Conflict

In chapter five, we begin to see that the Jake Barnes faces a conflict that is largely within himself--in other words, an internal conflict. He does not reveal his feelings for Lady Ashley/Brett to Robert Cohn, to whom he is apparently close, as Cohn describes Barnes as "really about the best friend [he has]."

The frustrating part of this is that we don't quite know what the big deal is yet. Barnes alleges that Brett is engaged to a man named Mike Campbell, when in fact she claims to be in love with Barnes, who in return loves her, but she has been married twice before. It's all very complicated and makes Barnes "say nasty things," even though he never means them. My best guess as of now is that Brett is married to Barnes, and Barnes is her second husband, but now Brett is marrying this Campbell fellow instead for financial purposes, which would lend credence to Barnes' resentment. Also, I now know, having read the back cover of the novel, that it takes place during the Roaring Twenties, when this kind of ordeal first began to occur. Scratch that, actually. Brett's married to a man whose surname is Ashley.

Anyway, there's also the external conflict to be considered. The love hovering between Brett and Jake seems to be the main conflict, but there is also the conflict between Robert and Frances. Robert, in turn, is trying to decide if and how and with whom to go to South Africa, which would seem to be an internal conflict.

Also, I think there's a euphemism in this chapter. "Her own true love had just kicked off with the dysentery." People don't much say that in my neck of the woods.