Behind Bullfighting: Beauties and Beasts

 I think that the way bullfighting as a subject and as a symbol is framed in The Sun Also Rises can be very telling about the rest of the book. In my eyes, bullfighting represents not only masculinity (and Jake’s perception of masculinity), but also parallels the themes of sex/love throughout the book. The beauty of both masculinity and sex being tied to this symbol that is bullfighting is that, no matter your preconceived notions of how connected sex and masculinity are, they are held together by the bullfighting metaphor: someone always gets hurt, will it be a bull or a person? And which is which?

In the context of masculinity, the act of fighting does not seem to be much of a stretch. One of the earlier times in the book bullfighting is brought up as a point of interest is when Jake is trying not to think about Brett. However, this particular instance just so happened to be right after he was thinking about and looking at his wound in the mirror. He thinks to himself: “Of all the ways to be wounded. I suppose it was funny” and then starts reading his bullfighting papers two sentences later. Jake uses bullfighting to reaffirm his own masculinity even in the face of doubt. 

Montoya also is a major player in the bullfighting metaphor. We talked for a minute in class about him being almost like a father figure to Jake. Someone else to keep the sanctity of the masculinity of bullfighting in check. I see this a bit in Montoya claiming that Jake has “aficion” and how he makes sure that bullfighting is not tainted by those without aforementioned “aficion”. For instance, he does not especially like it when Brett is flirting with Romero as he “went out of the room” after seeing Romero drinking with Jake’s friends, all of which have not been dubbed with the title of “aficionado”. 

However, although the idea of bullfighting may carry masculinity in the book, the actual act of bullfighting shown mirrors the romantic and sexual encounters in the book. The bullfighting itself is described using fairly seductive and romantic language. The major players in bullfighting, the bullfighter and the bull, can be compared to Brett (the bullfighter) and the men she seduces and eventually lets go (the bulls). This would make Brett’s love, and subsequent “killing” of Romero, all the more ironic. 

Do you think bullfighting has earned as much significance in the book as I’m giving it? Do you see other metaphors/symbolism founded in bullfighting that I didn’t mention?