A Short Review of Ernest Hemingway's 'Fiesta'
Plot and Character Analysis in ‘The Sun Also Rises’
Dec 2, 2008
The story gets underway when Jake Barnes, the narrator of the story, is visited by his friend Robert Cohn who tries to persuade him to go to South America with him.
That night, Jake meets another friend of his, Lady Brett Ashley whom he is in love with. Brett implies that she has feelings for Jake, but she also states that she is not prepared to give up sex and so will not commit to him.
Jake and Brett
Jake was injured in world war one and is impotent. It is suggested that his impotence is what prevents him from having a relationship with Brett.
Lady Brett, as becomes clear as the story progresses, is a heavy-drinking socialite who has numerous affairs but refuses to commit to any of the men that are infatuated with her.
Cohn’s Infatuation
The next day while having lunch with Robert, Jake discovers that Robert is attracted to Brett: Jake tells Robert that Brett intends to marry Mike Campbell, which angers him immensely. Brett, soon after, announces that she is leaving for Spain in order to be apart from Jake.
A few weeks later, Jake is in Paris when he runs into Brett, who reveals that she spent time with Robert, despite being engaged to Mike
Pamplona and the Bullfights
All of the friends agree to meet in Pamplona for the bullfights but Brett and Mike do not show up. Bill Gorton and Jake leave to go fishing in a local village but Robert waits for Brett. Several days later, Brett and Mike finally arrive and the whole group are together.
The Fiesta
Once the fiesta begins the entire town is consumed by alcohol and dancing: Brett is mesmerised by one of the bullfighters, Pedro Romero. Meanwhile, Mike and Robert nearly come to blows over Robert’s infatuation with Brett and Brett persuades Jake to introduce her to Pedro, with whom she has fallen in love.
Later on, Mike and Jake are attacked by Robert. The following day the group discover that Robert also attacked Pedro because he had been with Brett.
After the final bullfight, in which Pedro kills the bull, he leaves for Madrid with Brett. Robert has already left, so Jake, Bill and Mike remain but go their separate ways. Jake surprisingly receives a telegram from Brett who has split with Pedro and wants to go back to Mike. The story ends when Brett makes a comment that she and Jake could have been happy together.
References:
Sparknotes - Ernest Hemingway, ‘The Sun Also Rises’ New York: Spark Publishing
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