"Then there was another thing. He had been reading W.H. Hudson> That sounds like an innocent occupation, but Cohn had read and reread "The Purple Land." "The Purple Land" is a very sinister book if read to late in life." (p. 17)
This allusion to "The Purple Land" helps to clarify Cohn's personality indirectly. From the paragraph, one can learn that Cohn is very easily influenced. Secondly, he seems to be severely disappointed in his life. The novel, "The Purple Land" is about a young man's misadventures, according to http://uwpress.wisc.edu/books/2325.htm.
The content of this book, if Cohn was indeed experiencing a mid-life crisis, would only increase his feelings of failure, as expressed by Jake in the novel. I think novel also helps to clarify the time period in which this novel occurs and after reading the information on the previously mentioned website, I understand why it was that Cohn wanted to go to South America initially. Overall, I think this allusion successfully displays and foreshadows his personality to come later in the book, but on a smaller scale. I believe that over time, with more information on Cohn's character, he changes from a likable to an irritating character.
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