Illustration of a bull and a bullfighter

The Sun Also Rises

by Ernest Hemingway

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Topics for Discussion

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1. Discuss Brett's interactions with Jake, Mike Campbell, Robert Cohn, and Pedro Romero. Do you believe she mistreats men?

2. Robert Cohn, a former college boxing champion, assaults Romero when he discovers him with Brett. How does Brett feel about Cohn after this incident? What are her feelings towards Romero, and why does she choose to end her romantic involvement with him?
3. Hemingway views bullfighting as a form of religious experience. Why does he think this way? What are some of the parallels between religious ceremonies and bullfighting rituals?

4. Contrast Hemingway's depictions of Paris, the Basque countryside, and Pamplona. How do these varied landscapes mirror the characters' behaviors and emotions?

5. At the novel's conclusion, Jake and Brett tour Madrid from a taxi. How does this scene reflect their relationship? What does it imply about the future of their generation?

6. Jake consumes a significant amount of alcohol. Examine how alcohol acts as both a destructive force and an escape from reality, as well as a means of connecting with nature. Consider the final two pages of the novel in your analysis.

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