Robert Cohn Character Analysis in The Sun Also Rises

An ex-boxer from Princeton and a writer. He is the only one of the male characters who is not a veteran of the war. He is divorced, and at the beginning of the novel is in a relationship with Frances Clyne, though he drops her after publishing a novel. He believes in love, romance and the ideals he finds in literature but he gets on the nerves of most of the other men in the novel by the way he pathetically hangs around Brett and with his "superior, Jewish" way. He becomes a target for the other men's dissatisfaction.

Robert Cohn Quotes in The Sun Also Rises

The The Sun Also Rises quotes below are all either spoken by Robert Cohn or refer to Robert Cohn. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

I mistrust all frank and simple people, especially when their stories hold together, and I always had a suspicion that perhaps Robert Cohn had never been middleweight boxing champion. – Jake

Related Characters: (speaker),

Page Number and Citation: 12

Explanation and Analysis:

"I can't stand it to think my life is going so fast and I'm not really living it."
"Nobody ever lives life all the way up except bull-fighters"
– Cohn and Jake

Related Characters: (speaker), (speaker)

Related Symbols:

Page Number and Citation: 18

Explanation and Analysis:

"You can't get away from yourself by moving from one place to another. " – Jake

Related Characters: (speaker),

Page Number and Citation: 19

Explanation and Analysis:

I have never seen a man in civil life as nervous as Robert Cohn – nor as eager. I was enjoying it. It was lousy to enjoy it, but I felt lousy. Cohn had a wonderful quality of bringing out the worst in anybody. – Jake

Related Characters: (speaker),

Page Number and Citation: 103

Explanation and Analysis:

It was like certain dinners I remember from the war. There was much wine, an ignored tension, and a feeling of things coming that you could not prevent happening. Under the wine I lost the disgusted feeling and was happy. It seemed they were all such nice people. – Jake

Related Characters: (speaker), , , ,

Page Number and Citation: 151

Explanation and Analysis:

Robert Cohn Character Timeline in The Sun Also Rises

The timeline below shows where the character Robert Cohn appears in The Sun Also Rises. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

The narrator, Jake Barnes, describes Robert Cohn, who was a middleweight boxing champion in college at Princeton University. Born into an old,... (full context)

Jake comments that he naturally distrusts anyone who seems as simple and honest as Cohn, but after some checking around he did verify that Cohn was in fact what he... (full context)

Cohn emerged from college shy and self-conscious, and quickly married the first girl who was nice... (full context)

Cohn moved to California after the divorce. He fell in with a literary crowd and began... (full context)

When the magazine failed, Frances decided to get what she could from Cohn, and got him to take her to Europe. They settled in Paris. Cohn lives on... (full context)

...this same time, Frances realizes that she's losing her good looks and shifts from treating Cohn carelessly to trying to get him to marry her. Jake notices this change in Frances... (full context)

Later, Cohn walks Jake out of the café and scolds Jake for making Frances jealous. Any mention... (full context)

That winter, Robert Cohn takes his novel to America and it is accepted by a publisher, and several women... (full context)

Cohn is at the same time having a lucky streak with bridge, and becomes vain about... (full context)

Jake realizes how affected Cohn has been by the book when Cohn comes to Jake's office and asks him to... (full context)

Jake suggests they have a drink, intending to then leave Cohn in the bar and come back to the office. Cohn continues the same argument in... (full context)

Jake excuses himself to return to his office. Cohn asks to come and sit with him. While Jake works, Cohn falls asleep. Later, wanting... (full context)

After Cohn leaves, Jake goes by himself to a café and watches the crowds. He is interested... (full context)

...calling out to him. He sees a group of his friends, including Frances and Robert Cohn sitting at another table. (full context)

Brett walks over to Jake. As they greet each other, Jake notices Cohn looking at the "damned good-looking" Brett, as if towards the "promised land." Brett jokes with... (full context)

In his office, Jake finds Cohn waiting for him. Cohn asks Jake to lunch. At the restaurant, Jake asks if Cohn... (full context)

Cohn then asks Jake about Lady Brett Ashley. Jake tells him what he knows: that she's... (full context)

Cohn accuses Jake of sounding bitter, and. Jake tells Cohn to go to hell. Cohn stands... (full context)

As the two of them talk and drink, they spot Cohn, who is waiting for Frances. Harvey insults Cohn, calling him a moron, and then asks... (full context)

Cohn says his writing isn't going very well, that it's harder than the first time. Jake,... (full context)

...arrives, and asks to speak privately with Jake. When they're alone, she tells Jake that Cohn has refused to marry her, saying that he just can't do it. She worries that... (full context)

Back with Cohn, Frances, with obviously sarcastic cheerfulness, tells Jake that Cohn has given her two hundred francs... (full context)

Jake doesn't see Brett or Cohn for a good long while. He receives one brief, appropriately warm postcard from Brett in... (full context)

The next morning, Jake gets a telegraph from Cohn, who says he's in the country having a quiet time, playing golf and bridge, but... (full context)

Once they're alone, Brett asks Jake if Cohn is coming on the trip. When she learns that he is, she worries that it... (full context)

Four days later, Brett tells Jake that she's heard back from Cohn, who wants to come even though he knows that Brett and Mike will be there... (full context)

They meet Cohn at the station in Bayonne. He is shy around Bill, because he's read Bill's books.... (full context)

...like leaving, but they sort out the money for the rooms. While they wait for Cohn to finish up in his room, Jake sees a cockroach and they say it must... (full context)

Cohn joins them and the cab and driver arrives. Soon they are out in the country,... (full context)

Cohn tries to cancel one of the meat courses. He seems nervous, and doesn't know that... (full context)

At dinner, Cohn arrives shaved, shampooed, and nervous. Brett and Mike are due on the train, and Cohn... (full context)

...they return to the hotel, Bill asks if he can pay off the bet later. Cohn tells him to forget the bet. He'd rather bet on something else, like the bullfights.... (full context)

...card from Brett, saying they've stopped in San Sebastian. Jake, jealous and angry, spitefully tells Cohn that they send their regards. The men decide to get the earliest bus the next... (full context)

Later, Cohn announces that he has decided he won't leave with them. In a confidential tone, he... (full context)

Back at the hotel, Bill says that Cohn told him all about the date with Brett, which makes Jake angry. Bill comments that... (full context)

The next morning, Jake and Bill leave Cohn behind and board a bus to go to a small rural town of Burguete. The... (full context)

...is. Harris tells him it's Wednesday. Later that same day they receive a telegram from Cohn, which says that he will arrive in Burgueta on Thursday. They respond that instead they... (full context)

Afterwards, they go to a café and discuss the unloading. Cohn jokes that he wouldn't want to be a steer, at which Mike erupts in fury,... (full context)

...everything, the group has a nice meal. Brett looks stunning in a black dress, and Cohn watches her relentlessly. Jake likens it to dinners during the war, when everyone ignored the... (full context)

Jake then starts thinking about morality and about Mike's insults of Cohn. He feels bad for Cohn and wishes that Mike hadn't done that, but admits to... (full context)

...town. In the mornings of those quiet two days, they all keep their own time, Cohn getting shaves, Jake taking walks, all meeting up for drinks. On the day before the... (full context)

...he returns he finds the others singing and dancing, while Mike eating with some locals. Cohn, they tell him, has passed out. Bill says lightly that he thinks Cohn is dead.... (full context)

After his nap Cohn reappears, and the group walks to the hotel and have a big meal. The restaurant... (full context)

...begin that afternoon. Jake and Bill sit close to the action, while Brett, Mike and Cohn sit further up in the stands. Jake warns Brett not to look when the horses... (full context)

...mentions Romero, Mike says she couldn't keep her eyes off him. Mike then adds that Cohn, in contrast, was made sick by the gore. Brett says she wants to sit below... (full context)

Mike now once again starts to insult Cohn, shouting at him to go away, begging him to see when he isn't wanted, and... (full context)

...to go off and make fun of the English tourists. Brett decides to stay behind. Cohn tries to stay with her, but she snaps at him to get going because she... (full context)

When they're alone, Brett complains to Jake about Mike and Cohn's behaviors, both of which she finds disgusting. Jake defends Mike, saying how hard it's been... (full context)

They go to another café, where Cohn finds them. He demands to know where Brett is. Jake claims not to know, but... (full context)

When Jake gets in to the hotel, Bill tells him that Cohn wants to see him. Jake doesn't want to, but finally gives in when Bill insists.... (full context)

Back in the hotel, as Jake tries and fails to sleep, he curses Cohn for believing in true love. Then Mike and Bill knock on the door. They tell... (full context)

By the next morning, Cohn has left Pamplona. Brett, looking beautiful but with shaking hands, meets Jake, Bill, and Mike... (full context)

...in a row, which makes him feel slightly better. Bill says he is sorry for Cohn, and Jake speculates that he'll go back to Frances. Despite everything they agree that the... (full context)

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Robert Cohn Character Analysis

Robert Cohn Quotes in The Sun Also Rises

Robert Cohn Character Timeline in The Sun Also Rises

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