to the table my own ideas of the familial relationships they have within the group, if the characters of this novel were seen as a family.

The first character of the family that I will focus on, of course, is the mother, Lady Brett Ashley. As most of the plot is revolved around her and her decisions, the male characters are naturally drawn towards her, and most of them long for her attention. She has a maternal leadership aspect, where the boys follow her and will accept/tend to whatever she pleases to do. Brett also comforts like a maternal figure, as shown in the scene when Jake is lying face down on the bed when he is upset about not being able to be with Brett. On page 62, Brett strokes his head and calls him “poor old darling”. This scene highlights Brett's ability to console and uphold her 'children', the male characters in this novel.

Here is the brother line up!

Cohn: I see Robert Cohn as the neediest brother of all. He seems younger than the rest in the respect that he is so attention-seeking from Brett and expects her to give him undivided attention. Therefore, since he continues to ask for this individualized treatment from Brett, her maternal side seems to get annoyed easier with him and she wants to push him over to the side to give more time to her other “children”.

Mike: Mike seems like one of the older brothers who everyone enjoys spending time with but has his very noticeable drawbacks. He has a very quick temper, and whenever he drinks a bit too much that irritable side of him shines through. However, he has great jokes and punchlines that makes the tension in the air somewhat retract, so the rest of the family likes having him around. As for his relationship with Brett, he is trying to learn to not depend on his her so much, but is continuously pulled back to her, searching for her approval of him.

Bill: Bill to me is definitely like the oldest brother who needs the least amount of care/nurturing from Brett. With that said, he often looks out for the rest of the boys - his little brothers - as he watches and becomes the mediator for many of their petty quarrels.

Romero: The little brother of the family. He seems to put up a sort of stoic front when under pressure, but even when disregarding his younger age, he seems to be a bit more childlike and rebellious than his older brothers with his bullfighting but also his relationship with Brett. Brett can be seen as maternally fond of him for being the talented kid and also the pretty boy in the family, but when she sees that this child of hers is not happy with the person that she is, she loses quite a bit of fondness for him. Mothers get upset when you tell them you don’t like them for who they are, even if you have some favoritism.

Jake: Lastly, arguably the most important “child” of Brett’s is Jake. Brett knows about Jake’s injury, and she has not only unconditional love for him, but a sense of sympathy and understanding for him. She sees Jake as the reliable one that she can always trust and come back to when she has lost all hope with her other “children”. He’s quite clearly her favorite, and he also does what mom wants - like when he dropped everything, including pre-made plans, to save Brett from her ‘troubles’ in Madrid. With his undying dedication and devotion in Brett as well as her continuing to care for him since his injury, it is undeniable that Jake is Brett’s golden child in her chaotic and dysfunctional, yet wholesome family.