Compare and contrast the two characters, Jake and Cohn.
The Sun Also Rises is a notable literary work by Ernest Hemingway. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of The Sun Also Rises.
Answer
Compare and contrast the two characters, Jake and Cohn. [NU: 2015]
Ernest Hemingway’s (1899-1961) “The Sun Also Rises” (1926) is about the “lost generation.” The two main men are Jake Barnes and Robert Cohn. Jake is a war-wounded journalist in Paris. Cohn is a restless American writer. Their lives show two different worlds.
Background and Personality: Jake Barnes is calm and strong. He was hurt in the war. Actually, he becomes impotent in war. He says,
“Nobody ever lives their life all the way up except bull-fighters”
Jake accepts pain quietly. He enjoys Paris, cafés, and work. Robert Cohn is different. He is insecure. He was the middleweight boxing champion of Princeton. But he still feels lonely. He dreams of escape.
Attitude to Life: Jake lives with reality. He knows his wound and accepts limits. Actually, he becomes impotent in war. He loves Brett but controls his feelings. In the taxi, he says,
“Isn’t there anything we can do about it?”
He suffers in silence. Cohn lives in dreams. He reads The Purple Land and wants to go to South America. He thinks escape will solve his pain. Jake warns him,
“You can’t get away from yourself by moving from one place to another.”
Relations with Others: Jake is respected. His friends trust him in Paris cafés like the Select. He hides pain with humor. He helps Brett even when hurt. Cohn is disliked. Harvey Stone calls him “a moron.” He follows Brett and becomes jealous. His weakness makes him an outsider.
Jake and Cohn are opposites. Jake is strong inside, though broken outside. Cohn is strong outside but broken inside. Their story in Paris, Pamplona, and cafés shows two sides of the lost generation.