How Setting Influences a Story
When comparing Mrs. Dalloway to The Sun Also Rises, a notable difference that I noticed was how people influenced characters' personalities in Mrs. Dalloway but the setting plays a much bigger role in changing characters in The Sun Also Rises.
In The Sun Also Rises, the first part of the book takes place in Paris. During this time, Robert Cohn, as portrayed through Jake's eyes, is a somewhat shy, self-conscious man who takes part in boxing to cover up his low self-esteem. Although some of what we see about Cohn is biased because we are introduced to him negatively from Jake, there is evidence in the text that shows how Cohn isn't as "strong" as a person as Jake. This idea is further proven on page 47 when Jake is joking around and tells Cohn to go to hell and Cohn gets upset by that. As I was reading that scene, I thought about how Cohn reminds me of a kid who hasn't really experienced "reality" and gets upset by trivial things. Another fact about Cohn that led me to this conclusion about him is when Jake explains how Cohn draws ideas about what life is like from what he reads but doesn't' actually live those experiences.
At first, Cohn just seemed like an innocent person who got bullied a lot because of who he was and what his life experiences were like, but after his trip to San Sebastian with Brett, I thought Cohn became slightly cocky. Some people have argued that Cohn changed after his trip with Brett because he finally lived a "real-life experience," but I think he changed because he suddenly thinks that he knows more than everyone else simply because he got to spend time with Brett when other people, like Jake and Bill, didn't. An example of this is seen on page 101 when Cohn makes the bet with Bill about whether or not Brett and Mike will arrive that night. Although Jake's views on Cohn are somewhat biased, his behavioral descriptions of Cohn shed light on Cohn as a character, such as when Jake says "he said it with an air of superior knowledge that irritated both of us". Cohn's cockiness continues on page 104 when he's displaying his "superior knowledge" by saying "I knew they wouldn't come."
In class, we discussed how, now that everyone is in Spain together, we are more clearly able to see the characters' racism, homophobia, and toxic masculinity. I think Hemingway's change in the portrayal of Cohn amplifies the toxic masculinity in society at the time, attempting to show Cohn as a man with confidence and some arrogance rather than as a "man" who gets emotional easily and doesn't take part in life's adventures.
In The Sun Also Rises, the first part of the book takes place in Paris. During this time, Robert Cohn, as portrayed through Jake's eyes, is a somewhat shy, self-conscious man who takes part in boxing to cover up his low self-esteem. Although some of what we see about Cohn is biased because we are introduced to him negatively from Jake, there is evidence in the text that shows how Cohn isn't as "strong" as a person as Jake. This idea is further proven on page 47 when Jake is joking around and tells Cohn to go to hell and Cohn gets upset by that. As I was reading that scene, I thought about how Cohn reminds me of a kid who hasn't really experienced "reality" and gets upset by trivial things. Another fact about Cohn that led me to this conclusion about him is when Jake explains how Cohn draws ideas about what life is like from what he reads but doesn't' actually live those experiences.
At first, Cohn just seemed like an innocent person who got bullied a lot because of who he was and what his life experiences were like, but after his trip to San Sebastian with Brett, I thought Cohn became slightly cocky. Some people have argued that Cohn changed after his trip with Brett because he finally lived a "real-life experience," but I think he changed because he suddenly thinks that he knows more than everyone else simply because he got to spend time with Brett when other people, like Jake and Bill, didn't. An example of this is seen on page 101 when Cohn makes the bet with Bill about whether or not Brett and Mike will arrive that night. Although Jake's views on Cohn are somewhat biased, his behavioral descriptions of Cohn shed light on Cohn as a character, such as when Jake says "he said it with an air of superior knowledge that irritated both of us". Cohn's cockiness continues on page 104 when he's displaying his "superior knowledge" by saying "I knew they wouldn't come."
In class, we discussed how, now that everyone is in Spain together, we are more clearly able to see the characters' racism, homophobia, and toxic masculinity. I think Hemingway's change in the portrayal of Cohn amplifies the toxic masculinity in society at the time, attempting to show Cohn as a man with confidence and some arrogance rather than as a "man" who gets emotional easily and doesn't take part in life's adventures.
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