What doesn't kill us makes us stronger. Alcohol is literally a poison that makes the body incapable of controlling itself, reaction times, cognitive functions and dexterity all fall by the wayside if one consumes more alcohol. Jake uses alcohol socially to assert his masculinity due to his sexual impotence. “Western civilization has been essentially patriarchal and this has tended to exalt the masculine and devalue the feminine” (Murfin 197). Understanding male identity is the only thing that gives Jake purpose. When he is with Brett, he does not consume alcohol to numb the mind and body, but to support his masculine image. “Brett never ate much. […] I ate a very large meal and drank three bottles of rioja alta” (Hemingway, 249). Drinking is his way of conquering the masculine image. Not everyone can drink three bottles of wine with a meal; Jake's drinking habits are an expression of his power and masculine personality. He drinks not only to get drunk, but he drinks to fulfill the vision of