Hemingway defined a code of ethics for heroism, the most important tenet being that a brave hero exhibits "grace under pressure." What this means is that in difficult situations -- especially mortal ones -- the hero handles himself assuredly and confronts the danger head-on. First, how does Romero display these qualities in The Sun Also Rises? Second, how does this mesh with our modern heroes? Minimum 650 words.
In The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemmingway writes of the "Lost Generation"- a group of post-war individuals. In the midst of their madness, Hemmingway introduces Pedro Romero, a nineteen year old matador who serves as the foil to Jake Barnes, the narrator of the novel. Romero is written as Hemmingway's ideal version of a hero. Romero is pure, confident, and does not fear danger. For these reasons, he is looked onto as as superior character in comparison to the World War I veterans of this story.
Being only nineteen years old, Romero hadn't experienced as much as the group of friends in this novel, and therefore remains pure. Romero did not experience the loss of a loved one, as Brett did; he did not experience a life-changing injury, the violence of war, and did not serve in the war, as Jake did. Life had only consisted of bull-fights so far in Romero's life. There was nothing that had tainted his vision. Also, before meeting Brett, Romero did not feel the kind of love as she and him had had together. The love that they shared together was brand new. The reason Romero's purity is significant heroic, is because the other characters' impurities lead them to be messed up individuals. Jake, Brett, Cohn, Mike, Bill- all of them were living lives which consisted of sex, drinking, and partying nonstop. They each gave into their weaknesses, and it only left them unhappy and unsatisfied with their lives.
"The Lost Generation" was also known for being a group of people who did not believe that they had a future. After the war, their outlook on life seemed so demented that the thought of a bright future was nothing but a joke. Romero, in contrast, exhibits "grace under pressure" because he does believe in his own future, and is not afraid to take on whatever is to be served to him. Once Romero and Brett began their affair, they decided to be together. Romero was not afraid to settle down, while Brett was. He was able to see their future together, but Brett was too afraid to follow through. Because Romero was not a part of "the Lost Generation," he had something that the others lacked: hope. The others saw that their lives were pretty much over, whereas Romero knew it had just begun.
While Romero demonstrated his heroism outside of the ring, he definitely showed it within the ring as well. To be a bull-fighter in the first place is quite heroic, considering the potential dangers that are offered. The steers in the book are gored, and some even die. By putting himself at risk, Romero demonstrates his confidence in himself. Romero was said to have "never made any contortion, always it was straight and natural in line." Romero did not beat around the bush. He put 100% of himself into bull-fighting. Even though he was in the face of danger, he did not flinch. He carried within himself a sense of confidence and professionalism. Also, Hemmingway writes "Romero's bull-fighting gave real emotion, because he kept the absolute purity of line in his movements and always quietly and calmly let the horns pass him close each time," which is a metaphor. First of all, Romero was not afraid to share his emotions, and was not afraid to deal with them. The drunks in this novel, however, use drinking itself as an escape from the truth, and from their very own emotions. Next, Romero "always quietly and calmly let the horns pass him close each time," meaning that he did not try to shove his problems away. He allowed them to come, he did not stop them, but he did not let them hurt him either.
Romero's qualities definitely blend in with our modern day heroes. Heroes are no longer seen just as those who go out there and fight crimes. Heroes were also seen as those who were fearless, but there have never been such people. Romero is a hero because even though he knew that life was tough, and that he had things to fear around every corner, he did not sit back and let life continue without him. He decided to take charge of his own life and do something meaningful with it. He decided to live with passion, and I think it's something heroic and respectable that people of these modern times can look up to.
