The Sun Also Rises

Over the next winter, Cohn goes to New York, and his new novel is accepted by a reputable publisher. There, many women take an interest in him, and he loses interest in Frances. She caught him on the rebound from his marriage, but now he sees that he appeals to other women. He returns to Paris feeling more optimistic about America than ever. It seems that the publishers’ praise of his novel has restored his confidence.

Cohn has been reading The Purple Land, a book filled with romantic overseas adventures. Jake believes that this book is dangerous if read too late in life, such as at age 34, like Cohn. In the office where Jake works as a journalist, Cohn asks Jake to go with him to South America. Jake is not interested, but Cohn persists, and even offers to pay all expenses. Jake suggests instead going to East Africa to hunt, which does not interest Cohn. They go downstairs to the café, which Jake has discovered to be “the best way to get rid of friends” (19).

Cohn worries that his life is just passing by and that he isn’t taking advantage of it. Jake tells Cohn that he can’t move around the world in an effort to get away from himself. Jake suggests Cohn instead try exploring different parts of the city, but Cohn says he doesn’t care for Paris. Jake feels sorry for Cohn; however, he also thinks Cohn is ridiculous and stubborn.

To escape the discussion, Jake says he has to get back up to the office, but Cohn invites himself along. Jake works, and Cohn falls asleep in a chair. In his sleep, Cohn says, “I can’t do it. Nothing will make me do it” (20). Jake thinks he knows what Cohn was dreaming about. He notes that he has “a rotten habit of picturing his friends in bedroom scenes. They go to a café to have a drink and watch the evening crowd.

Cohn leaves and Jake sits alone on the café terrace. He catches the eye of a good-looking sex worker (slang: poule) who comes over and sits down with him. They have a drink and exchange banter. When she smiles, he is put off by her bad teeth. They take a horse-cab into the Tuileries. She “look[s] up to be kissed,” but Jake doesn’t kiss her. She asks if he’s sick and he says he is.

They go to a restaurant and she, Georgette, doesn’t like the place. Through internal monologue, Jake notes that he “picked her up because of a vague sentimental idea that it would be nice to eat with someone” (24). She says it is a shame that he’s sick and asks what’s wrong with him. He tells her that he got hurt in the war.

From across the room, Jake’s friend, Braddocks, calls out to him. Jake and Georgette join Braddocks and his wife, who are sitting with Cohn and Frances. Jake introduces Georgette as his fiancée. Georgette explains to Mrs. Braddocks that Jake is joking.

The group goes to a dance club, which is hot and mostly empty, but the owner plays the accordion and they all dance. Two taxis pull up to the club and a group of young men get out. Jake notes their “white hands, wavy hair, white faces, grimacing, gesturing, talking” (28). Along with them is Lady Brett Ashley, who looks lovely.

Jake is angered by the men. Internally, he says, “I know they are supposed to be amusing, and you should be tolerant, but I wanted to swing on one, any one, anything to shatter that superior, simpering composure” (28). He instead goes alone to a neighboring bar. When he returns to the dance club, he sees Georgette dancing with all the young men. 

Jake sits down at a table and is introduced to a young novelist named Robert Prentiss, who asks him about Paris. Jake becomes bored and annoyed with Prentiss and goes to the bar to have a drink with Cohn. Brett joins them. Cohn looks at her like “his compatriot must have looked when he saw the promised land” (29). Jake sarcastically remarks to Brett that she has brought along a “fine crowd.” She says that they are men with whom she can drink safely. Cohn asks her to dance, but Brett has promised the next dance to Jake. While dancing, Jake sees Cohn staring at Brett and pokes fun at how she enjoys making men fall in love with her. Jake acknowledges that he feels happy.

Jake and Brett decide to go to another establishment. He leaves 50 francs with the bar’s patronne and tells her that, if Georgette asks for him, she should be given the money; if she leaves the bar with one of the young men, the patronne should save the money and return it to him instead. Jake and Brett get into a taxi. He asks her where she wants to go, and she says she wants to just drive around. She says to Jake, “Oh, darling, I’ve been so miserable” (32). 

Jake and Brett’s taxi climbs a hill and they pass along several streets. He watches her face become illuminated by the city lights. The light disappears and he kisses her. For a moment, their lips hold tight but then she moves away from him and tells him not to touch her. She says she can’t stand it. He asks her if she loves him. She tells him she turns to jelly when he touches her, but that she “doesn’t want to go through that hell again” (34). He suggests that they stay away from each other. They talk about how wounds like Jake’s seem like a joke.

Jake acknowledges that it is fun to be in love; Brett disagrees. They decide to go to the Café Select, and Brett asks Jake to kiss her once more before they arrive.

Many of their friends are at the café. Brett’s friend, Zizi, introduces her to Count Mippipopolous. Jake talks with Braddocks, who tells him that Georgette got in a row over something the patronne’s daughter said. Jake says goodbye to Brett and the count, claiming he must leave because of a bad headache. Brett notes that she received a letter from Mike.

Jake goes home, sorts the mail, and says to himself, “To hell with you, Lady Ashley” (38). He undresses and looks at his wound in the mirror and supposes that in a way, it is funny. He struggles to sleep. Lying in bed, he wonders what happened to the Italians who were with him in the hospital and had the same injury. He thinks about how he used to just play along, but that changed when he went to England and met Brett. He figures that Brett, like all people, wants what she can’t have. He begins to cry. Listening to the passing trams, he eventually falls asleep. 

He awakens to a disturbance out on the street. A drunk Brett has come to visit him, much to the annoyance of the concierge. She comes into his apartment and tells him about the count, whose company she has enjoyed. The count offered her $10,000 to go with him to Biarritz or Cannes or Monte Carlo, but she declined because she is too well known in those places.

Brett says she told the count that she loves Jake. The count wants to take them to dinner the following night and Jake agrees to go. She tells Jake that the count is waiting downstairs and invites him to continue the night’s festivities with them. Jake declines, ostensibly because he’s too far behind with work. They kiss goodnight, and through the window, he watches her get into a big limousine.

In the morning, Jake takes pleasure in his walk to work. At the newspaper office, he is productive. He goes with other correspondents to a government press conference but finds it to be a waste of time.

Back at the office, Cohn waits for him. They go out to lunch and order hors d’oeuvres and beers. Cohn tells him that the work on his second novel is going poorly. Cohn still wants to visit South America, but Frances prevents him from going. Jake suggests Cohn tell her to go to hell.

Cohn asks Jake what he knows about Brett. Jake tells her that she’s getting a divorce and is engaged to Mike Campbell. Cohn sings her praises and says he might be in love with her. This annoys Jake, who tells him that Brett is a drunk and will become rich through her marriage to Mike. He then explains how Brett’s true love died of dysentery. Cohn accuses Jake of talking bitterly and Jake tells him to go to hell. Cohn is greatly offended and insists that Jake take it back. Jake tells him that he shouldn’t go to hell. Rather, he should stick around because they’re about to have lunch.

After lunch, they go for a coffee and Jake can sense that Cohn wants to talk more about Brett. He manages to avoid the topic and leaves Cohn, returning to his office.

That evening, Jake goes to a hotel to meet Brett, but she doesn’t show up. He has a drink in the bar and then goes to the Café Select. Outside the café, he sees Harvey Stone and sits down with him. Harvey tells him he hasn’t eaten in five days because he is broke. Jake gives him some money and they have a drink. They talk about how Mencken is no longer an exceptional writer.

Cohn arrives at their table and Harvey immediately calls him a moron. They squabble and Cohn leaves to eat elsewhere. Jake joins Cohn, who explains how he’s been struggling to write. Through narration, Jake goes into greater detail describing Cohn’s appearance and demeanor. 

Frances joins them and asks Jake to step away to talk with her. They cross the street and get a table. Frances explains that Cohn wants to leave her because he’s decided that he hasn’t lived enough. She worries that now she is too old for any man to want to marry her. Although Jake tries to assure her that she’s desirable, they acknowledge that there’s nothing they can do about Cohn’s decision.

They return to Café Select and Frances continuously insults Cohn. They argue about Cohn’s affection for other women. She accuses Cohn of leaving her so he can get more material for his book. Jake leaves the table and then watches through a window, wondering why Cohn would “keep on taking it like that” (58). Jake sneaks away and gets a taxi back to his apartment.

At Jake’s apartment building, the concierge gives him some letters and a telegram. She tells him that the lady who visited the night before had again come by, and that this time she was very nice. It was Brett, and she was with the count. The telegram is from Bill Gorton, who will soon arrive in town.

Jake takes a shower and then Brett and the count appear at his door. The count has brought him roses. Jake asks Brett why she didn’t show up at the hotel and Brett doesn’t remember that they had scheduled a date. The count tells her that she had been very drunk. Jake goes to his bedroom to change and Brett comes in. He tells her he loves her, and she asks if she should send away the count. She exits, tells the count to go fetch some champagne, and returns to the bedroom.

Jake asks if they could just live together. Brett says it wouldn’t work because she would be unfaithful to him. She tells him that she is going away tomorrow to San Sebastian, and that Mike will soon be returning. Jake wants to join her, but she tells him to not be obstinate.

The count returns with champagne. They discuss the value of having a title before their names. The count smokes a cigar and tells Brett that she has “the most class of anybody [he’s] ever seen” (65). He explains that he isn’t joking and that he teases anyone because that makes enemies. Brett agrees and says that that must be why she doesn’t have any friends except for Jake. She tells the count that she doesn’t joke Jake.

They drink the champagne, which Jake finds amazing. The count lifts his shirt and shows his scars from the arrow wounds he received while a young man in Abyssinia. He tells Jake that because he has lived so much, he can now thoroughly enjoy everything. Jake enthusiastically agrees with this sentiment.

After three bottles of champagne, they go to a restaurant for dinner. The count suggests that Brett and Jake get married, but they assert their independence. The count orders a bottle of the oldest brandy in the house.

They go to a crowded jazz club in Montmartre. Brett and Jake dance. Brett tells Jake that he’s a bad dancer and that Mike is a great dancer. Jake tells her that he likes Mike. Brett says she will marry him, even though he hasn’t entered her mind for a week. The music stops and they go over to the count’s table. The count compliments their dancing.

Brett and Jake again dance. She tells him that she’s miserable. Internally, Jake notes that he has “that feeling of going through something that has all happened before” (70). They leave the club and the count stays behind. At Brett’s hotel, she tells Jake not to come up. They kiss, but Brett pushes him away. They kiss again and she turns away quickly to go into the hotel. Jake returns home and goes to sleep.