The Sun Also Rises Quotes
"'You're not a bad type,' she said. 'It's a shame you're sick. We get on well. What's the matter with you, anyway?'
'I got hurt in the war,' I said.
'Oh, that dirty war.'
We probably would have gone on and discussed the war and agreed that it was in reality a calamity for civilization, and perhaps would have been better avoided. I was bored enough." (Chapter 3)
A conversation between Jake and Georgette that introduces Jake's injury and how the war has affected him. Despite suffering an injury that will impact the rest of his life, Jake thinks about the war in a detached way, displaying how it has affected his emotional as well as physical well-being.
"'Will those last ones fight as well as the first?' Robert Cohn asked. 'They seemed to quiet down awfully fast.'
'They all know each other,' I said. 'They're only dangerous when they're alone, or only two or three of them together.'
'What do you mean, dangerous?' Bill said. 'They all looked dangerous to me.'
'They only want to kill when they're alone. Of course, if you went in there you'd probably detach one of them from the herd and he'd be dangerous.'" (Chapter 13)
This discussion occurs after the group watch the bulls be unloaded for the fiesta, and notice that they are less aggressive towards one another in a larger herd. This behaviour mirrors the social relationships between the travelling group, who frequently cycle through friendly and aggressive demeanours towards each other.
"It was like certain dinners I remember from the war. There was much wine, an ignored tension, and a feeling of things coming that you could not prevent happening. Under the wine I lost the disgusted feeling, and was happy. It seemed they were all such nice people." (Chapter 13)
One of the few direct references about Jake's experience during the war, this quote serves to illustrate how the characters' current interactions have been shaped by the war. It also shows the fickle nature of friendships between the group, as Jake can go from feeling disgusted to happy in a short period of time.
"Women made such swell friends. Awfully swell. In the first place, you had to be in love with a woman to have a basis of friendship. I had been having Brett for a friend. I had not been thinking about her side of it. I had been getting something for nothing. That only delayed the presentation of the bill. The bill always came. That was one of the swell things you could count on." (Chapter 14)
This quote reveals Jake's complicated feelings towards his love for and friendship with Brett. Jake finds it difficult to see Brett with other men, but recognizes that since he is unable to consummate their relationship, he has been getting "something for nothing", and is ultimately understanding rather than angry.
"'A big horn wound. All for fun. Just for fun. What do you think of that?'
'I don't know.'
'That's it. All for fun. Fun, you understand.'
'You're not an aficionado?'
'Me? What are bulls? Animals. Brute animals.'"
An exchange between Jake and a waiter after a man is gored to death by one of the bulls, this quote delivers an alternate opinion of the bull fighting that Jake is so passionate about, and can also be read in regards to Jake and his friends behaving like brute animals who tear each other apart in the name of masculine pride.
"That seemed to handle it. That was it. Send a girl off with one man. Introduce her to another to go off with him. Now go and bring her back. And sign the wire with love. That was it all right. I went in to lunch." (Chapter 19)
In the novel's last chapter, this quote reveals a change in Jake's attitude toward his relationship with Brett. While he still cares for her and comes to her aid, he is recognizing that this is another pattern of events in which he and Brett never end up together, and coming to accept this.
'I got hurt in the war,' I said.
'Oh, that dirty war.'
We probably would have gone on and discussed the war and agreed that it was in reality a calamity for civilization, and perhaps would have been better avoided. I was bored enough." (Chapter 3)
A conversation between Jake and Georgette that introduces Jake's injury and how the war has affected him. Despite suffering an injury that will impact the rest of his life, Jake thinks about the war in a detached way, displaying how it has affected his emotional as well as physical well-being.
"'Will those last ones fight as well as the first?' Robert Cohn asked. 'They seemed to quiet down awfully fast.'
'They all know each other,' I said. 'They're only dangerous when they're alone, or only two or three of them together.'
'What do you mean, dangerous?' Bill said. 'They all looked dangerous to me.'
'They only want to kill when they're alone. Of course, if you went in there you'd probably detach one of them from the herd and he'd be dangerous.'" (Chapter 13)
This discussion occurs after the group watch the bulls be unloaded for the fiesta, and notice that they are less aggressive towards one another in a larger herd. This behaviour mirrors the social relationships between the travelling group, who frequently cycle through friendly and aggressive demeanours towards each other.
"It was like certain dinners I remember from the war. There was much wine, an ignored tension, and a feeling of things coming that you could not prevent happening. Under the wine I lost the disgusted feeling, and was happy. It seemed they were all such nice people." (Chapter 13)
One of the few direct references about Jake's experience during the war, this quote serves to illustrate how the characters' current interactions have been shaped by the war. It also shows the fickle nature of friendships between the group, as Jake can go from feeling disgusted to happy in a short period of time.
"Women made such swell friends. Awfully swell. In the first place, you had to be in love with a woman to have a basis of friendship. I had been having Brett for a friend. I had not been thinking about her side of it. I had been getting something for nothing. That only delayed the presentation of the bill. The bill always came. That was one of the swell things you could count on." (Chapter 14)
This quote reveals Jake's complicated feelings towards his love for and friendship with Brett. Jake finds it difficult to see Brett with other men, but recognizes that since he is unable to consummate their relationship, he has been getting "something for nothing", and is ultimately understanding rather than angry.
"'A big horn wound. All for fun. Just for fun. What do you think of that?'
'I don't know.'
'That's it. All for fun. Fun, you understand.'
'You're not an aficionado?'
'Me? What are bulls? Animals. Brute animals.'"
An exchange between Jake and a waiter after a man is gored to death by one of the bulls, this quote delivers an alternate opinion of the bull fighting that Jake is so passionate about, and can also be read in regards to Jake and his friends behaving like brute animals who tear each other apart in the name of masculine pride.
"That seemed to handle it. That was it. Send a girl off with one man. Introduce her to another to go off with him. Now go and bring her back. And sign the wire with love. That was it all right. I went in to lunch." (Chapter 19)
In the novel's last chapter, this quote reveals a change in Jake's attitude toward his relationship with Brett. While he still cares for her and comes to her aid, he is recognizing that this is another pattern of events in which he and Brett never end up together, and coming to accept this.
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