I sometimes feel I might be one of the few who actually don't hate Jake. While the character of Jake is undoubtedly racist and homophobic, I can't help but feel sympathy for him. I haven't been able to pinpoint whether Hemingway intended for us to feel this way towards the protagonist, but there's something raw and heartbreaking hearing Jake's narration. He doesn't let us wonder around his memories and feelings as openly as Clarissa Dalloway, forcing us to explicate from the concise dialogue we often receive. From what I've observed, he is an extremely human character with incredible depth. Hemingway doesn't hide the flaws and imperfections of Jake, but that's exactly what makes him appealing to me. The fact that he doesn't bother to censor himself makes him seem more real to me, and evokes more sympathy from me in comparison to character such as Septimus who is less real. The fact that Jake loves Brett, but is emasculated due to his war injury, leaves him with two options. The first would be to act possessive like Cohn, while the second is to love from a distance. And he chooses the second option, despite the jealousy and pain. Rather than forcing someone he loves to endure the same situation, Jake willingly sets Brett up with men he deems worthy of her. It's a tragic story, and I can't help but wonder if Hemingway intended for us to see Jake in a new light: despite being emasculated, he is a hero in his own respect for giving up his love out of selflessness. It might be much less romanticized than the way I am thinking of it, but what do you think?
Just like the rest of the characters we've met this year, Milkman, our protagonist, is a conflicting one. On one hand, his entire personality throughout the novel seems to be one of an adolescent in an adult's body, characterized by his immaturity and brattiness. Yet as the story progresses, the metaphor of a bird learning to fly seems to clarify, and we end with the baby bird leaping and finally flying. After learning about his family history, the change in Milkman is astounding, as he is able to let go of all his curiosity, trauma, and truly understand the implications behind his ancestry. Since this novel focuses on the lives of African Americans, I wonder how Morrison intends for us to interpret the ending of the novel. Initially, I thought the friendship between Guitar and Milkman was a subtle way of criticizing Milkman, of his lack of interest in black rights and equality. But the ending of the novel has proved otherwise. If anything, Morrison states that the power of kno...
I agree that Jake can be a very sympathetic character. To add on, I also think Brett is to blame because she takes advantage of the fact that Jake is always willing to be there for her emotionally when no one else is. From the beginning, Jake has felt a sort of sadness and isolation because he can't be with the person he truly loves but still shows up for her when she needs someone. Every time that Brett chooses to go off on a walk with Jake to talk about her feelings, especially when it is about a man, Jake's heart gets broken into even more pieces because he starts to get that superficial layer of hope that maybe Brett will chose him but knows deep down that Brett would never choose him because of his war injury.
ReplyDeleteI do think that Hemingway created Jake for the reader to be at least somewhat sympathetic towards him. It was something that I thought a lot about because while the romantic in me felt bad for Jake pining after Brett, the 2018 activist in me what upset by his homophobic and racist comments, and I struggled to reconcile the two. I definitely agree that Hemingway at least wants us to entertain the possibility that Brett is cruel to Jake, leading him on, but I struggled to see only that side of Jake. I think your point about Hemingway tried to paint Jake as a hero for his way of coping the the circumstances is an interesting approach that I had not considered. From what I understand about Hemingway, I think this is a compelling argument because Hemingway seems like the type who would appreciate Jake's silent stoic suffering.
ReplyDeleteErin, to add to your comment, I think that Jake's silent suffering shows a new kind of masculinity separate from Cohn's exaggerated chivalry and Mike's unadulterated aggression. Rather than blundering across Brett's independence, he knows that his only option is to continue with his own life while helping Brett when she needs him. While this isn't Hemingway's typical depiction of masculinity, I think that Jake's respect of Brett is a beautiful and powerful contrast to other the rude, controlling men in the novel. But if Jake had a functioning penis, would he still respect Brett? Or is his respectful treatment of Brett dependent on the fact that he is impotent?
ReplyDeleteI agree with your point about Hemingway portraying Jake in a positive light by showing his respect for Brett in contrast with how controlling other characters are with her. However, I do think that even if he doesn't act controlling towards her that doesn't mean he doesn't want to be. A large part of Jake's sadness throughout the book is because he knows he's totally out of the game with Brett so he isn't even bothering. I feel like if he had a working penis he'd be much more possessive than he is. He says he'd be as much of an ass as Cohn if he could actually smash Brett. I think the fact that Cohn and Mike can't cold down Brett is a big blow to their masculinities. There's a certain irony to Brett emasculating Mike and Cohn more than the person who is actually emasculated.
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