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Fiesta Book Summary and Study Guide

Detailed plot synopsis reviews of Fiesta


"Fiesta" is the story of a cosmopolit group of British and American expats living in Paris, in the roaring 1920, after the World War I just ended. The main character is an american journalis/writer, Jake Barnes, a war veteran that, due to an injury he sustained during the war, became impotent. He is very much in love with Lady Brett Ashely, an Englishwoman. She reciprocates his feelings, but both know they don't stand a chance for a long term relashionship due to his war injury. Lady Brett Ashely is a character that represents the sexual liberation of women after World War I. Two times divorcee, she is currently engaged with another British man, Mike Campbell, but also had a short affair with another American, part of the same group, Robert Cohn. The entire group (Jake Barnes, Brett Ashley, Bill Gorton, a good friend of Jake, Brett's fiancee Mike Campbell and Robert Cohn) decide to take a trip to Spain for the Pamplona Fiesta (bull fighting). Brett Ashely meets a young matador, Romero, and she seduces him. Cohn, who hoped that Brett Ashely, after their short affair, will leave her fiancee and stat a relationship with him, is very jelous with all the other men that have some sort of a romantic endevour with Brett (Mike, main character Jack and Romero). He starts a fistfight with all of them - one of the most powerful scenes of the entire novel.
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Best part of story, including ending: I loved this story because it's basically a romantic love story of two people that can't be together. The story it's also about losing innocence and losing trust that the world is a good place to live in: world War I was a traumatic experience for the young intellectuals of that era, a brutal wake up call.

Best scene in story: My favorite scene is when Jake Barnes and Brett Ashely take a cab togeter, after a night of trying to wash their feelings away through heavy drinking and partying. They kiss intensly but both come to the conclusion that they can't have a relationship because of Jake's war injury resulting into impotency.

Opinion about the main character: I like the inner strenght of the character, his masculinity, the fact that he is willing to get on with his life.

The review of this Book prepared by Maria Gatea a Level 1 Blue Jay scholar

Chapter Analysis of Fiesta

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Plot & Themes

Tone of book?    -   depressed Time/era of story    -   1930's-1950's Romance/Romance Problems    -   Yes Internal struggle/realization?    -   Yes Is this an adult or child's book?    -   Adult or Young Adult Book Brain/Body disability?    -   physical disability Unmarried Love Triangle?    -   Yes

Main Character

Gender    -   Male Profession/status:    -   journalist Age:    -   40's-50's Ethnicity/Nationality    -   White (American)

Setting

How much descriptions of surroundings?    -   3 () Europe    -   Yes European country:    -   France

Writing Style

Sex in book?    -   Yes What kind of sex:    -   vague references only    -   descript of kissing    -   touching of anatomy Amount of dialog    -   roughly even amounts of descript and dialog

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Ernest Hemingway Books Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
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