Subject: Hemmingway-The Sun Also Rises

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Subject: Hemmingway-The Sun Also Rises

In the novel The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway, a reader is

forced to decide weather the spite that the Jake has for Chon

originates from Jake¹s racist background, or his deeply seeded

jealousy of Chon for having a brief affair with Brett. Even though it

is clear that Jake has racist views, the hatred he has for his former

friend Chon Chon is strictly based on the jealousy he feels towards

Chon for the weekend he spent with Brett.

Jake goes in to great detail about Chon¹s early life. He speaks

highly and admiringly of Chon, but in a condescending way. A reader

get her first hint on page one that Jake has some racist feelings

toward Chon. He speaks of how Chon's nose was flattened in a boxing

match and concluded the sentence with ³...and it certainly improved

his nose² (11). This can be taken as a reference to the stereotypical

³Jew² nose that is often associated with Jewish people. Jake and Chon

are close friends, and Jake likes him up to the point where he becomes

involved with Brett. Jake goes on and on about all of the

relationship mistakes in Chon¹s life. There is an hint of jealousy

that appears in Jake's tone. He states that women began to become

attracted to Chon as he got older, and that it ³changed him so that

he was not so pleasant to have around² (16). There is racism in

Jake¹s tone, but Jake¹s problem with Chon is is strictly one of

jealousy.

By this time Jake has already developed an extreme distaste for

Chon¹s endeavors with women, but these feelings their peak when Chon

and Lady Brett have a brief affair. Jake, having unconditional love

for Brett, blames the entire incident on Chon. In turn, Chon makes as

point to rub it in Jake¹s face. Jake says ³...it was giving him

pleasure to be able to talk with the understanding that I knew there

was something between them² (106). Jake has a great deal of trouble

dealing with this. It has nothing to do with the fact that Chon is

Jewish, Jake is merely jealous of him. It would not be manly for Jake

to openly admit his jealousy, and blame the jealousy on his harsh

feelings toward Chon. As a result Jake falls back on the fact that

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