Lady Brett Ashley Character Analysis

The Sun Also Rises, written by Ernest Hemingway, is a rich story stricken with conflict that reflects some of the problems faced by people of its time. Through the character Lady Brett Ashley, Hemingway shows the attempts made to hold onto the mood and essence of a pre-war idealism that was taken away from so many people by the realities of their trauma afflicted lives after World War 1. Lady Brett’s struggle is between a search for true love, which she had previously found, but then lost as the object of her affection died in the war, and independence, which she holds onto staunchly through her blatant lack of commitment and nearly constant affairs. She is a woman who deep down wants to fill the void left by her loss, but who is scared to do so, and thus, lives her life instinctively and unapologetically.
On the seemingly losing side of the conflict are Brett’s true inner feelings
Lady Brett’s independence is one of her many favorable …show more content…
Hemingway does his best to create characters that show many of the different moods at the time. Lady Brett Ashley is the character with the most complex and compelling inner conflict, even though she is not the protagonist and the story is not told from her perspective. This forces many hints and clues left by Hemingway to be analyzed closely. She is a character constantly shifting, while the other characters all have their set ways, Brett is more of a wildcard that can do whatever whenever, and that just has to be accepted. She is caught searching for what she can’t find, but not letting that stop her from trying out every option. Also though, she herself is a barrier to her own resolution as she is no longer able to make strong commitments. This reality was not only hers, but many others’ as they went through their lives trying to figure out what path to take, and how to properly adjust to their new and confusing