Robert Jordan

Robert Jordan is a typical Hemingway hero who satisfies the following traits of a Tyro:

(1) A young man who is learning to live in the world of chaos, violence, uncertainty and anxiety. (2) An exiled person from America (3) He shows heroic courage in the face of danger or death. (4) He seeks the company of woman to overcome his anxiety and loneliness (5) He feels certain void within himself because of Hemingways Philosophy of NADA (6) A tragic character that is caught up in a clash between the individual and environmental requirement. (7) He signifies the lost generation
First Robert Jordan is a Yankee who voluntarily takes part in Spanish Civil War between the Loyalists and the Fascists. According to Hemingway war is the death of love, that is why when love disappears boredom, uncertainty, anxiety and violence are prevailed everywhere. Robert Jordan knows well about this fact but even then he is indulging himself into such world of chaotic situations. Although he knows that post-bellum society is worse than the pre-bellum society, yet he is struggling to establish the fundamental values of Humanism. It implies that a Yankee is learning to love in the world of violence, uncertainty and boredom. Secondly, Robert Jordan is an exiled person from America just like Nick Adams, Jack Barneys and Fredric Henry. He comes to Spain to learn the Spanish language but becomes a soldier and takes part enthusiastically in Spanish Civil War. Being a Yankee he now imagines himself as Spanish. Thirdly, Hemingways hero or Tyro learns the pains and suffering and shows heroic courage in the face of danger and death. He is a man of principles as Jordan thinks of equality, liberty and fraternity. He is courageous man and does not lose heart in rainy days of war. He wants to safeguard the rights of humanity as he believes in people

and their rights. That is why he postpones the resolving of his conflict and haphazardly plunges into the hot situation of War for the sake of Marias modesty, who is a symbol of

modesty, honor and grace of all the females on this sphere of earth. Such thinking of him makes him a great Hemingways hero who learns a code that is grace under pressure from a

code hero and no doubt, he shows the vitality of the same maxim.
Fourthly, Hemingways hero or Tyro is addicted to drinking, fishing and the company of females. It is the routine matter of Tyros life but there is a serious motive behind this obnoxious act. Since, the Tyro leads the life of frustration, anxiety and fights during the chaotic situation, it is human psychology to have some rest or respite for doing the needful and his being addicted to such frivolous activities becomes vital. That is why Hemingways Tyro seeks refuge in such merry-making activities. Jack Barneys drinks and lives in the company of a nymphomaniac lady Bret Ashley. Fredric Henry would like to live in the arms of Catherine. Similarly Jordan passionately loves Maria. Fifthly, we come across Hemingways concept of NADA in his novels. His heroes feel a certain void within them. This void is due to his Philosophy of NADA which implies to his nihilism. Nihilism penetrates into the depth of existential dilemma that man faces today. It is existentialism philosophy that brings forth absurd literature and this view of absurdity in literature leads us to pessimism. That is why Hemingways heroes are successful in others eyes. Hence, they seek refuge in the lap of existentialism philosophy. As a result, they establish their own line of actions to pass their lives in this world and give meaning to their meaningless life. For example, Jack Barneys, after losing his sexual organ in the war and after that the love of Bret Ashley(a nymphomaniac lady) in The Sun Also Rises and Lieutenant Fredric Henry of

A Farewell to Arms adopted the stoic isolation to pass the rest of their lives. Their
existential philosophy presents a gloomy picture of life. Such heroes give some universal kind of messages to their world but themselves remain fruitless and are known lost generation by public around them. For instance, Santiago of THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA gives a universal lesson:

Man is not made for defeat; man can be destroyed but not defeated. Failure or success does not matter it is struggle which matters
Sixthly, the Tyro is a tragic one who suffers from a conflict between his will and environmental requirement. Being a Tyro Jordans mind is obsessed with agonizing situations. He is caught in the web of a conflict between his individuality and the society, between his ideas and the Communistic Code of anti-democracy. Jordan on one hand sticks to equality, liberty and Fraternity, but on the other hand, he has submitted himself to the Communistic disciplines under the dictates and commands of Russian General Golz. These

Communistic disciplines are entirely against Jordans love for humanity. That is why he thinks again and again:

You believe in life, liberty, equality and fraternity but you are fighting against the Fascists under the command of a Communistic! Why?
However, it is Maria who gives a helping hand in resolving Jordans conflict and he kicks this agonizing chapter out of his brain for the time being, and gets not only courage but also solace by virtue of Marias presence. Seventhly, to sum up though Jordan knows that he cannot satisfy his instinct of equality, liberty and fraternity under the leadership of Russian General Golz, yet he sticks to his mission that is to blow the bridge up and we see that he meets his death mercilessly only for the sake of a girl. We admit that Maria has become for him the symbol of exploited humanity but it is limited to his thoughts and his thoughts cannot be evaluated at the level of universality. Most of the critics along with readers of Hemingway do not agree with him because in war conditions thousands of Marias are being raped and murdered brutally. Secondly why does he himself make illicit love practice with her, is it a code of morality? He is equally culprit like the other Fascists who gang raped her. Hence, critically we may safely say that Jordan is nothing more than a person who is running after shadows and ultimately becomes the symbol of lost generation only to satisfy Hemingways philosophy of presenting his heroes in a gloomy and nihilistic aspect of life.