f among them, he assured me, was the Old Testament in the King James version. 'That's how I learned to write,' he said, 'by reading the Bible...The Old Testament. That's all any writer needs'" (pp. 128-29). By Hemingway's own admission few, if any, influences were as significant on his writing style as the Bible.
In The Sun Also Rises, Hemingway's biblical influence is evident in his writing style. This is particularly true with references or allusions to the Bible. As Wagner-Martin (2002) notes, "Jake uses a biblical allusion to describe Cohn's reaction to Brett, akin to the Hebrews' upon entering the 'promised land'" (p. 175). Nevertheless, biblical influence does not deter Hemingway from shaping an atheistic or at least agnostic perspective in his characters. The following exchange between Brett and Jake shows she believes acting decently is some form of consolation in place of religion:
"You know it makes one feel rather good deciding not to be a bitch...It's sort of what we have instead of God."
"Some people have God," I said. "Quite a lot."
"He never worked very well with me."
"Should we have another Martini?"
The fact that Jakes offers her a drink that is more in line with her personality than any form of religious balm could imply that religion is but one more form of "numbing" of reality like a stiff drink.
Despite their love for one another, Lady Ashley (Brett) and Jake remained unmarried. Jake's infirmity is the main reason. Hemingway's faith regarding love and relationships seems sorely tested in The Sun Also Rises, perhaps because of the horrors he experienced first-hand in the war, ones that sorely tested his own religious beliefs and a belief one could find comfort and security through others. When the Count asks Lady Ashley and Jake why they have not married, Brett curtly tells him, "We have our careers. Come on, let's get out of thi...