The Festival
The Festival of San Fermin was initially established as a religious celebration; however, it has evolved over time to focus more on indulging in alcohol and staying awake throughout the night. Jake, much like the festival, was once more devoted to Christianity, but his priorities have shifted with time.
Expatriates
Brett and Jake have become distant from God and Christianity due to their involvement in the war, which has made it challenging for them to perceive the world as a genuinely Christian place. The majority of expatriates, including Brett and Jake, lacked religious beliefs and were severely lacking in hope and faith.
The lost generation faced a lack of direction after the war. Instead of turning to religion for solace, they sought comfort in the immediacy of sex a
...nd alcohol. Both Jake and Brett carry the emotional scars of the war, rendering them unable to experience love fully. Jake is unable to physically engage with women, while Brett has lost her true love. Both harbor bitterness and instead of seeking solace in religion, they turn to alcohol as a form of escape. With the weight of their dramatic lives, religion fails to provide them solace and they resort to alcohol as a means to escape reality. Similarly, Brett, emotionally wounded by the death of her lover, finds solace in sex and alcohol rather than religion, a pattern common among expatriates of that era. She acknowledges her unworthiness of calling herself a devout Christian when she confesses in chapter 18, "I’m damned bad for a religious atmosphere."
According to Brett, prayer has never been successful for her in obtaining
what she desires, unlike sex, alcohol, and her physical appearance. This belief reflects her perceived impurity, evident when she is denied entrance to the cathedral in chapter 15 due to not wearing a hat. This denial symbolizes her questionable morals. Moreover, Brett lacks faith in God's existence because her life has not unfolded perfectly, similar to others. She does not rely on prayer because she is accustomed to men fulfilling her desires, while God refuses to comply with her wishes.
Brett relies on her beauty instead of relying on God. Her exceptional beauty allows her to easily obtain anything she desires, which diminishes the importance of religion. The sole act of kindness Brett has performed is setting Pedro Romero free so he can pursue his own life, rather than sacrificing it for her. At the end of the book, when she chooses to release Pedro Romero, she remarks, "Deciding not to be a bad person actually makes me feel somewhat content. It serves as a substitute for God in my life, as He never brought me much success." Through this action, she demonstrates consideration for someone other than herself.
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