The Sun Also Rises Robert Cohn Essay

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Recommended: Death in modern poetry

In great literature, a scene where death or dying takes place can serve as a fictional prism through which the reader comes to a clearer understanding of the work as a whole. During the encierro, or “bull-running” in The Sun Also Rises, a bull gores Vicente Girones, leaving him to suffer an agonizing death. The death of Girones is a dramatic parable for the downfall of Robert Cohn. Girones’ decision to run with the bulls, his tragic accident, and the crowd’s indifference to his injury mirror the journey of Robert Cohn. Cohn is in love with Lady Brett Ashley, a beautiful but engaged vixen who has no intention to reciprocate his affections. While Brett and her expatriate friends carouse excessively, Cohn chooses not to take part in the debauchery. Instead, Cohn chooses to indulge his deepening affection for Brett, which only serves to further his heartache. Brett and her friends are so consumed with imbibing that they overlook Cohn, even to the point of abuse. Like Cohn, Girones attempts to keep up with the rest of the encierros, but falls behind because of the gaping hole in his back. The runners are so concerned with moving forward that they fail to notice that they are trampling Girones underfoot. Cohn’s companions “trample” over him because he fails to douse his feelings for Brett with booze and hedonism. …show more content…

Cohn comes from a reputable family and abhors violence. While he is also a champion boxer, he only fights in the ring; Cohn would never use violence to resolve a conflict. However, after sufficient abuse, Cohn’s moral rigor collapses. Just before Girones dies, Cohn assaults two of Brett’s companions over an argument. Girones’ death—which occurs only a few pages after the assault—is a tangible capstone to the Robert Cohn’s abasement, signaling to the reader that Cohn has completely departed from his pre-war

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