Exploring the Code of Hemingway's Characters

Exploring the Code of Hemingway's Characters

Throughout all of Hemingway's novels, many of his characters have characteristics and values in common with each other. This is shown through some of his short stories, but is more evident in his novels. The three novels that best show these striking similarities in character are The Sun Also Rises, A Farewell to Arms and The Old Man and the Sea. The persons who show these similar qualities best are the main characters from each novel: Jake Barnes from The Sun Also Rises, Frederic Henry from A Farewell to Arms, and Santiago from The Old Man and the Sea. But these are not the only characters to display the qualitites by far. The characteristics are just more prominent in them. These characteristics are easily displayed sometimes, while at other times they are very subtle.

Hemingway's characters tend to follow a code for their life, in an attempt to give their lives more meaning. The values and standards that the characters live by are what makes them what is called code heroes. A code hero is defined by Dwiggins as "a man who lives correctly, following the ideals of honor, courage and endurance in a world that is sometimes chaotic, often stressful, and always painful" (Dwiggins). But a code hero is much more than can be described accurately in a single definition, there is much more about them to explore.

The code Hemingway uses for his characters deals with nada, which in Spanish means nothing(Dwiggins). In The Sun Also Rises, A Farewell to Arms, and, The Old Man and the Sea, the stories end with the code hero receiving nothing. In fact the code hero usually losses

something very dear to him, as is the case with these three novels.

The code hero is typically an individualist and free-willed.

Although he believes in the ideals of courage and honor he

has his own set of morals and principles based on his beliefs

in honor, courage and endurance. A code hero never shows

emotions; showing emotions and having a commitment to

women shows weakness. Qualities such as bravery,

adventuresome and travel also define the code hero. (Dwiggins)

This statement is true of all three main characters from The Sun Also Rises, A Farewell to Arms, and, The Old Man and the Sea. The code hero must also maintain his identity as a man. To do this he must face death and come out alive against the odds (Dwiggins). The three main characters face death to come out with their sense of masculinity. Another thing all of the code heroes have in common is that they all suffer from a physical injury that limits them in some way, and makes it harder for them to succeed. Hemingway's genius code covers so much of the characters that it is easier to understand it if we split it up rather than talk about it as a whole (Rovit, Brenner 90).

One aspect of the Hemingway code is one followed by sportsmen. These are the moral standards that the sportsman must adhere to in order to be truly considered a professional at his trade. The greatness of the sportsman must be measured to determine how truly professional he is. All the sportsman's code really is, is a series of can and cannot rules.

The hunter does not shoot at game from moving vehicles; the bullfighter does not win glory in killing unless he goes in with his sword over the horns; the gambler does not tell

the police who shot him; the soldier does not disobey

orders even when convinced of his superior officers

stupidity. (Rovit, Brenner 90)

The sportsman must do this by measuring how well he followed the code, not by if he killed the biggest lion, or shot the most birds. Some of the characteristics this part of the code is able to evaluate are skill, endurance, courage, and honor (Rovit, Brenner 91). Through training, hard work and dedication the sportsman can prepare himself for the challenges ahead. He gains experience and eventually knows how to handle most situations that may come his way. But as much as he has practiced and honed his skills he does not know all the challenges that will be hurled upon him. But if he can maintain control of his fear, tackle whatever comes his way, and follow the code, then he will become a true professional, worthy of the challenges ahead (Rovit, Brenner 91).

Hemingway himself considered life to be a type of game, though different from sports games. And unlike all other sports games, the game of life always has the same outcome. Man, the player, is born, and is killed by life, or the game (Rovit, Brenner 92). One might consider this game of life pointless and without hope, and indeed if we have no hope, then we are doomed to a terrible life of despair, and misery. But one of the purposes of Hemingway's code in all of this is to make the player stronger than he normally would be, and to suck up all the honor, dignity, and glory he can before death (the game) inevitably consumes him. "The Hemingway code is the ethic, or philosophic perspective through which Hemingway tries to impart meaning and value to the seaming futility of man's headlong rush towards death" (Rovit, Brenner 92).

Therefore another aspect of Hemingway's code is the values that gives the lives of his

characters meaning (Lucas). Hemingway's code, though it cannot prevent death, gives his characters "a significant measure of freedom for human actions within which morality can operate and human responsibility can be judged in terms of active rather than passive responses" (Rovit, Brenner 92).

So, in a sense, one could look at the Hemingway code not only as a set of rules the characters choose to live by, but also it is the only thing they can take hope "in a world that is sometimes chaotic, often stressful, and always painful" (Dwiggins). Another crucial characteristic of Hemingway's code, is the importance it stresses on dignity. Sometimes dignity is all that the characters have to hold on to throughout the novel, and many of the characters main goal is to strive to obtain dignity. Rovit and Brenner state that, "The Hemingway hero who works within the code may achieve dignity as the sole value for the game he has played" (98). So from this statement we can deduce that the only way for a character to achieve the dignity they desire is to stay within the confines