I read through this novel fairly quickly and I really enjoyed it. Hemingway is one of my favorite authors, the way he delivers his stories is so enjoyable for me. There is a lot of unfairness and disguise in this novel. Brett is hiding in a lot of ways. She never seems to be happy with her situation and continues to find ways to escape. The relationship between Brett and Jake is sad. They both love each other, but for their own reasons can't be together. Throughout this novel Brett holds onto Jake like he is attached to a leash. All of the characters are escaping the war and the tragedies of it, but they are finding new dangers to replace the ones from the war. Jake comes home, but he is not considered a "complete" man anymore and therefore any dreams of being with someone he loves is out of reach because he cannot come to her a "full" man. In some ways he is dead because he cannot give life, almost useless as a person. They are all trying to escape the pain and nothing really works for any of them. They cannot see the beauty in what is around them, everything has dimmed in their eyes and, Brett especially continues to search for something that she may not find. The war has paralyzed them all in different ways. 

Brett is always making excuses for herself and brings forth the idea that others believe there is something damaging about her. This is partly her way of moving on, but then she blames her partners too, that it is not just her fault but they are all better without her. Brett is damaged in ways that it seems she cannot be with others because she is not completely happy with herself. She is also running from the fact that there is no other person she would really rather be with except for Jake, which is way she can't let go and continues to hold on to him in some way. I think Jake knows this and is helpless, he wants Brett anyway he can get her even if he can't have her the way either of them deserves.