A “code hero” is someone who acts on his own despite what the people around him say or do. Ernest Hemmingway, the author of the novel A Farewell to Arms, not only sees a code hero as someone who acts on his own, but who also acts in a very masculine manner. Lieutenant Frederic Henry, the main character in the novel, is considered to be a code hero. Through Frederic Henry’s behavior, actions, and traits, he fits the description of a code hero.
Through Frederic Henry’s behavior one gets the impression that he is a man’s man. Throughout the novel he eats a lot and is constantly consuming some type of alcohol. Although heavily drinking, Frederic Henry shows no signs of being drunk. When Henry is injured he even chooses the surgeon, Dr. Valentini, who agrees to drink with him over a doctor who will not. Lieutenant Henry also spends a lot of time visiting the brothels. Most of his friends are also very masculine such as Rinaldi who is always drinking and also enjoys making visits to the brothels.
Frederic Henry was a man of action. He shows courage by being an American and being in the Italian Army during World War One. He does not show much emotion throughout A Farewell to Arms, doing so would be feminine-like. Henry often acts without thinking and considers the act itself more important than the idea of the act. He shows this when he deserts the Italian Army by diving into the river, he knows that this decision is better than doing nothing. If he were to have waited around and thought about it he might have been killed on the battlefield.
The Essay on Henry Fleming: Brave Hero Or Mere Man?
What is the definition of hero? Is it a person who performs a courageous act? Some may say that this is so, but what if the act was done out of fear? What if it was done because of an instinct? Would one still be considered a hero? These are a few of many questions that we can apply to the novel, Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane. Henry Fleming, the main character in the novel, undergoes some ...
Code heroes are often given the title “restless man”. Hemmingway gives this trait to Frederic Henry when he waits up at night for Catherine to come into his room at the hospital. A restless man also usually sleeps during the day. When Henry comes back to Gorizia from his tour of Italy, Rinaldi says he wants to know about everything Henry experienced on his leave. Henry takes a nap during the day rather than staying up and talking to Rinaldi.
Code heroes must always have a purpose or duty. Frederic Henry has the duty of working for the Italian Ambulance Corps. He wants no recognition or praise for anything that he does. Even after he is wounded while on duty, he does not want to receive medals of honor. After Henry deserts the Italian Army he goes back for Catherine.
He could easily have fled and she would have though he was killed in the war, but he felt it was his duty to go back. Frederic Henry eventually ends up fleeing Italy and takes Catherine with him to Switzerland.
Henry was very self disciplined and liked things that had some kind of order to them. His ambulance corps had order along with the Italian Army, but when the generals were killed the order was taken away and chaos erupted. People were deserting the army and being killed by not only the enemy, but also by your own army if you were a deserter. This is the point in the novel when Henry decides to desert the Italian Army. Henry did not want to be involved in something so chaotic and without order. A code hero believes that there is nothing after death. When Frederick Henry loses his son along with Catherine at the end of the novel A Farewell to Arms, he also loses his sense of duty. After their deaths Henry is left without any sense of direction. On the way back to his hotel Henry commits suicide. Finally, Henry fills the description of a code hero losing someone close to him and experiencing death.
