Morals and Morality
Reflecting on his friends, particularly Robert Cohn, who has become a significant nuisance, Jake contemplates his moral principles: “That was morality; things that made you disgusted afterward. No, that must be immorality.” Jake is primarily concerned with his own interests and, to a lesser extent, Brett’s. Cohn had the good fortune to spend a holiday with Brett, but he isn’t perceptive enough to realize it was meaningless. Since Cohn cannot adopt the group’s moral code, he becomes a target for their ridicule. Although this bothers Jake, he is more repelled by his own breach of the aficionado code when he arranges for Brett to meet Romero. This act strains his relationships with Montoya and Cohn. Respect is betrayed and lost. The visible trash at the end of the fiesta only heightens his self-loathing. Instead of achieving a moment of clarity, Jake decides to refine his own code of conduct, which revolves around a tough, self-centered attitude.

Brett is adrift throughout the novel. She is disgusted with herself and those around her, particularly Jake—through no fault of his own. The only time she acts morally is when she decides to leave Romero. Throughout the story, Brett defies traditional morality by engaging in brief, meaningless affairs. Due to her self-centeredness and unhappiness, she is unable to halt this self-destructive behavior and often remains passive. These affairs are her way of escaping her unsatisfactory relationship with Jake, whom she truly loves but with whom she cannot physically consummate their relationship.

Meaning of Life
The theme of life’s meaning shifts from questioning its essence, “what it was all about,” to its existence, “how to live in it.” This shift occurs because the main characters cannot transcend their mediocrity. They must reject the heroic life as unattainable for themselves. “Nobody ever lives their life all the way up except bullfighters.” Cohn responds, “I am not interested in bullfighters. That’s an abnormal life.” Cohn’s idea of life is romantic—seeking literary fame and adventure with a titled, beautiful mistress. However, the group despises Cohn’s ideals, and Brett ultimately concludes that he is “not one of us.” Instead, the key to life lies in the ability to wisely utilize one’s financial resources. This can manifest in various ways, but only Jake, the Count, and to some extent Bill Gorton, manage to do this. Brett, and especially Mike Campbell (who is perpetually an “undischarged bankrupt”), will never find happiness, even if they become wealthy, because they lack the ability to use money wisely.

Bill values both exchange and utility. When he first appears in the story, he wants to buy Jake a stuffed dog, saying, “Simple exchange of values. You give them money. They give you a stuffed dog.” Bill believes in using money to create memorable moments and to display one's social status. His motto is “Never be daunted.” Opportunities for enjoyment, such as visiting a pub or buying a bottle, should be seized to their fullest extent.

On the other hand, Jake is developing a more nuanced perspective, meticulously tracking his expenses to distract himself from his primary issue of impotence. He states, “I paid my way into things that I liked, so that I had a good time. Either you paid by learning about them or by experience, or by taking chances, or by money. Enjoying living was learning to get your money’s worth and knowing when you had it. You could get your money’s worth. The world was a good place to buy in.” He then notes that his view might change in five years. Essentially, “the lost generation” can find pleasure through prudent spending (even if they aren't wealthy) until a sense of normalcy is restored and the war is behind them. A potential future philosophy is suggested when Jake reads Turgeniev and feels he will remember the content as if it were his own experience. Turgeniev writes authentically about life in a way Hemingway concurs with. “That was another good thing you paid for and then had.” Here, the payment is the effort of reading literature, which can help one recover from the war.