Anthony+Rodriguez,+Code+Hero

Anthony Rodriguez Hemingway, “Code Hero”

Earnest Hemingway grew up an outdoorsman, playing sports, fishing, and to sum it up, he loved anything that breathed masculinity. A “Code Hero,” as Hemingway depicts in his work, is the Alpha male. He created this character with the intent of separating certain men from the masses. These men were not particularly smarter than most, but they did display the most courage, and in Hemingway’s words, “cojones.” Take Pedro, from the Sun Also Rises for example, he represents the Code Hero for Hemingway in this novel. Pedro risks his life as a bullfighter, but just risking your life is only part of what the true Code Hero must encompass. When Romero encounters death, he does it with “grace under pressure,” in Hemingway’s own words. Pedro has developed his own religion within himself. His life as a matador contains tradition, ritual, and dignity. Romero breaks the mold of the materialistic man. Pedro represents a person with structure and order in his being, which juxtaposes most of society in the time period had lost a sense of religion and self understanding. He is the rock, and lives for nobody but himself, and radiates in self confidence. // “Pedro Romero had the greatness. He loved bull-fighting, and I think he loved the bulls, and I think he loved Brett. Everything of which he could control the locality he did in front of her all afternoon. Never once did he look up. He made it stronger that way, and did it for himself, too, as well as for her. Because he did not look up to ask if it pleased he did it all for himself inside, and it strengthened him, and yet he did it for her, too. But he did not do it for her at any loss to himself.” // The ultimate man, our Code Hero, handles women with the same mentality as he does in a bullfight with a machismo unlike no other man. This self confidence is evident in how he does not respond to Brett and only appeases her for his personal gain. This alpha male, with all his masculine traits, has a passion for his job, and his women. Hemingway’s Code Hero can certainly be labeled a misogynist by feminists but I believe the code hero is a male in touch with who he is, and is not afraid to assume all control. The reason a code hero can come off condescending is because he is unconsciously being the alpha male. This is a byproduct of the lifestyle and ritualistic nature of his work. He treats everyone with respect and though he is a tough guy, he is confident enough to keep his ego aside, the self control of Hemingway’s code hero is nearly unattainable.

//" The Code Hero is both a little snobbish and a little vague, but the test of the code is courage, and the essence of the code is conduct. Conduct, in Hemingway, is sometimes a question of how one behaves honorably toward another man or woman. More often, it is a question of how the good professional behaves within the rules of a game or the limits of a craft.”(time.com) //  By the standards of this definition of a code hero, Romero fits the bid as well. He handles the situations like a wise old man at 19 years old. He has the realization that Brett is not being the woman he hoped she was after his run in with Cohn. Pedro keeps his self dignity and control and walks away from the situation. This is a testament of a true “Code Hero,” Pedro has a strong self awareness and an appreciation for what life and unlike the other characters he is Hemingway’s hero. Romero is the one character in the novel that does not show his flaws under pressure. He faces death as sport, the ultimate man/aphrodisiac for women, Hemingway’s Code Hero.

Bibliography

1. Wand, Kelly. Readings on the Sun Also Rises: San Diego, CA, 2002 Greenhaven Press, Inc:

2. “The Hero of the Code” Time Magazine official site 14 July 1961, Web 19 April 2010 []