Jake's Insecurities: Cohn Edition

 Although Jake likes to claim he is some sort of big macho man, many events in the book make it clear that he is in fact, the opposite. The loss of his uh, manhood, has left him not only physically, but also psychologically damaged. In a way that he feels the need to make up for. One of the ways this insecurity makes itself clear is through Jake's treatment of Robert Cohn. A man who he seems to look down upon, but still is insanely jealous of. 

Cohn is Jewish and considered a sort of outsider in the group. He is old-fashioned and serious in a way the other members of the group dislike. So, they seize on him as an opportunity to release their own insecurities. He tries to win Brett, much like the other men in the group, but the manner in which he does it (differently, and old-fashioned) makes him the object of mockery for the characters as a whole. 

Jake in particular is very resentful of Cohn, calling his trip with Brett "charity" on her part. He seems incredibly angry that someone who he makes fun of can be with Brett but he can't. Most definitely reinforcing the insecurity he feels because of his injury and as a whole. Jake detests Cohn because he is jealous and insecure in his masculinity, and he can't accept that Brett would choose Cohn over him in any situation.  

Comments

  1. KatieOctober 17, 2020 at 2:54 PM

    I think that also Jake may be resentful towards Cohn because while Jake went to the war, Cohn didn't. Jake went to war to fight for his country and ended up losing his chance with Brett but Cohn who stayed home writing gets to be with her. This may be at least one of the sources for Jake's resentment towards Cohn because I think that the points you made in this post are also relevant for Jake's resentment.

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    1. Katya S.October 18, 2020 at 2:56 AM

      I agree wit you. In fact, you mentioned that Cohn stayed home and wrote, and Jake seems to detest that. Jake takes his anger out on Cohn even through Cohn's book. In the beginning of The Sun Also Rises, Jake criticizes Cohn's writing as not great. I think part of that could have been due to Cohn getting to do what he loves and not having to experience the war.

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  2. Zachary's History as Fiction BlogOctober 17, 2020 at 7:42 PM

    I often feel bad for Jake because he is someone who did a truly "noble" act by going to war and ended up sacrificing his body and a lot of his livelihood for his country, even if he did live through the war. And it's not his own fault that this happened to him. But he needs someone to take out his anger on. And you can't take out your anger on "fate" in a general sense, so he chooses Cohen as a scapegoat which is understandable because the human tendency but it's also not a very nice thing to do to someone seems to be pretty boiled and doesn't realize that he's hurting. It's not Cohen's fault, so why does he choose to take it out on him? He doesn't really have any better option, and he's the guy who seems to need to take it out on others, instead of a truly noble person who would accept his sacrifice.

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  3. KiranOctober 18, 2020 at 1:47 AM

    I agree with your reasoning as I find it strange how jealous he is of Cohn, and how angry he gets at him, while seemingly not caring about Mike, Brett's actual fiancé. Your reasoning for why Jake seems to be way more jealous of Cohn fills in these gaps and makes his almost overwhelming jealousness more understandable from an outside perspective.

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  4. EliasOctober 18, 2020 at 6:32 PM

    I very much agree that the source of Jake's hostility towards Cohn is jealousy and a sense of lost manhood. I do feel bad for Jake though, and I don't want to imagine living in his shoes. The way Brett will reject the idea of her and Jake living together/getting married is really painful to read. I feel like Jake is really unfortunate/stupid to fall desperately in love with a woman who'd turn away her "one true love" based on the fact he's unable to perform. I imagine if I was in his place I would also share an anger towards a man like Cohn.

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  5. AnyaOctober 18, 2020 at 10:47 PM

    I agree with the other commenters, who have mentioned that a big part of Jake's resentment towards Cohn is due to the fact that Cohn did participate in the war, which makes him an outsider. I also think part of Jake's hostility towards Cohn is related to simple anti-Semitism on Jake's part.

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  6. Stefania October 20, 2020 at 10:38 PM

    Jake's treatment of Cohn is so interesting - everything that he expresses in his thoughts about him would suggest that he should be totally dismissive and uninterested in him, right? He shouldn't view a man he sees as so lacking in masculinity as a threat, right? Right?? Yet his actions show that he seems to be lying to himself constantly in order to preserve his pride.

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