Direct Characterization

pg 11 "He cared nothing for boxing, in fact he disliked it, but he learned it painfully and thouroughly to counteract the feeling of inferiority and shyness he had felt on being treated as a Jew at Princeton." When i first read chapter 1 i concluded that the majority of the chapter served as a direct characterization of Robert Cohn. This chapter gave me a look at his past experiences as well as described him as a shy and insecure man who only feels his best in the boxing ring. Though I didnt think much of this description of Cohn as i read the book initially, i finally saw where in came into play- the last few chapters. Towards the end of the novel Cohn gets into a fight with Mike and Jake. Although he is practically mute throughout the whole story, he finally stands up for himself- using what he learning in his boxing training as his only defense. This chapter really describes Cohns personality, however the rest of the novel unfolds how the others feel about him. I really don't understand why everyone had such a negative feeling towards Robert Cohn. I understand that they felt his silence was annoying and he was sort of like a shadow that followed them around, but what i dont get is why he even joined him on their trip anyways?