The beginning of
Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises
showed the prevalent prejudice against Jews of the era in which the novel was
written. Most of the description of Robert Cohn at the beginning shows how Jews
were treated and viewed during this time. The narrator states that Cohn felt inferior
at Princeton because of how he was “treated as a Jew” (11). Cohn felt the
anti-Semitism when he went to Princeton, but not as much before: “No one had
ever made him feel he was a Jew, and hence any different from anybody else,
until he went to Princeton” (12). The high society at Princeton treated him as
less than them because he was Jewish; there was no other reason. The
description focused on his nose as well. Cohn had the stereotypical Jewish nose
before it was flattened during his boxing career at Princeton. The narrator
says that boxing, especially when it flattened his nose, “certainly improved
his nose” (11). This description of one Jewish character shows the prejudice
and stereotyping that led up to the Second World War.
It really is telling of the period, mid 1920s, that Hemingway would characterize Cohn in this way. I think that throughout the novel Hemingway uses such slurs popular to his time, in a very casual way. Recall that he (via Jake) refers to Georgette (his "fiancee") as a 'poule,' which a quick Google search defines that as a French chicken--basically it's diminutive language for a French woman. Later when Jake walks into a cafe, he spots 'nigger drummers,' which is also horribly offensive in the parlance of our times. This novel is a time capsule in this way, showing contemporary readers what sorts of things were said casually of others back then.
ReplyDeleteI found Hemingway's language to be very interesting, and it helps the reader to understand the feelings of the time period. I thought that his depiction of Cohn as being Jewish was a great way to help the readers not only understand Cohn, but to help understand Jake's views of Cohn. Hemingway does not leave Cohn's character as being defined by his Jewish background, as he continues to have Jake explain Cohn further throughout the book. He explains Jake's writing, boxing, and desire to travel. He makes Cohn out to be a well-rounded character, and I find this a brilliant way to incorporate stereotypes, but also to break free of them.
ReplyDeleteHemingway does later explain Cohn further and Cohn becomes a well-rounded character. But, I was struck by the Jewish stereotypes used to describe Cohn in the very beginning of the novel. He later becomes a fully developed character.
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