I have heard that Ernest Hemingway was very much the man’s man—the epitome of the macho male. Having read the book I would have to concur with that evaluation. It would seem that for him bravery and courage were the only important character traits for a man. Perhaps that’s why he liked bullfighting so much. He viewed bullfighting as an art in which a man exposed himself to great danger of serious injury or very often death to give a crowd of people a show in which the ultimate outcome was the wanton death of the bull. It is a spectacle in which the bull will always die even if the bullfighter dies by goring before he succeeds in killing the bull. It is a spectacle using death as its central core, its central precept all carried out for the ultimate pleasure and excitement of the crowd of spectators. Spectators who are ultimately happy to see the bull die and fully accept and approve of the matador possibly sacrificing his life for their pleasure—it’s all part of the show. The matador and the bullfight itself are judged by the crowd on the basis of how the actual kill was performed. Consider the following excerpts from the book:
”... A great killer must love to kill; unless he feels it is the best thing he can do, unless he is conscious of its dignity and feels that it is its own reward, he will be incapable of the abnegation that is necessary in real killing. The truly great killer must have a sense of honor and a sense of glory far beyond that of the ordinary bullfighter. ... Also he must take pleasure in it ... but he must have a spiritual enjoyment of the moment of killing. Killing cleanly and in a way which gives you aesthetic pleasure and pride has always been one of the greatest enjoyments of a part of the human race. ... One of its greatest pleasures, aside from te purely aesthetic ones, ... is the feeling of rebellion against death which comes from its administering. ... But when a man is still in rebellion against death he has pleasure in taking to himself one of the Godlike attributes; that of giving it. This is one of the most profound feelings in those men who enjoy killing.Killing with style! Ain’t that just special! Bullfighting, despite whatever rationalizations are made for it, is nothing short of wanton killing. It’s only purpose is to entertain paying spectators by exciting. The fact that all parties actively participating in the spectacle are either guaranteed or at high risk of death or serious injury makes it no better than what took place in the Roman Colosseum—and it still takes place today in Spain, Portugal, some cities in southern France and in several Latin American countries. In a sense, it glorifies killing and death. Lest we say ‘how horrible’ we should ask ourselves how much worse is it really than watching the popular television program “24”, which presents explicit violent acts of torture or death in the name of exciting entertainment. Interesting, isn’t it. We cringe at the thought of something similar happening to us, but we enjoy watching it’s imaginary portrayal. Death is all around us, naturally, in its many forms—is it’s prurient explicit depiction on the screen; on the stage; or in the bull ring really necessary to convince us that we are alive; and to encourage us to consider the fact, nature, and implications of death?
... the crowd will be shouting in approval or disapproval depending on the manner in which the man has gone in and the location of the sword.
... For it to be possible for the man to put the sword into the place where it is designed to go to kill the bull he must have the bull’s head down (by using the cape - my words) so that this place is exposed and even then the man must lean forward over the bull’s lowered head and neck to get the sword in. Now, if when the bull raises his head as the sword goes in the man is not to go up in the air, ... the man must be in motion past the bull ... The closer it is done to the animal the less chance the man has to deviate and escape if the bull does not follow the cloth as the man goes in. ... this moment of very great danger to which the man exposes himself each time he kills a bull according to the rules ...
... To kill the bull with a single sword thrust is of no merit at all unless the sword is placed high between the bull’s shoulders and unless the man passed over and had his body within reach of the horn at the moment he went in. ...
... The truly great killer is not the man who is simply brave enough to go in straight on the bull from a short distance and get the sword in somehow high between the shoulders, but is a man who is able to go in from a short distance, slowly, ... and being so skillful in the management of his left hand that ... he makes the bull lower his head and then keeps it down as he goes over the horn, pushes in the sword ... The great killer must be able to do this with security and with style ...”
