Motivation

The motivation in the novel is clearly love. That seems to be Brett's reason for existence, or so she thinks, and it surrounds her and many of the men in the book. First, she loves Jake. They have their past, but she's tried to move on. So then there's Mike. She says she loves him, and they plan to get married after she is divorced from her current husband. Then Cohn comes along. Brett and Cohn have a little "fling" in San Sebastian which means nothing to her and everything to him. And then he knocks out half of their "friends" because he wants to be with her. And finally, Romero. On page 220, Jake narrates "...he [Romero] loved Brett. Everything of which he could control the locality he did in front of her all that afternoon." He wanted to show off for her and prove his love/worth to her. All of this begs the question "Does Brett really love anyone?" But I suppose that as long as the men think they're in love, it's all the same to her.

Chaspter 18, But Less Angry

The one cool thing about chapter 18 is that the reader gets a lot of information about Spanish bull-fighting. I really like that all the facts and traditions were mentioned. The Spanish words like "muletas" on page 215 make the reader feel like they have an understanding of what's going on with the bull-fight. Also, the description of Romero's movements really helps the reader envision what's happening in the bull-ring. This also contributes to Romero's characterization. I think in this case it would be direct characterization. Hemingway tells the reader outright that Romero seems determined and focused. He has his eye on the prize, and he's not giving up until he gets what he wants and gives the crowd what they want.

Chapter 18

Okay so this chapter has me really confused. Why did Brett leave with Romero when she's supposed to marry Mike? Did I miss the break-up, or did she just decide to leave? Her relationship issues really bug me a lot. Why can't she just stay with one guy? She doesn't have to be with every man on the face of the earth to be happy, and she doesn't seem to understand that all it's doing is making her life worse. She complains about her life with "British aristocracy" on page 207, but she's just blaming them for her own problems. It really becomes apparent in chapter 18 that she needs to take responsibility for herself. Sure, Romero might love her, but she probably doesn't love him. She might pretend to, but she doesn't. Chapter 18: definitely annoying.