The Art of Bullfighting

Over the course of Ernest Hemingway’s book The Sun Also Rises, all of the major characters (Jake, Brett, Bill, Cohn, etc) display an interest in traveling all the way to Pamplona, a distance of approximately 905 kilometers, to experience the “fiesta at Pamplona”. This consists of a series of bullfights that still exist today, and culminates with the “running of the bulls”. But while the bullfights remain relatively the same today as they exist in the story, the attitudes towards this bloody sport are much different.
The characters in the story show an interest in the bullfights and its culture, something that is much less common in an age where cruelty to animals is highly scrutinized. Today the majority of people who have not grown up with this aspect of Spanish culture view the tradition as a horrible crime against innocent creatures. But for millions of Spanish natives, bullfighting is a delicate and highly calculated art form that serves to celebrate and immortalize an almost sacred animal. Two years ago I was in Spain and saw a bullfight firsthand, at the Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza outside of Seville. While I cannot say I enjoyed the event, it was impossible to deny the cultural significance of the fight, and examples of the rich traditions were omnipresent. For the Spanish there is a great reverence shown in watching a famed matador duel with a giant bull, something special that extends beyond mere sport killing. I also found this article online about the specifics of each bullfight, which helps illustrate how complicated and precise these bullfights are (http://www.spain-info.com/Culture/bullfighting.htm)