Silly Billy

Ok of every character in the book Bill is my favorite. WE know he has some problems because he drinks so much in Vienna that he can't remember what he did for four days but he still has a good sense of humor and doesn't react badly to some things that the other characters do. Bill is different from Jake because he does not avoid problems but has a humorous way to deal with them. on page 116 Bill says my favorite line of the whole book; "Listen. You're a hell of a good guy and I'm fonder of you than anybody on earth. I couldn't tell you that in New York. It'd mean I was a faggot. That was what the civil war was about. Abraham Lincoln was a faggot. He was in love with General Gant. So was Jefferson Davis. Lincoln just freed the slaves on a bet. The Dred Scott case was framed by the Anti-Saloon League. Sex explains it all. The Colonel's Lady and Judy O'Grady are lesbians under their skin." Not only is this quote funny but it really is what this book is about. The first part is Bills indirect way of making it known he is not gay because many veterans had masculinity issues after the war. then he goes on to discuss who loves who as the book does with Brett, and ends with saying sex explains everything. And yeah sex explains this whole book about why Brett can't be with Jake.

Allusion

-reference to someone or something that is known from history, literature, religion, politics, sports, science, or another branch of culture. An indirect reference to something- Through out the story it is made known that Bill, Jake, and mike fought in WWI. They struggle with the common struggles of veterans of WWI. for example they find their lives to be mundane and have little purpose. they have become alcholics and drink away their problems and memories of the war. All of these characters make brief references to the war and it is because of the war that Jake was injured and Brett will not be with him. The war is a huge under-lying factor on the characteristics of these people and how the story unfold.

Drinking

Drinking is a common aspect of the characters every day lives. They are almost always drunk. they may be sitting at a bar and they discuss where they are going to go to drink next. The type of drink and the level of drunkenness of each character is often described. Furthermore, each characters drinking level influences the things that they can get away with. For instance, at one point mike is insulting Robert for following Brett around like a puppy and the others make ex cusses for him saying he is "tight" or drunk and can not control what he says. Later we find out that Mike says he really wasn't as drunk as it seemed. Mike is not the only one who makes excuses because he is drunk all the other characters do also. each character has issues and tries to drink away the pain. This is amajor theme through out the book.

Oxymoron

In the last few chapters of the book Hemingway uses oxymorons. I think this may be done to demon straight how after all that has happened the characters are still confused. This confusion is present in speech mind and action. Brett is still tormenting Jake and all of Jake's friends have gone away. These Oxymorons are on pages 226 When bill says the fiesta has been a wonderful nightmare and on page 221 when it is said that Romero has "only Perfect" bull fighting skills. This last oxymoron could also be used as an understatement because it is obvious that Romero has excellent bull fighting skills.

Situational Irony

-Takes place when there is a discrepancy between what is expected to happen, or what would be appropriate to happen when what really does happen.- Through out the book it is made clear that Jake loves Brett and she "supposedly" loves him in return. However Jake and Brett are not together as a couple. Brett has intentions to marry some one else and she has flings with many other men. Something that I also find to be extremely Ironic is that Brett has Jake set her up with other men. For example Brett asks Jake to set her up with the Bull Fighter Romero. This shows the extent of how Jake is being used.

I HATE BRETT

You know a book is pretty good if you can be angry at the characters. But I don't see how some one couldn't be angry at Brett. Not only does she know that Jake loves her and she sleeps with his friends but she also asks him to set her up with the bull-fighter boy. She is emotionally dependant on Jake telling him how upset she is and turning to him for help, yet she knows that he is also emotionally troubled because he loves her and she says she loves him. Brett can't give up sex to be with the man she loves and she teases him constantly making his life miserable. there is just something wrong with that.

The Healing of Nature

The author makes a point of making the characters have mundane and ordinary lives. However, when Bill arrives he and Jake decide to go to Spain for a fishing trip. In these chapters the scenery is described in detail as being peace full and beautiful. This literary device allows the reader to see the healing power nature has on the character. While doing some research I discovered that Hemingway was an avid hunter and outdoors-man. HE truly believed that nature was the way to peace and healing. For example both bill and Jake are stressed with their mundane lives and in the their search for a purpose. they are also dealing with the after-effects of WWI yet when they are fishing in Spain they feel at ease and can discuss life with each other more easily.