The novel The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway is an example of how an entire generation redefined gender roles after being affected by war. The Lost Generation of the 1920s experienced significant changes that not only affected their behaviors and appearance, but also how they perceived their gender identity. Lady Brett Ashley and Jake Barnes are two of many characters in the novel whose gender roles were broken due to the post-war era. The characters in the novel lead a lifestyle in which drugs and alcohol are used to obscure the emotions and ideals of romance. Brett's lack of emotional connection with his various lovers clashes with Jake's true love for her, revealing a reversal of gender roles and a redefinition of masculinity and femininity. The man is usually the one who is more emotionally detached, but in this case, Lady Brett Ashley has a masculine quality while Jake has a feminine quality. The male and female characters in the novel do not necessarily fit their gender roles in society due to the post-war period and their constant partying and drinking. By analyzing Brett, Jake, and the effects of war on gender, the reader gains a more axiomatic understanding of how gender functions in the story by examining gender role reversal and homosexuality. Lady Brett Ashley is one of the most complex characters in the novel and is a perfect example of a broken gender role. Her character contains a mixture of strength and vulnerability and she possesses both masculine and feminine traits. His masculine traits are reflected in his short hair, poor moral conduct, heavy drinking, and his masculine given name Brett. She also wears masculine attire like hats and jersey sweaters. She had a lot......middle of paper......g with two of her lovers who were Pedro and Robert. He takes on the role of a female character when he is there for Brett after each of his cases fails. Even when Robert attacks Jake because of Brett, he is unable to fight back and defend himself, which calls his masculinity into question. Jake still ends up talking to Cohn and compromising his pride when Robert apologizes to him. Although Jake responds simply with "of course", it is clear that he seems to have lost all sense of self and that his masculinity is depreciating. Jake feels connected to bullfighting and sees it as the best way to live his life. “I can't stand to think that my life is going so fast and I'm not really living it. No one lives life to the end except bull fighters” (Hemmingway 18). The underlying meaning that Hemingway is trying to reveal to his readers is that Jake is jealous of the macho lifestyle of the