The Sun Also Rises Chapter 3

Jake meets up with a pretty girl, a prostitute named Georgette. They dine together, but there is no sexual aspect. Jake explains to her that he suffered an injury in the war that has rendered him unable to have sex. Georgette seems to want to discuss the war, but Jake escapes doing so when he sees a group of his friends dining nearby. The group invites Jake and Georgette to join them for an evening of dancing.

At the club, Lady Brett Ashley, Jake’s true love, arrives with an entourage of young men. Jake is bothered by the presence of these men. Brett implies that they are gay and that they are “safe.” Jake feels that he knows he should be tolerant of them, but he is not.

Robert and Jake have a drink together, and Brett joins them. Robert is immediately smitten by Brett and asks her to dance. She rejects him. Jake and Brett then leave the club, but while doing so, Jake leaves money with the club owner, instructing him to give the money to Georgette, but only if she asks about him. 

In the taxi, Brett declares that she is miserable. 

Analysis

Here Hemingway “hooks” the reader, with the introduction of Brett, who has some history with Jake, although this remains unstated. A love triangle appears as Robert is quickly interested in Brett as well. Jealousy from Brett over Jake’s prostitute companion, and Jake’s apparent jealousy over Brett’s choice of companions implies an emotional connection between them, and with Robert’s intrusion, the plot thickens. 

In this chapter, we begin to see Jake’s sexual disability coming to light. While not stated explicitly, the lack of sexual activity with a prostitute, as well as explanatory comments from Jake about having been hurt in the war, hint at Jake’s inability to perform sexually. 

The reader is given enough information to understand that Jake and Brett know each other very well. Their dialogue is short and implicit, denoting familiarity. They share some history and know each other.