The Character of Robert Cohn in The Sun Also Rises

1551 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Mental and physical consequences of war for soldiers

The Character of Robert Cohn in The Sun Also Rises

WWI consumed the lives of millions. Those lucky enough to have lived through the war did not necessarily to get away unscathed. Many war survivors had lost a large chunk of something called hope. Hope feeds the soul and is the fuel for love. Hope also supplies meaning in a confusing world. Lacking hope and love, feelings of disillusionment, loneliness, inadequacy, and alienation were commonplace.

The characters in Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises struggled with this, particularly Robert Cohn. Cohn was a ray of hope that people just couldn't bear. As in a dark room when someone opened the shade - the light hurts and one would rather close the shade than get used to the light. "It seems the bull-fighter chap was sitting on the floor. He was waiting to get strength enough to get up and hit Cohn again. Brett wasn't having any shaking hands, and Cohn was crying and telling her how much he loved her, and she was telling him not to be a ruddy ass. Then Cohn leaned over to shake hands with the bull-fighter fellow. No hard feelings, you know. All for forgiveness. And the bull-fighter chap hit him in the face again." As Mike spoke, he clearly showed us how much Cohn was pursuing Brett and how strongly everyone, including Brett, was rejecting and alienating him.

Robert Cohn was probably not even capable of truly being i...

... middle of paper ...

...e around him that had lost hope. Robert Cohn became the outcast for all others to exclude and spit upon to somehow feel superior. Cohn wasn't selling sex or cheap thrills drenched in alcohol. His wares were hope, the possibility of real love, and persistence. But no one could understand.

Works Cited and Consulted:

Bloom, Harold. Ernest Hemingway. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1985.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Sun Also Rises. New York: Simon and Schuster Inc., 1993.

Svoboda, Frederic J. Hemingway and The Sun Also Rises: The Crafting of a Style. Kansas: The University Press of Kansas, 1983.

Young, Philip. "Ernest Hemingway." Encyclopedia International. v. 8, p.388-389. 1982 ed.

Show More
Related

  • The Contrast of Two Great Short Stories: The Rocking Horse Winner and The Lottery

    878 Words  | 2 Pages

    The setting in the stories The Lottery and The Rocking-Horse Winner create an atmosphere where the readers can be easily drawn in by the contrasting features of each short story. This short essay will tell of very important contrasting aspects of settings in that while both stories are different, both hold the same aspects.

    Read More

  • Comparing Where Are you going, Where Have You Been and Hills Like White Elephants

    1329 Words  | 3 Pages

    " The Hemingway Review. 15.1 (Fall 1995): p. 27. Literature Resource Center -.

    Read More

  • Malvolio: The Perfect Outcast In William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night

    1669 Words  | 4 Pages

    William, Shakespeare Twelfth Night. The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Volume B. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt. New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 2006. 1079-1139.

    Read More

  • Flappers In The Roaring Twenties

    1972 Words  | 4 Pages

    Then World War I started. The young men of the world were being used as cannon fodder for an older generation's ideals and mistakes. The attrition rate in the trenches left few with the hope that they would survive long enough to return home. They found themselves inflicted with an "eat-drink-and-be-merry-for-tomorrow-we-die spirit."1 Far away from the society that raised them and faced with the reality of death, many searched (and found) extreme life experiences before they entered the battlefield.

    Read More

  • The Chains of Social Hierarchy and Gender Roles

    1259 Words  | 3 Pages

    Joseph, Bertram. Rev. of The Twelfth Night of Shakespeare’s Audience, by John W. Draper. Review of English Studies 3.10 (1952): 170-71. Print.

    Read More

  • William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night: Malvolio the Outcast...Sort Of

    709 Words  | 2 Pages

    William, Shakespeare Twelfth Night. The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Volume B. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt. New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 2006. 1079-1139.

    Read More

  • Hills like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway

    1361 Words  | 3 Pages

    Meter, M. An Analysis of the Writing Style of Ernest Hemingway. Texas: Texas College of Arts and Industries, 2003.

    Read More

  • Propaganda Effects of World War One

    3318 Words  | 7 Pages

    Historians generally refer to WWI as the first 'total war'. It was the first conflict in which modern industrialized societies mobilized their complete economic, technological and psychological resources in order to wage war. Unlike earlier wars, which involved relatively small numbers of soldiers on the battlefield, it affected many aspects of the lives of civilian populations and demanded enormous sacrifices and support from them. Mobilization of the home front was crucial to achieving military victory. Some of the main aspects of Total War include conscription of men into the armed services, increased government control of the economy and daily lives of citizens and subsequent loss of personal liberty. Control of the labor force, physical safety and security of civilian populations threatene...

    Read More

  • Coping with War: A Comparison Between Slaughterhouse Five and A Farewell to Arms

    1622 Words  | 4 Pages

    Trogdon, Robert W. Ernest Hemingway: A Literary Reference. New York: Carroll & Graf, 2002. Print.

    Read More

  • The Right to Bear Arms a Constitutional Conflict

    1670 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...h causes a lot of disagreement and confusion at a direct level (the individual), indirect level (society) and judicial level (the court).

    Read More

  • Revolution: Human Philosophies Against What is Going On at that Point in Time

    1124 Words  | 3 Pages

    ... bloodshed, violence, and mobs. This did not have to happen. The American Revolution followed God’s Word causing less bloodshed. Not all revolutions have to be extremely violent, they just have to be started correctly.

    Read More

  • An Analysis of Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast

    2123 Words  | 5 Pages

    When a writer picks up their pen and paper, begins one of the most personal and cathartic experiences in their lives, and forms this creation, this seemingly incoherent sets of words and phrases that, read without any critical thinking, any form of analysis or reflexion, can be easily misconstrued as worthless or empty. When one reads an author’s work, in any shape or form, what floats off of the ink of the paper and implants itself in our minds is the author’s personality, their style. Reading any of the greats, many would be able to spot the minute details that separates each author from another; whether it be their use of dialogue, their complex descriptions, their syntax, or their tone. When reading an excerpt of Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast one could easily dissect the work, pick apart each significant moment from Hemingway’s life and analyze it in order to form their own idea of the author’s voice, of his identity. Ernest Hemingway’s writing immediately comes across as rather familiar in one sense. His vocabulary is not all that complicated, his layout is rather straightforward, and it is presented in a simplistic form. While he may meander into seemingly unnecessary detail, his work can be easily read. It is when one looks deeper into the work, examines the techniques Hemingway uses to create this comfortable aura surrounding his body of work, that one begins to lift much more complex thoughts and ideas. Hemingway’s tone is stark, unsympathetic, his details are precise and explored in depth, and he organizes his thoughts with clarity and focus. All of this is presented in A Moveable Feast with expertise every writer dreams to achieve. While Hemingway’s style may seem simplistic on the surface, what lies below is a layered...

    Read More

  • More than Friends William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night

    978 Words  | 2 Pages

    William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, which is commonly believed to criticize society’s romanticized idea of love, demonstrates that even though love may seem unachievable, it is still possible to find it even in the most unlikely places. Shakespeare illustrates this idea in Twelfth Night through the characters Antonio and Sebastian by subtly suggesting that Antonio and Sebastian are more than just friends. It is Sebastian’s physical beauty that attracts Antonio to him, which leads him to devote himself to Sebastian as a sign of love. Antonio’s love for Sebastian grows to obsession; however Sebastian considers their friendship to be completely plutonic. In addition Sebastian generally tries to save Antonio from his own desire; however he does a bad job by leading him on unintentionally due to his passive nature.

    Read More

  • Creole as a Third Space in Jean Rhys’ Novel

    1988 Words  | 4 Pages

    Nunez-Harrell, Elizabeth. "The Paradoxes of Belonging: The White West Indian Woman in Fiction." MFS Modern Fiction Studies 31.2 (1985): 281-293.

    Read More

  • Love In Shakespeare's Twelfth Night

    1226 Words  | 3 Pages

    Love is an essential human desire. Once it is caught, dramatic, unexpected changes in ones life occur. Protecting the people one loves is a natural instinct that cannot be controlled. William Shakespeare demonstrates this in Twelfth Night through the relationship between Antonio and Sebastian. Furthermore, Viola continues to ensure the happiness of Orsino is met even if that means sacrificing the happiness of herself. Also, love is evident when one pays attention to, and dedicates himself to the small details in other peoples lives. William Shakespeare demonstrates in Twelfth Night the nature of true love through loyal friendship, bold romance and secretive love.

    Read More

More about The Character of Robert Cohn in The Sun Also Rises

Open Document