Would The Sun Also Rises just be one repetitive book without meaning and purpose if it wasn’t for Pedro Romero? In the post-WWI world, Jake Barnes and his friends travelled around Europe trying to find themselves. Every year, Jake would go to Pamplona, Spain to watch the running of the bulls and the bullfights. Pedro, a young matador in Pamplona, is an important character in this text because he contrasts with Jake and his friends in that he is more masculine and heroic, has a sense of honesty and certainty in his life, and his life has meaning and purpose.
Romero is far more masculine and heroic than Jake and his friends. Although Romero may have a more feminine appearance than Jake does, Romero has commandingly confronted death as a man …show more content…
His passion for bullfighting gives his life meaning and purpose. Robert Cohn is always just there, following Brett around and not saying anything. He doesn’t seem to have a purpose of or meaning to his life. Mike repeatedly compares Cohn to a steer because all he does is follow Brett around uninvited and he does not talk nor does he contribute to the group of ‘bulls’ what so ever. Mike asked Robert: “Why don’t you say something, Robert? Don’t sit there looking like a bloody funeral…. Why do you follow Brett around like a poor bloody steer? Don’t you know you’re not wanted” (146)? In the beginning of the book, Robert asks Jake is he “ever get[s] the feeling that all your life is going by and you’re not taking advantage of it? Do you realize you’ve lived nearly half the time you have to live already” (19)? Jake is also having trouble with his post-war self. He said that “It is awfully easy to be hard-boiled about everything in the daytime, but at night it is another thing” (42). During the day, Jake puts on a performance that everything is fine, but at night it hits him that he really is struggling to find his purpose for life. In contrast to Robert and Jake, Pedro has his whole life figured out. Pedro’s life is so perfect that Montoya protects him from anything other than Spanish people and culture. Montoya said that “he’s such a fine boy he ought to stay with his own people. He shouldn’t mix with that stuff” (176). Pedro is the great hope of the novel and the only character with a meaning and purpose to his
Romero is far more masculine and heroic than Jake and his friends. Although Romero may have a more feminine appearance than Jake does, Romero has commandingly confronted death as a man …show more content…
His passion for bullfighting gives his life meaning and purpose. Robert Cohn is always just there, following Brett around and not saying anything. He doesn’t seem to have a purpose of or meaning to his life. Mike repeatedly compares Cohn to a steer because all he does is follow Brett around uninvited and he does not talk nor does he contribute to the group of ‘bulls’ what so ever. Mike asked Robert: “Why don’t you say something, Robert? Don’t sit there looking like a bloody funeral…. Why do you follow Brett around like a poor bloody steer? Don’t you know you’re not wanted” (146)? In the beginning of the book, Robert asks Jake is he “ever get[s] the feeling that all your life is going by and you’re not taking advantage of it? Do you realize you’ve lived nearly half the time you have to live already” (19)? Jake is also having trouble with his post-war self. He said that “It is awfully easy to be hard-boiled about everything in the daytime, but at night it is another thing” (42). During the day, Jake puts on a performance that everything is fine, but at night it hits him that he really is struggling to find his purpose for life. In contrast to Robert and Jake, Pedro has his whole life figured out. Pedro’s life is so perfect that Montoya protects him from anything other than Spanish people and culture. Montoya said that “he’s such a fine boy he ought to stay with his own people. He shouldn’t mix with that stuff” (176). Pedro is the great hope of the novel and the only character with a meaning and purpose to his