The Sun Also Rises Chapter Summary & Analysis | Book 1, Chapter 1

Book 1, Chapter 1 Summary

Jake Barnes, the first-person narrator, is an American expatriate in his mid-30's. He lives in Paris and he works as a reporter. However, instead of telling the reader much about himself, he begins by introducing Robert Cohn another expatriate living in Paris. Cohn is a writer who has just sold a book and, as the story begins, Jake moves through Cohn's history.

After encountering severe anti-Semitism upon arriving at Princeton, Cohn, who is Jewish, decides to take up boxing in order to prove his worth to his fellow students. Though Cohn does not like boxing, he is very good in the ring and he wins Princeton's middleweight boxing title. Unfortunately, he is so good at boxing that he is overmatched against a much larger man and Cohn gets a severely broken, squashed nose as a result.

Following graduation, Cohn gets married to a girl who is actually nice to him,...
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