The quotation about bullfighters highlights the extreme
danger and risk that bullfighters undertake in performing their art. Jake says these
words in response to Robert's lament that his life "is going so fast and (he's) not
really living it." A bullfighter lives his life constantly on the edge, risking his
well-being and indeed his very life everytime he goes up against a bull, achieving the
ultimate thrill. Jake is saying that no one can match a bullfighter in sustaining this
constant state of intensity, which he equates with living one's life "all the way
up."
That Jake should bring up this analogy about
bullfighting in his conversation with Robert out of the clear blue indicates that he has
a deep interest in bullfighting, and has thought deeply about what it entails. Jake's
reference to bullfighting and its significance foreshadows that bullfighting will play
an important role in the life of the character and the development of the
narrative.
It is actually Robert at this point who feels
that life must be lived to the fullest; Jake, on his part, is "through worrying" about
such things. Robert, on the other hand, has a romantic nature and is inspired by what he
reads in books to get the most out of life. He says, "Don't you ever get the feeling
that all your life is going by and you're not taking advantage of it?" Robert is
thirty-five, and feels he has already lived half his life and has nothing to show for
it. He wants to experience as much as he can in life before he
dies.
The "Lost Generation" sees little hope for the
future. Caught in a wasteland in the aftermath of war, they are pessimistic and find
life to be empty and directionless. With nothing to look forward to, they resort to a
hedonistic way of living, seeking to satisfy their immediate needs and longings, because
nothing else has value, and they can see no other purpose to their
lives.
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