on Cohn and the paradox of Hemmingway's masculinity

 What does it mean to be masculine in the eyes of Ernest Hemmingway? This question is toyed with throughout the length of The Sun Also Rises, challenged and manipulated constantly. As this question is asked, we are given multiple incomplete answers- 2 in particular. You have, on one side, the traditional knightish sensibilities of the mild-mannered Cohn: a chivalrous, noble boxer who will do anything to protect the woman he loves. On the other, you have the typical man of the Lost Generation: the hollow Jake Barnes, who's biting sense of sarcasm stands in direct juxtaposition with the headstrong, overtly moral motivations of Cohn. As Hemmingway presents these two ideas, we are treated with a criticism as both which is explored through the lens of this masterwork of his.

To begin with, we must look at Cohn. From his introduction, there is something noble about him, despite Jake's belittling description. Cohn was a boxing champion at Princeton, allegedly a skill he took up to stay safe as a Jew there. Already, we can begin to see the heroic persona forming: a man who is strong and gives no quarter when pressed. This is the classical heroic male figure. And this form of masculinity is at a fundamental dispsotion In the novels of the past, an archetype like this was a must-have throughout any kind of literature; a story must have a hero after all. However, Hemmingway decided to go a different direction. In his own account of writing the novel, he mentions going through multiple developments of the story, some where Robert Cohn was even the hero- a far cry from the laughingstock he is portrayed as in the novel. Obviously, Hemmingway sees great flaw in the way Robert Cohn is masculine. After all, the novel is roman a clef, a portrayal of people Hemmingway personally knew. Ultimately Hemmingway decided a story like this would benefit from the lack thereof, however, and this is reflected in his choice of a narrator, a man who's condition ultimately prohibits him from the key aspects of masculinity that other characters experience so fully.

Jake Barnes is a far cry from Cohn in more ways than just the physical. He is brash and satirical in nature, pragmatic and logical. Things like titles, which as talked about in the intro for Robert Cohn, no longer matter to this modern man. In fact, they are subject to constant ridicule by members of the core cast, who, aside from Cohn, all share a similar satirical view on life. The root cause of this disillusionment, of course, is the war. The war has taken something from everyone, and at the time this would be by FAR the bloodiest conflict the world has ever known. Naturally, after a world changing event, the world would, of course, change. Thus, the previously rigid definitions of heoric masculinity that had been known in pre-war times were gone- anyone who had experienced the horror of the war knew that nothing good came from being a hero in a war you had no stake in. The satrical nature is a coping mechanism which is depicted as still being preferable to the naive and overly traditional masculinity of Cohn. However, this is of course not a perfect idea of masculinity either. Hemmingway views men like this as being hollow, without the purity that makes men great. This is why the men of the lost generation stand in direct contrast to Pedro Romero: Hemmingway's ideal man.

Pedro Romero is unburdened by the weight of the war which suffocates every other character in The Sun Alos Rises. His youth allowed him to escape the war without being due to a lack of masculinity (Robert Cohn), but due to this very avoidance he is able to achieve what nobody else in the book is able to: a pure heart and a reason for living. Every other character in The Sun Also Rises simply is; that is to say they do not have any particular ambition that propels them or challenges them in any way. Hemmuingway's idealized form of a man is of course capable of this. Not only that, but his love for Brett is complicated yet genuine, as opposed to many of the other characters. He does genuinely want the best for her, not due to some naive moral code that he feels obligated to follow but because it is genuinely who he is. In a world permanently and irreversibly scarred by trauma, Pedro Romero stands as a shining beacon of the future, a future Hemmingway hopes the generations after him can one day achieve. 

So, to be masculine in the eyes of Hemmingway you must look no further than Pedro Romero, his prime example. To put it simply, do not be too satircal but do not be too naive. Live to your own morals, not what you think others expect of you. And more than anything, you must have passion to pursue your dreams and make something of yourself.

David 10.27