city of lights, not so bright.

One of the most interesting things I have encountered in my reading of The Sun Also Rises so far is the behavior of the American expatriates toward the places they travel to in Europe, especially Paris. The Literary Expatriates in Paris article places great emphasis on the artistic appeal of Paris, and the extensive expatriate community that flourished there in the periods following both world wars. However, in the novel, some of the characters show a distaste for many of the places they have been to in Europe. Early in the novel Jake talks about his own distaste of the roads in Paris, along with Cohn's dislike of Paris itself (determined to be most likely a result of the literature he reads)Parisian Cafe. When Cohn returns from New York, "he was more enthusiastic about America than ever."
In contrast, the "Literary Expatriates in Paris" article states that many Americans flocked to Paris because of the, "vitality of its artistic and intellectual scene, by its apparent tolerance for innovation and experimentation, [and] by the high respect accorded the artist by Parisians..." The article also says that these expatriates chose to leave America because of it was considered, "artistically, intellectually, politically, racially, or sexually limiting or even oppressive." The reversal of these perceptions of Old World and New World in The Sun Also Rises is very interesting. In some ways it seems like the characters in the novel tend to believe "the grass is greener," on the other side of the Atlantic, but stay in Paris nonetheless (although continuing to travel within Europe). This restlessness might also impact the way they view Paris.
This argument also reminded me of our own perceptions of New York before we came, and how those changed once we got here. Just something to think about in conjunction with the novel.
P.S. I'm really sorry for posting this at 3 AM. I've had a pretty rough evening, so please forgive my lateness :)