Subject: Hemmingway-The Sun Also Rises

In the novel The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway, a reader is 
forced to decide weather the spite that the Jake has for Chon 
originates from Jake¹s racist background, or his deeply seeded 
jealousy of Chon for having a brief affair with Brett. Even though it 
is clear that Jake has racist views, the hatred he has for his former 
friend Chon Chon is strictly based on the jealousy he feels towards 
Chon for the weekend he spent with Brett.
 Jake goes in to great detail about Chon¹s early life. He speaks 
highly and admiringly of Chon, but in a condescending way. A reader 
get her first hint on page one that Jake has some racist feelings 
toward Chon. He speaks of how Chon's nose was flattened in a boxing 
match and concluded the sentence with ³...and it certainly improved 
his nose² (11). This can be taken as a reference to the stereotypical 
³Jew² nose that is often associated with Jewish people. Jake and Chon 
are close friends, and Jake likes him up to the point where he becomes 
involved with Brett. Jake goes on and on about all of the 
relationship mistakes in Chon¹s life. There is an hint of jealousy 
that appears in Jake's tone. He states that women began to become 
attracted to Chon as he got older, and that it ³changed him so that 
he was not so pleasant to have around² (16). There is racism in 
Jake¹s tone, but Jake¹s problem with Chon is is strictly one of 
jealousy. 
 By this time Jake has already developed an extreme distaste for 
Chon¹s endeavors with women, but these feelings their peak when Chon 
and Lady Brett have a brief affair. Jake, having unconditional love 
for Brett, blames the entire incident on Chon. In turn, Chon makes as 
point to rub it in Jake¹s face. Jake says ³...it was giving him 
pleasure to be able to talk with the understanding that I knew there 
was something between them² (106). Jake has a great deal of trouble 
dealing with this. It has nothing to do with the fact that Chon is 
Jewish, Jake is merely jealous of him. It would not be manly for Jake 
to openly admit his jealousy, and blame the jealousy on his harsh 
feelings toward Chon. As a result Jake falls back on the fact that 
Chon is Jewish, and uses that as an excuse for his anger. 
 One of the reasons that Jake was so hurt by Chon¹s affair with Brett 
was that Jake knows that Brett will always love him, and has no 
feelings for Chon other than a temporary lust. Chon is unable to 
accept the fact that Brett does not care at all for him, and he makes 
it very difficult to for people to enjoy his company. Bill says²he 
makes me sick and he can go to hell,and I am damn glad he is staying 
here...²(108). These is not a racial based opinion, Chon just has an 
unpleasant personality. Everyone in the group agrees that Chon¹s 
presence is not enjoyable, but nobody feels it the way Jake does.
 In this story Jake allows the woman that he to loves run his life and 
occupy his thoughts. Jake is a bitter person, and he is living in a 
time of unhappiness and depression that resulted from the war. The 
hate he feels for his former friend Chon Chon is not one of racism; 
before the incident with Brett they were close friends. This is just 
another case of a woman coming in between two male friends. The affair 
might not have even affected that relationship, it is Chon's reaction 
to the affair that spoils the friendship. Jake is jealous of Chon 
because he knows that Brett loves only him.