During our in-class discussion yesterday we talked about the fishing scene in Spain, which included Jake, Bill, and the good outdoors. There were two main points of interest brought up that I thought were interesting; what this trip did for Jake, and the 'bromance' (if you will) between Jake and Bill.
First of all, I think a very important thing to note is that fact that Cohn is not present during this particular point in the Spain trip. It's been clear throughout the entire duration of the book that Cohn has been a particularly grating part of Jake's days--it seems like any time they're involved in a situation together (the scene with Jake and Cohn plus Cohn's wife; the scene where Cohn decides to exercise his masculinity and demand that Jake revoke his "going to hell" sentiment; I'm sure there will be more the more we read), I wonder more and more why Jake is around him. Jake himself noted that he was Cohn's tennis friend, while Cohn considered Jake to be one of his besties--there's some incongruity there. With that in mind, the absence of Cohn provides Jake some relief, and a space in which I think he can authentically be himself. I think that Jake spends a lot of time putting up a facade, and with the advent of the whole Cohn-Brett situation (which, to him, shouldn't even be a situation to begin with) things have just been tense.
I was surprised when Bill brought up Brett. I'm 100% sure that an exchange like the one that occurred between Bill and Jake wouldn't have happened if Cohn had ended up coming along, after all. I also think their back-and-forth on the topic is illustrative of the relationship that the two men have.
Up until this point, Jake hadn't really been discussing "Brett business" much with anyone else but, well, Brett. I think it's really telling that Jake didn't tell him to shove off immediately, and that Bill felt inclined that he could ask such a question. Mr. Mitchell brought up the point of whether or not their friendship could be extended and called "brotherly love," but I think that's slightly more complicated. It's hard to really know what platonic love would look like for Jake, especially considering that he's a rather withdrawn person and doesn't share his feelings very often. However, I do think that there is something to be said for the fact that Jake and Bill can joke so freely with each other and even briefly bring up such topics as women.
You're right, if Cohn had come on the fishing trip, it would definitely have lost some of its "dudes hanging out" feel. At least in 4th hour, we toyed with the idea of the fishing trip having a slight homosexual feel, which you touch on in your last paragraph. I'm skeptical of this idea, as romantic love and friendships share certain qualities that can lead them to to mistaken for each other. Your point about Brett is interesting. I kind of glossed over it, but now that you mention it, I also realized that Bill seems to be the only character -- aside from Jake and Brett, themselves -- who knows they are in love with each other (the count alluded to it, but I think he inadvertently spoke the truth in a joke),
ReplyDeleteI also think it's significant that Jake never seems bitter about Bill, like he does about Cohn (or even Brett). Bill always seems to give him a good conversation. Plus Bill has basically told Jake "I love you man,", which I doubt he would tell anyone else. I think it's really good for Jake to have someone that he can trust to talk about Brett (and just everything else too). Jake seems at his happiest when he's alone or when he's with Bill.
ReplyDeleteThere are definitely some interesting changes in the dynamics in this scene. First of all, when this chapter starts (Bill won't get up, Jake's digging for worms), both Bill and Jake are sober together which is very rare in this novel. Second, I think you're really right about Cohn having a big affect on the dynamic between Jake and Bill, I almost feel like Jake and Bill have been wanting to have this kind of vacation, they just haven't been able to because Cohn is there.
ReplyDeleteIt's kind of funny that we see Cohn as this almost unnecessary character when he can have such a noticeable effect on a scene—even by not being there. A lot of the scenes where Cohn is actually present are focused around what a nuisance he is. Think of what that fishing trip might have been focused around if Cohn had come along; like you said, it definitely wouldn't have ventured into "Brett business," at least not civilly. The fact that he's NOT there does more for the story and for Jake and Bill's relationship than the scenes he's actually present in do.
ReplyDeleteIt's good to point out how unique this exchange is in the novel--not only because we see Jake and another guy talking (mostly without irony) about their feelings for one another, but because it reveals that Bill knows about Jake's wound (aside from Brett, he may be the only one) and that therefore he has something pretty specific in mind with "that Brett business." He seems to be the only one, apart from Jake and Brett, who gets the real nature of the tension between them. Most others don't seem to perceive any tension at all--it's just "good old Jake" and his crazy friend.
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