It's obvious that Robert Cohn doesn't fit in with the likes of Bill, Mike, Brett, and Jake. Discussions in class enlightened me about the reason for why--Cohn doesn't participate in the same ironical manner that his "friends" do. He takes things too seriously, which we see when someone like Jake tells him to "go to hell" and Robert says that he take that back. (47) It's suggested that Robert gets his perception of the world from literature when Jake describes a conversation where Robert says he'd like to South America since he's apparently tired of Paris; "He got the first idea out of a book, and I suppose the second came out of a book too." (20) Another way to describe Cohn's behavior is that his ideals belong to the pre-war era. What happens in a book doesn't always exactly translate to real life, and no longer do the ideals of pre-war society in the modern times the novel takes place in. Robert Cohn's actions, based on the ideals of worlds that don't exist, provoke the ire of Jake and the ironic crowd he hangs around. This comes to a head during Jake and the gang's time in Spain, where about everyone on the trip expresses scorn towards Robert. This is exemplified when Mike gets drunk and says to Cohn "Don't you know you're not wanted?" (146)
If Robert Cohn isn't wanted, then why is hanging out with these people? The answer is that the vacation in Spain was originally suggested by Robert Cohn himself as a fishing trip, of which he asked Jake if he'd like to come. (87) Jake invited Bill along and then Brett and Mike asked if they could come as well, which Jake agreed to. Brett's involvement with Robert is another reason for him staying with these people, but her dumping and him and his inability to fit in with her ways makes this element a reason for him to leave. What still remains is Robert's supposed friendship with Jake.
Despite being friends, Jake shows a lot of animosity towards Robert Cohn. His narration of Cohn's life in the opening pages of the book downplay Cohn's achievements with a mocking air, adding details like "I never met any one of his class who remembered him." (1) An explanation for Jake's behavior is that he's putting down Robert's masculinity (boxing) to keep up his own, since Jake's war injury has created profound insecurity and shame for him. He can never completely fit in with the people around him (as he most intensely experiences with Brett) but Robert Cohn doesn't fit in his surroundings either...could this be part of why Jake is friends with him in the beginning? Or is this similarity between them another reason for Jake to resent Cohn?
Jake says "You know I do know how he feels. He can't believe it didn't mean anything," when he and Brett are discussing Cohn's behavior during the fiesta. (185) Jake is referring to Cohn's brief relationship with Brett and his heartbreak over her going on to another man, a trend that Jake is already well accustomed to. Brett says Jake wouldn't behave as poorly, to which he responds "I'd be as big an ass as Cohn." Jake has established that he and Cohn have some similarities, but suggests that if he weren't different from him and everybody else because of his injury he would be even more like Cohn. Could one of Robert Cohn's roles in the novel be an idea of what Jake could have been like if he weren't injured? Cohn's ideals relate to that of before the war, which was when Jake hadn't had his injury. He's also had a romantic experience with Brett, which angers Jake but is something he can relate to. At an earlier period in time maybe Jake would have felt more openly upset over Brett's actions, maybe in the way Cohn did, but in the present this is no longer the case.
What you propose here is very intriguing, thinking of Cohn as what Jake might have been. Cohn certainly does represent a pre-war mentality while Jake represents the 'lost generation'. I wonder if Jake was born with some of the cynicism we seen in the book, or if it all came about directly from his experiences in WWI. Would Jake and Robert have actually been good friends had it not been for Jake's injury? It's a curious question to consider.
ReplyDeleteI liked your post, especially how Cohn represents the pre-war era's chivalry, values, etc. I think this is a big part as to why he doesn't fit in. He sees the world differently. However, I think there may also be some anti-semitism on the part of the rest of the group. I think this because they rarely fail to mention that Cohn is Jewish. I also think that the "friendship" is more one-sided: Cohn seems to like Jake, but Jake can do little more than tolerate him most of the time.
ReplyDeleteI feel like one of the only differences between Cohn and Jake is that Jake "isn't in the game" with Brett. Jake is cynical because he accepts that he is different than the rest of the group. I think the reason Jake dislikes Cohn is because Cohn is "in the game" but is wasting his chance, a chance that Jake wished he had. Jake is bitter about this and dislikes Cohn for it.
ReplyDeleteCohn definitely seems to be the kind of guy who doesn't readily pick up on hints when people don't want him around any longer--we see him not knowing when to leave at various points in the novel. But it's easy to get a false impression of how mean Jake actually is to him, because he lays it on so thick in his narration. But when we observe Jake interacting with Cohn in public, he's pretty nice to him, and doesn't tend to give voice to his feelings of resentment and competitiveness. I imagine Cohn would be pretty shocked to read Jake's rather nasty, undermining introduction to him at the start of the novel. He thinks of Jake as "the best friend he's got." Jake responds, "God help you"--but only to *us*. Cohn doesn't get it, but that might be partly because Jake acts nice to him in person.
ReplyDelete