20. Final Thoughts

The conclusion to The Sun Also Rises is summed up in these two sentences, "'Oh, Jake,' said Brett said, 'we could have had such a damned good time together.'...'Yes,' I said. 'Isn't it pretty to think so?'" (pg 251, Hemingway). When I first read the conclusion I thought well that is sort of ambiguous. Is she referring to their time together at the festival or their whole lives? But then, I decided to look beyond the words and a time frame and configure it into the theme. These characters lack their own purpose for their lives, yet they are trying to attain it. Which, is a natural want for all human to find a purpose and a place. Brett and Jake could have found it, but they did not and they accept that fact because life moves on, there is no changing the past.
I also believe there are no dynamic characters to this novel. Yet, it is another sign that their lives are not complete. They have not found their place yet, and there really is no "happy ever after" ending to this novel because like the reader's own life, that is how it works. The abrupt ending is just another sign that no one is in control of their own life. Sure, one can wander aimlessly looking for a purpose, but that does not mean there is a set date and time of death that we are aware of. So basically, just like Brett and Jake, we as the reader are on our own time to find a purpose and a place for our lives.