Manliness
How do each of the characters in
The Sun Also Rises relate to the
theme of manliness?
By Haley Greenfield
Robert Cohn
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Manly He can have sexual relationships
Boxed in college and plays tennis
Unmanly allows himself to be controlled
by the women in his life (Frances)
Follows Brett around
Insecure and self-conscious
Cohn is not a veteran of the Great War
Cohn believes in true love and does not
favor sex as recreation
“Robert Cohn was once middleweight boxing champion of
Princeton. Do not think I am very much impressed by that as a
boxing title, but it meant a lot to Cohn. He cared nothing for
boxing, in fact he disliked it, but he learned it painfully and
thoroughly to counteract the feeling of inferiority and shyness he
had felt on being treated as a Jew at Princeton.”
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Cohn suffers from feelings of inferiority
because he is Jewish
Cohn has an intense need to be accepted
Jake's narration has a tone of
condescension his hostile and skeptical
attitude toward Cohn is bound up with
jealousies and insecurities of his own
Jacob Barnes
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Manly reads Bull fighting magazines, plays
sports
Unmanly feels insecure about his manhood
and takes it out on Cohn’s unmanly behavior
Jake's condition is the most explicit example of
weakened masculinity in the novel
His sexual attraction can never be satisfied,
because he has been castrated in combat during
World War I
He cried when talking to Brett
Lady Brett Ashley
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In many ways, she is more manly than the
men in the book
Has a masculine name
She is strong and independent
She refers to herself as a “chap”
Has a short, masculine haircut
She embodies traditionally masculine
characteristics role reversal
Jake: “Couldn't we live together, Brett?
Couldn't we just live together?”
Brett: “I don't think so. I'd just tromper you
with everybody.”
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Jake begs Brett to be with him
She tells him that she would only cheat on him
since Jake can’t satisfy Brett's need for sex
Brett knows Jake wouldn't be able to stand this
The fact that Jake can’t perform sexually, has left
him emotionally conflicted because he is unable to
be with the love of his life