In class, we spend most of our time talking about and focusing on the main characters like Brett, Jake, and Cohn in The Sun Also Rises. However, we spent a lot less time talking about more minor characters like Mike that still have a roll in the novel. When we did talk about him it was almost always in the context of Brett and how Mike was behaving. And while very little is said about who Mike is, as a character, the same is true for every single character. So this makes me ask the question just who is Mike?
At the start of the novel, we are introduced to Mike is a typical Hemingway fashion. Jake asks Brett "Heard from Mike?", without giving a background or any information at all to who Mike is. The next time we hear about Mike is when Jake is talking to Cohn about Brett. During that, we learn that Mike is Brett's fiance, his full name is Mike Campbell, and that he's going to be very rich someday(although that seems to contradict what we learn later in the novel).
After that, the next time we hear about Mike is when he actually comes into town and we get to see what he is like firsthand. And from the start, he matches the stereotypical drunk Scotsman. When we are introduced to him he comes into the conversation drunk. But he's not like Brett or Jake when he's drunk, instead he is more of a messy drunk where he is very energetic and talkative to the point of repetition. Mike being this messy drunk is a trend that continues throughout the book. In that scene, we also learn that Mike is in the process of declaring bankruptcy. That contradicts what Jake said about him which could mean that Mike might be a smart enough to get rich or that he is going to inherit his families money.We don't actually know what he does for a living, but we do know he has an ex-partner in some sort of business so he could be a lawyer. We also learn later that he had a lot of creditors. But for the most part, he doesn't seem to have a job anymore and seems to just be waiting for the inheritance.
We also learn that he was a soldier and tells his story of the medals he got. This is an interesting contrast to Jake who's wound from the war is ironically funny to himself, in the same way, Mike's story wasn't exactly funny from his own point of view. But that is about all we know about Mike. While in Spain we learn so more minor details like the fact that he knows about Brett's affairs and even talks to her about them, but doesn't care unless they think it is something more than what it is. We also get insight as to why he might be bankrupt because he owes money to people that are in Spain and borrows money from people while he's there.
I liked that throughout the novel, we see less happy-go-lucky Mike and more of his tragic/sad side. He's not a good drunk, he's bankrupt, and he himself is deeply affected by the war. I find it really interesting that you compared his story about the medals to Jake's own war story. There's this kind of irony that cloaks everything, even things as serious as war. Is that how Mike, and all the other ex-pats, try to survive?
ReplyDeleteMike can seem like a completely different person in different parts of the novel. Jake's reaction to Mike is at first very positive. Jake has nothing against Mike and even seems to approve of him as a husband for Brett. But later on Mike is shown to have a much darker side. He gets in fights with Cohn over Brett and says that Cohn should recognize when he is not wanted. Brett and Jake both agree at this point that Mike and Cohn are both behaving badly. While some of what Mike says is justified given that he is Brett's fiance, Jake and Brett think he is treating Cohn badly even given this.
ReplyDeleteI think the question can be answered because of Jake/the narrator's perspective; his passion for Brett kind of dominates his view of certain people. Mike is seen from Jake's perspective as another guy that's involved with Brett, but unlike other characters like the flamboyant guys at the club or the drummer, Mike is seen as "worthy" of Brett's attention. But since Jake is so preoccupied with Brett, he can only ever see other men (besides people like Bill and Montoya) relative to Brett. All the "worthy" suitors get passing remarks from Jake, like Lord Ashley or Mike, but competitors like Cohn are described in detail, almost as if Jake is probing into their characters to find faults or to compare himself. I agree, Mike's character is very interesting and didn't get fleshed out too much in the narration.
ReplyDeleteI really like that you wrote a post about Mike because a lot of times his character is overlooked. I think that Mike actually has a really interesting character development over the course of this book. We start with him as the happy, almost dumb drunk that doesn't really care if his fiancee cheats on him and is bankrupt but not too worried about it. However, by the end of the novel he has been pushed to his limit and has a really vulnerable breakdown which ends with him totally drunk and crying in a dark hotel room. He has to deal with seeing Brett with Cohn (who is totally inferior in his perspective) and with Romero for whom she might have real feelings. We also learn that Mike has been depending on Brett to pay for a lot of this vacation and needs to eventually ask Jake and Bill to help him with costs.
ReplyDeleteI really thought that Mike's emotional breakdown added a lot of interest to his character, as we get to see how much Brett's infidelity affects people
ReplyDeleteThough confusing and at times frustrating, I did enjoy how Hemingway seemed to just throw in characters without backgrounds or any extra information. I like that you focused on this overlooked character and it's interesting that we can definitely see Jake's biased narrations on Mike because Mike's character seems to change a lot throughout the novel.
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