Hemingway’s book The Sun Also Rises has a character named Pedro Romero. He is a bull fighter that is added to the book in the the second half. He is a supporting character of the novel alongside three main characters. Those main characters are Jake Barnes, Brett, and Robert Cohn. Brett is the males of the novel forbidden love. She plays men throughout the book to get what she wants. She does this because of her abusive previous marriage. Another supporting character is Michael Campbell. He is Brett's "fiance". Brett flaunts herself around wherever she goes. Romero comes into the chaos when the gang goes on a not well planned trip to Spain to go to a festival called San Fermin. Jake is introduced to Pedro Romero by Montoya the manager . Jake is the narrator of the novel and Hemingway describes Romero as, ” The boy stood very straight and unsmiling in his bull fighting clothes. His jacket hung over the back of the chair. They were just finishing winding his sash. His black hair shone under the electric light. He wore a white linen shirt and the sword–handler finished his sash and stood up and stepped back. Pedro Romero nodded, seeming very far away and dignified when we shook hands. Montoya said something about what great aficionados we were, and that we wanted to wish him luck. Romero listened very seriously. Then he turned to me. He was the best-looking boy I have ever seen.” Hemingway portrays Romero as very fresh and pure. He is very handsome and holds himself in high regards.
Pedro Romero is obviously a hero. He is living his life on the edge by being a bullfighter. While the bull-fights are happening Hemingway uses fine diction to express the appreciation everyone has for Romero. He states,”Romero was the whole show. I do not think Brett saw any other bull-fighter. No one else did either, except the hard-shelled technicians. It was all Romero…Romero never made any contortions, always it was straight and pure and natural in line. The others twisted themselves like cork-screws, their elbows raised, and leaned against the flanks of the bull after his horns had passed, to give a faked look of danger. Afterward, all that was faked turned bad and gave an unpleasant feeling. 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. He did not have to emphasize their closeness. Brett saw how something that was beautiful done close to the bull was ridiculous if it were done a little way off. I told her how since the death of Joselito all the bull-fighters had been developing a technic that simulated this appearance of danger in order to give a fake emotional feeling, while the bull-fighter was really safe. Romero had the old thing, the holding of his purity of line through the maximum of exposure, while he dominated the bull by making him realize he was unattainable, while he prepared him for the killing.” Romero is a fearless young man who takes what he does seriously. He doesn't allow the dangers of his sport bother him. He entrances the people and critics who watch him with precise talent. The people are fond of him because he was such a beatiful "show" to watch. The characterisitics he expressed throughout the book made him an amazing hero.
Heroes today share qualities with Romero. They convey these qualities in the public's eye. Romero did as well. The heroes today are sometimes arrogant of the talents that they posses but so was Romero. We have to remember our heroes are only human and so was Romero. Humans make mistakes but what makes heroes different is how they learn from them.They are constantly in public. It takes a strong person to always have to set a good example. Their efforts our payed off with praise from the people who support them. It takes a special person to be a hero. Think about it, who are your heroes?
