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?
Pedro Romero, the true hero; a bullfighter, a lady's man, an idol for most men. He's fearless and handsome, and never backs down from a bullfight. He's a "real one" not just a regular bullfighter; He truly exhibits "grace under pressure." In The Sun Also Rises, Hemingway portrays Romero as a true hero. Romero never loses his cool when he's fighting bulls, and basically steals the show. He shows the crowd a real bull fight, instead of just pulling in the viewers - Romero gives the crowd "real emotion." Romero's bull fights are the most intense, and definitely the most heroic. This heroic grace is shown every time Romero enters the ring, being extremely close to death, and never once losing his cool. Romero faces death head on, each and every day as a career. With each new show, Romero becomes more of a hero in everyone's eyes, but the old fashioned, "Hemingway Hero". Hemingway's idea of a hero is old fashioned, and shows "grace under pressure", but many people today could be considered heros as well. A modern day hero isn't quite the same as it was back in the nineteen twenties, but it's still very similar. Back then, a hero was someone who did something great, even if it wasn't really that heroic; it just had to be special, the hero had to show that grace. Today, with special effects in movies and new technology, being a hero is a little more difficult. Everyone is used to seeing amazing feats in movies, so doing something heroic in real life is a little bit more difficult. There are people in today's society that do exhibit these Hemingway Heroic qualities, such as firemen, paramedics, and even someone such as a lawyer. Firemen and paramedics are constantly under extreme pressure - to save lives, buildings, and homes. These heros could never be thanked enough, but no one gives them very much credit for what they do. The amount of lives and property saved by paramedics and firefighters is unimaginable, and we wouldn't survive without them, yet they often go unacknowledged. True heroism doesn't need thanks. The typical "Hemingway Hero" faces their danger head on, just the same as a fire fighter faces a raging fire in a big building, or the way a paramedic drives straight through the traffic in order to get where they need to go to save a life. These modern day heros are just as heroic as an original Hemingway Hero, yet the circumstances are much different. The same goes for a lawyer. Lawyers have to face an entire court room of spectators, only to sometimes lose the case, their only consolation being the fact that hey gave it all they had. A lawyer must head straight into the danger of the court room and make a case, no matter how hard it may be. Sometimes, a lawyer may want to just yell and run out of the room, because the case is too hard, or there's no way in hell they could win, but a lawyer always keeps their cool, and maintains their composure, even under immense pressure. Lawyers, just like firemen and paramedics, are also not often thought of as heros, simply because they don't carry a stun gun, or flip cars in their spare time. The true heroic qualities of these men and women, however, overpower that lack of Hollywood special effects. Someone like a friend or a neighbor could be considered a hero as well. Even though they may not be saving lives, or gaining someone's freedom, a neighbor may call 911 when the house across the street is on fire, or maybe they have a spare key when the teenage boy next door can't find his, and really needs to get inside to start his english essay. Neighbors and friends may not do anything crazy or daring, or spectacular, but they certainly display heroic qualities, and almost always keep their cool under pressure, just the way a "Hemingway Hero" does. All of these spectacular men and women may not do anything as amazing as Hollywood would like, but they all certainly exhibit grace under pressure, just the way Hemingway believed.
