Cohn in the Opening Scene

The opening scene of The Sun Also Rises is a bit disorienting at first. It begins with a description of Robert Cohn, which leads us to believe he is the main character (or at least that's the conclusion I jumped to, never having read the jacket flap or the Sparknotes on the book). This isn't the case at all, and this might seem, initially, a strange move by Hemingway. Like most brilliant moves, though, I believe Hemingway knew exactly what he was doing. Something that may look like an error that mistakenly points readers to a main character who is not the main character, is actually done with intent. It's my theory that Hemingway begins the book with Cohn because although he is not the main character, in Jake's eyes at least, Cohn might as well be. What I mean by this is that Cohn is a huge part of The Sun Also Rises and a huge part of Jake's life, so much so that it makes sense to have him be the first person we meet.

Robert Cohn has an aggravating habit of showing up exactly where Jake does not want him to be, and despite Jake's attempts avoid him, has a way of surfacing in the story around every corner. We cannot escape him. Keeping this in mind, Hemingway's decision to make him the first person we interact with makes a lot more sense, and is kind of a cool judgement call. In a way, this is foreshadowing that, when readers look back on it, is more a slap in the face then a subtle push in the right direction. Hemingway is basically yelling at us and waving his arms when he begins the text with Cohn, saying, "Look over here! This guy's going to be important! In fact, he's going to pop up like this pretty regularly, so pay attention." 

Cohn is also a mastermind at not only being physically omnipresent, but also mentally. Even when he is not present in the story, Jake can often be found thinking about him. Cohn's involvement with Brett frustrates Jake to no end, and in many ways, Cohn has infiltrated Jake's life, even the most intimate parts; he steals Jake's girl, tags along to all the outings, and then, to top it all off, punches Jake in the face. One of those independently might be enough to handle, but all together tip Jake over the edge. For the opening scene, though, we now know that having him take up  our attention, even from the beginning, makes sense; it's what Cohn always does.