Ethnicity as a Scapegoat
It’s no secret that Jake and Robert had some tension in The Sun Also Rises . Evident in their fight, and the rocky aftermath, they definitely had some animosity toward each other. Jake described Robert as nice and friendly, only following it by calling him “bitter” (Hemingway 4). Jake uses these qualities to somewhat uplift Robert, but then immediately downplays his personality. Throughout the book, Robert Cohn’s friends used his Jewish identity as a way to express their underlying hatred for him. More inconspicuously, he is referred to as “Cohn,” rather than his first name like the rest of the characters. Similar to how Lady Brett Ashley was commonly referred to just “Brett”–to emphasize her androgyny, as you can only mention her appearance so many times–Robert being called “Cohn” was likely to emphasize the fact that he was Jewish. By almost exclusively using his surname, the characters can point out...