From 1914-1918, World War One took place. The war was a traumatizing, bloody occurrence for anyone who was involved. These expatriates were, generally, given the nickname, “The Lost Generation”. This label described the people’s loss of honor and value. Ernest Hemingway, who coined the phrase, dives into the days of the lives of the war veterans and nurses after the war by writing the novel, The Sun Also Rises. In this story, Ernest follows the lives of several expatriates. The main character Jake tries to find himself throughout the streets of Paris in 1929 and other exotic places. He shares this same goal with his friends. In the middle of this process, him and his best friend are falling in love with the same girl. Hemingway, also, displays his love for bullfighting during the book. Hemingway develops the theme of Romanticism vs. Realism by comparing certain traits of the characters and addressing the topic of the “Lost Generation”.
Robert Cohn is a tad different from the other characters in The Sun Also Rises. You may describe him as a “FOIL” character. He, mostly, has romantic ideas and beliefs. There are several factors that could contribute to this fact. First, he was not a part of the war. Therefore, he isn’t able to imagine what the other people in the book are going through and what feelings they are experiencing. Second, the women in his life have tied him down and have never allowed him to have his own wants and needs. Once he is free of them, he experiences a sort of enlightening period. “The Purple Land is a very sinister book if read too late in life.” (Hemingway 17) The book that contributed to this enlightenment was The Purple Land. It was full of exotic and daring events. Cohn wanted to do more with his life than he was previously doing. Finally, he asks Jake to join him. Jake does not understand Robert’s thinking.
Jake Barnes is a realist. He, along with most of his friends, is