I haven't posted a blog in a while, and the only ideas I had were about The Sun Also Rises. In particular, I wanted to post more about the differences between Spain and France (more specifically Paris.) In Paris, everyone is either a French native, a tourist, or an expatriate. There are very distinct differences between the groups of natives and non-natives, and between the different groups of non-natives. For example, Jake is often dismissive of the tourists, who he doesn't really like. There's a definite "us vs. them" feeling. The same goes for Jake's group of friends and Robert Cohn. Either because he's Jewish or just not of the right mindset to fit in with them, Cohn is disliked by all of Jake's friends and even by Jake himself. Even the native French people living in Paris follow the "us and them" theme. The only natives we see are employees, or patrons at cafes. They don't interact with Jake and his friends in any significant way.
In contrast to the divided feel of Paris life, Spain is more of a "we as a whole" country. In the tour bus, the Spaniards share their wine with Jake and Bill, and teach them the traditional way to drink it. They refuse to let them pay for it too. This would never happen in Paris. In Spain, everyone is more open and welcoming. The people in the streets, the bullfighters, the bartenders- there are no groups of different people. Everyone fits in. The "us and them" is replaced with "let's share wine from the same wine sack." The only person who doesn't fit in is Cohn, but he doesn't really fit anywhere. It's kinda sad.
