As I've previously said, the novel has some internal conflicts in a person's head, but it also has some external conflicts between two or more people. The major external conflicts involve the main issue that Hemingway focuses on in the novel- love. Most of them are between Cohn and another major character. Cohn punches Jake and argues with others, but I'm going to focus on the conflict between Cohn and Mike. Mike is a bit upset about the affairs that Brett has and he knows that Cohn has feelings for Brett. On page 146 he tells Cohn just how he and Brett feel about his being around all the time. "Why don't you know when you're not wanted? You came down to San Sebastian where you weren't wanted, and followed Brett around like a bloody steer. Do you think that's right?" In a very cruel way, he confronts Cohn about his being around Brett all of the time.
Hemingway uses this to show the reader the effects of speaking their mind. Hemingway obviously doesn't like the way that society has no filter when it comes to what they say, and he is using this external conflict to show the negative effects of that. He creates a timelessness in the novel by using issues that are not specific to his time, but rather can be applied to anyone's life.
everybody was kung-fu fighting!
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