In order to examine how Romero displays the qualities defined in Hemingway’s code of ethics, we must first return to Romero’s introduction into the story. Romero is described as a handsome, dignified young man, who is an exceptional bullfighter. He “saved his bulls for the last when he wanted them, smoothly worn down” and “always worked to the bull”. He is able to work with his bulls at a very close distance, wearing them down until he feels like ending the fight. This description of Romero’s type of bullfighting reinforces Hemingway’s code, by showing how Romero handles himself assuredly and confronts the danger head-on. Bullfighting is an unpredictable… “hobby” and many find themselves standing far from the bull and taunting it then pulling away at the last second. However, Romero exhibits his physical prowess, and mental toughness by working closely with each bull he fights.
One thing that is noteworthy about Romero’s role in the story, is how he is juxtaposed with the other men in the book, mainly Jake, making his qualities seem much better. He is introduced considerably late in the story, allowing time for the men such as Robert, Jake, and Mike to show their true colors, and how “weak” they really are as male characters. Hemingway’s hero would be some one who handles himself surely and faces his problems head on. With Robert, Mike, and Jake, it is obvious they cant handle themselves surely, especially since they are all drinking so much. Also Jake cant really face his troubling situation with Brett head on so instead he just rolls with the punches and lets her control him. It is easy to see how contrasted Romero is to the other male characters in the book. One interesting thing I noticed was how the only way Romero displays Hemingway’s hero code, is in the bullfighting ring. When outside of the ring he is still seen as handsome and dignified, but I don’t feel as though he emulates the same characteristics he does when inside the ring.
So how does Romero display the qualities of a hero? Basically by the way he presents himself and moreover, the way he fights in the ring. I think that if Romero was introduced as someone other than a bullfighter he would not have the same impact. The bullfighting is the way Hemingway portrays him as a hero.
As for modern day heroes, there are quite a few people and professions that fit Hemingway’s description. Personally I believe that a hero is brave/courageous and doesn’t necessarily exhibit grace under pressure, but is able to handle pressure and can take a challenge. The classic examples of firefighters and the police force are great for this description. Both firefighters and police officers go to work unsure of what is going to happen, and sometimes they end up in very stressful situations. It is these situations that separate these courageous people from ordinary citizens. Firefighters must display their grace under pressure to get rid of the fires that they fight each day. If they were ungraceful, there is a risk that the fire might spread. Police do the same with the criminals they face. If they did not exhibit grace under pressure, they run the risk of letting criminals go free.
If looking at Hemingway’s description in a wider lens, you may notice there are more heroes than you realized. Politicians, Teachers, Zookeepers, Soldiers, and many more could be considered heroes based on Hemingway’s description. While the latter is automatically assumed to be heroes, since they die for their country, the other three may seem a little random. However the way I see it, each of those professions face difficult situations, and in order to perform their jobs correctly, the must “display grace under pressure” and they all handle themselves assuredly while facing their “dangers” head on. In my opinion Hemingway’s description of a hero is sort of hit or miss for modern heroes, but it is easy to see how Romero displays the characteristics in his section of The Sun Also Rises.
So how does Romero display the qualities of a hero? Basically by the way he presents himself and moreover, the way he fights in the ring. I think that if Romero was introduced as someone other than a bullfighter he would not have the same impact. The bullfighting is the way Hemingway portrays him as a hero.
As for modern day heroes, there are quite a few people and professions that fit Hemingway’s description. Personally I believe that a hero is brave/courageous and doesn’t necessarily exhibit grace under pressure, but is able to handle pressure and can take a challenge. The classic examples of firefighters and the police force are great for this description. Both firefighters and police officers go to work unsure of what is going to happen, and sometimes they end up in very stressful situations. It is these situations that separate these courageous people from ordinary citizens. Firefighters must display their grace under pressure to get rid of the fires that they fight each day. If they were ungraceful, there is a risk that the fire might spread. Police do the same with the criminals they face. If they did not exhibit grace under pressure, they run the risk of letting criminals go free.
If looking at Hemingway’s description in a wider lens, you may notice there are more heroes than you realized. Politicians, Teachers, Zookeepers, Soldiers, and many more could be considered heroes based on Hemingway’s description. While the latter is automatically assumed to be heroes, since they die for their country, the other three may seem a little random. However the way I see it, each of those professions face difficult situations, and in order to perform their jobs correctly, the must “display grace under pressure” and they all handle themselves assuredly while facing their “dangers” head on. In my opinion Hemingway’s description of a hero is sort of hit or miss for modern heroes, but it is easy to see how Romero displays the characteristics in his section of The Sun Also Rises.
