In the novel, "The Sun Also Rises", by Ernest Hemmingway, the author shows some his characters as strong and heroic. These characters are called "Hemmingway heroes". The "hero" in this novel is Pedro Romero, a young bullfighter. He depicts Hemingway's view of heroism because of he is passionate for what he does, which is bullfighting. He also stands out for his honor, and lastly his purity.
Romero is what you think a hero should be. He is strong, brave, and has a lot of courage. He shows these traits when he is bullfighting. He is usually compared to Belmonte, the original bullfighter. However, Romero had something that Belmonte didn’t have, which was passion. Romero has able to show the grace of Bullfighting, regardless of the danger of the sport. Pedro Romero was more elegant and more empowered that Belmonte’s act. The passion that Romero had for bullfighting shows his heroic characteristics. Not only was Romero a hero inside the bull ring, he showed his heroic characteristics outside of the ring as well.
Outside of the ring, Romero was genuine and a kind man. Even though he was kind, he also was brave and never backed down. An example of this is when he got into a fight with Robert Cohn. When Cohn knocked down Romero, he got right back up. This is in a great contrast to Jake, the main character. When Robert Cohn, knocks him down, he crawls under the table. Jake is obviously not a hero. He shows that he is not brave and that he is too emotional to be a “Hemmingway Hero”. Even though Romero is younger than the other men that are around Brett, he proves to be more of a man. The heroic characteristics that Romero has are the reason why Brett ends up falling for him, despite his young age. He does love Brett back, but he doesn’t let his love for her destroy him. This is in strong contrast to the other men who have fallen for Brett, like Jake, Cohn, and Mike. Cohn shows that he is not what Hemmingway calls a “hero” by being too emotionally attached to Brett. After sleeping with Brett, Cohn constantly follows Brett around. After finding out that Brett does not love Cohn back, he starts to cry. Obviously, a hero shouldn’t cry, especially over a girl. Not only is Romero not emotionally destroyed by Brett, he shows his dominance against her. In all the other relationships that Brett has had, she has taken the role of the male. However, when she is with Romero, he asserts himself as the dominant male. An example of this is when he makes Brett wear a dress. His assertiveness that Romero has when he is with Brett shows another heroic trait.
Heroes are supposed to be strong and stoical, and are supposed to be able to solve their own problems with ease. This is why Jake and Cohn are not heroes and Romero is. Romero is like the heroes we have today. He is young, handsome, brave, full of courage, and never backs down. What makes Romero different h an the other heroes is that he shows no weaknesses. He keeps himself strong and persistent and as close to perfect as possible. To me, Romero is like a fire fighter, he is able to face danger like a fire fighter faces fires that could take away their lives, and is able to keep a nice and elegant reputation. All of his traits that are shown throughout the novel makes Pedro Romero the epitome of a “Hemmingway hero”.
