Bull Market

Hemingway uses the symbolism of bullfighting in The Sun Also Rises, to epitomize life in general and his character’s (almost always men) personality. Bullfighting is considered to be a highly man’s sport but consists of bulls (strong man) and the steers (weaker, emasculated man). Hemingway was fascinated by all things Spanish and the fiesta with the running of the bulls and the formal bullfights (analogy) are important both to the plot and as literary devices in this novel. To the people of Spain, bulls are traditionally representative of symbols of strengths and weakness and they are equally revered and feared. During the fiesta, the running of the bulls is lead by the steers who run ahead of the bulls and face occasional attacks by the bulls as they lead the bulls to the

Bull ring for their encounter with the matador. The steers represent the emasculated characters in the novel while the bulls represent the macho characters in the novel. The novel interchanges between the bulls and steers and the emotionally deranged characters ride out their turbulent relationships, which in the same way a bull fight has a beginning and end, ends with the demise of their relationship with one another. This is a novel about sexual and emotional conquests played out in a bull fight situation.

The matador, is the hero both brave and strong who will eventually with great skill and grace under fire (almost ballet like but not in any way effeminate), lead to the death of the bull as he taunts and teases the bull. He risks being gored and loss of his own life but thrives on the cheers of the eager audience and relishes the attention as he teases the bull with his red (fiery passion) cape.

The protagonist of the novel is the war injured Jake who is rendered emasculated by his impotency. Though he is often portrayed with macho interests such as bullfighting, drinking and fishing he acts like a puppy dog to his lost love Brett. He is often depicted as the observer, but sometimes reacts when getting involved in his friends’ problems and acting as the advice giving agony aunt. He is the passive peacemaker who is frustrated and disillusioned with life due to the mental and physical scars he carries due to the war. Overall, his personality is weak and can be considered as the injured steer in the novel.

Brett though alluring and feminine to men is a mentally strong character though she feigns weakness as a means to an end in enticing her legion of admirers. Though being a woman, she depicts masculine qualities with her short hair and is not easily rattled and has a very confident demeanor like a bull first entering the ring. Further, her insatiable desire for sexual encounters is similar to the bull charging towards the cape with unbridled passion, despite the consequences of emotional heartache. However, she often switches places with the matador as she entices men with her figurative cape using sex and her cutting words to bring her victims down. The power she has is equivalent to the bull fight itself.

Robert Cohn, interchanges from bull to steer. He is obsessed with Brett and often makes a fool of himself as he openly pines and follows her. He shows signs of paranoid behavior that no one in the group likes him. He also uses his Jewishness as an excuse for their often hostile (anti -semitic) behavior towards him. Jake tries to convince him that he is liked, though the group often finds him distasteful. In these qualities he behaves like the steer. However, while in Princeton he became a boxer to protect himself against anti-semitism and struggles for his own survival in his heart break over unrequited love for Brett like the bull thrown in the ring. Brett acting like the matador taunts and teases the bull Cohn who struggles for his life until the bitter end as Cohn almost willingly puts himself into a position of imminent death (suicide) like the bull in the ring. He keeps coming back for more knowing his chances of winning are slim. Brett breaks the spirit of the bull Cohn and finally finishes him off not with the sharpness of her blade but her words that send him off as he exits the plot in the novel.

Mike, also serves the purpose of the steer has the hapless fiancé who stands in the sidelines watching the sexual infidelity of his intended Brett who shows him no respect. He is the proverbial punching bag and has become emasculated due to his bankruptcy.

Pedro, the matador in reality also acts as the matador and cape when he breaks down the defenses of Brett who falls for his charm. Though, it may be argued that he also is a victim to her using and dumping men and in this effect acts like a steer to her bull. He also stands up to Cohn and keeps on taking a bashing from him like a bull.

Therefore, the characters interchange from bull, steer and even matador with cape as the novel progresses to its climax.