In The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway describes how a group of expatriates, particularly Jake, Robert and Mike, are badly damaged by war after World War I and fight without release for the affection of a woman. They were damaged physically, emotionally and spiritually. Unlike Romero, these men are mostly incredibly dysfunctional, not knowing where they are going or what their lives will bring them. The three main men demonstrating such dysfunctional qualities are Jake, Robert, and Mike. One thing these men have in common is that they are all involved, at one point or another, with Brett, a woman who shares their characteristics and is ultimately as dysfunctional as the men. These men are all attracted to her and need Brett, but they find no hope or comfort in their relationship with her because she is just as lost as they are. Brett continues to be a destructive force, and it should be noted that other relationships she has engaged in have not proven destructive to men. Two so-called pawns, Bill and the Count, were not damaged mainly because they had confidence in themselves and their lives. They weren't obsessed with Brett and didn't think she could be the answer to their problems. Brett had little influence over these men who were in control of their lives and emotionally healthy. However, she had control over Jake, Robert and Mike because they were lost, part of that lost generation that Hemingway often spoke of. And Brett, being as lost as men, truly fell into destructive relationships, thrived in them, and even unconsciously sought them out. Brett is clearly one of that type of woman who seems to seek out men who need her. She feeds on this need, then quickly rejects them for one reason or another. She feels wanted and needed by these men, but never finds happiness with them because they need her. However, it is what nourishes her, allowing her to feel loved and needed. She may be unable to find a real relationship. And, even when we imagine that she could have had such a relationship with Jake, we realize that she only seemed truly in love with him because he couldn't meet her needs sexually. It's the old story of believing that maybe she wanted something because she couldn't have it..