Hemingway Code Heroes

THE FEMALE CODE HERO

Many of Hemingway’s female characters surpass only being important characters to their narratives and additionally act in a manner guided by the common ideology of the Hemingway code. The existence of female code heroes becomes especially apparent when Young’s definition of the code hero is expanded to include women as well as men. Although literary criticism surrounding the ideology that defines a code hero is relatively unanimous, the inclusion of women under within the category of “code hero” is still a topic of debate. Young’s definition, a defining and dominant piece of theory, has irreparably shaped which characters historically have or have not been studied as code heroes, and has largely left female characters

In “Roles and the Masculine Writer,” Jackson J. Benson says that Brett is “to a great extent . . . not only the center of the conflict, but the central character of the novel.” (81). Benson’s assertion is supported by Brett’s gender and gender expression. Brett originally is introduced as nearly indistinguishable from a group of men, yet still subtly feminine: “With them was Brett. She looks very lovely, and yet she was very much with them” (Sun 28). The first physical description of Brett also portrays her as a masculine figure. “She wore a slipover jersey sweater and a tweed skirt, and her hair was brushed back like a boy.” (Sun 30). In Hemingway’s world, masculinity usually means control or power, and Brett’s androgynous or masculine nature hints at the power she hold in the novel. In addition, for the majority of the novel, Brett exists as the only woman in a group of men, most of whom have been, or are currently in love with her. Consequently, the relationships between the male characters are defined in whole or in part by their relationship with Brett (Willingham 45). This dynamic establishes Brett as the central figure, the character that relates every character in the novel to each

Brett’s code heroism is first shown to the reader when discussing Brett’s past. A thoughtful assessment of Brett’s life reveals a number of trials no less traumatic than those experienced by the novel’s male characters (Daiker 179). These include the death of her first, true love during World War I as well as her memories of the danger she was in as a result of her second husband's psychosis (Daiker 179). Brett has been forced to deal with her futile sexual love for Jake, and Cohn and Roberto's instance on reshaping her womanhood, like when Brett admits, “[Roberto] wanted me to grow my hair out . . . He said it would make me more womanly” (Sun 245). In addition, Brett’s service as a nurse during the war has given her an understanding of death similar to that of Jake Barnes, who is also a veteran and a code hero. Despite her personal experience with death, Brett does not shy away from danger. At only her second bullfight, Brett decides to sit at the very front of the crowd, closest to the action, even though none of the men expect a woman to be that close to the violence of the bullfight (Sun 171). The way that Brett handles these trials paints her as more than simply a sympathetic figure, her reaction to these trials is where Brett shows her nature as a code hero. The person Brett allows herself to be is the archetype for the post-war set of values.This ideology is based upon the