The Sun Also Rises Chapter 6
Jake and Brett have dinner plans, but she fails to arrive as planned. Jake leaves, eventually finding his friend Harvey Stone. Harvey is a failed gambler and says that he has not eaten in many days, due to his losses. Jake gives him some money.
The two then happen to run into Robert, who is waiting for his fiance, Frances. Harvey then leaves, but not before insulting Robert. Frances arrives and asks to speak privately with Jake. She then bemoans to Jake that Robert seems to no longer wish to marry her, which is particularly distressing to her, as she feels that age has taken her beauty and that now no man will ever want her. She is upset that her attempts to be published as a writer have failed, and that she receives no alimony from her first husband since she had rushed the divorce to marry Robert.
The two return to the table with Robert, where she manipulatively tells Jake that Robert has offered her a significant amount of money to take a trip to England, but that she had to beg and plead for the money. She sarcastically describes the friends she will be obligated to visit there, comments designed only to irritate Robert.
Next, she defiantly states that Robert refuses to marry her only because Robert has always wished for a mistress, and if the two marry, then their relationship will no longer be salacious. Robert endures the verbal abuse, and Jake excuses himself to escape the toxic conversation.
Analysis
Character development seems to be the most important aspect of this chapter. We learn much more about Robert Cohn through the dialogue of others, most notably Frances. Frances is shown to be overbearing, and willing to verbally abuse Robert without a second thought, yet Robert accepts this as his fate, giving him a hang-dog approach to this relationship. We find that Frances is at least somewhat aware of Robert’s desire to be with other women, but along with Robert’s lack of fortitude, we understand that he may not have the courage to follow that pursuit.
Robert’s unpopularity becomes clearer, as Harvey bluntly insults him, Frances disparages him, and even the narrator expresses less than glowing reviews of his friend’s qualities.
