“Sometimes things go wrong, a bull will be detached from the herd as they pile through the pan and with his crest up, a ton of speed and viciousness, his needle sharp horns lowered, will charge again and again into the packed mass of men and boys in the bull ring…”

Ernest Hemingway (The Sun Also Rises)

           I chose this quote from The Sun Also Rises because it is one I could not shake off of my mind. The quote continues on for an entire paragraph and talks of how when a bull escapes from the herd in correr delante del toro, or the running of the bulls, nothing can stop it and it will go on a killing spree.

In the Spanish tradition correr delante del toro, rafters are placed in the streets and a group of bulls are set free to charge at anyone in between the rafters. There are usually 2-5 deaths and a large multitude of injuries on this day. It is a spectacle that tourists love and was one of the features of Spain that attracted men like Ernest Hemingway, who strove to be as stereotypically masculine as possible. Hemingway saw correr delante del toro as a magnificent stunt of man’s masculinity.

Ernest Hemingway kept his emotions suppressed, for the most part. Writing was Hemingway’s method of expressing his thoughts and emotions. The Sun Also Rises was Ernest’s way of reflecting on his trauma he faced during and after war. The entire plot of the novel is about two men who look to bull fighting to help them adjust to life outside of the war.

This quote in particular is a perfect example of Ernest Hemingway’s reflection and introspectiveness. This quote provides an analogy between correr delante del toro and life. The main theme is that some obstacles cannot be avoided. Taking immediate action is not always the wisest choice. You must wait until the storm passes in order to rebuild a house, would be a phrase with the same meaning but loses the history of bull running that Hemingway’s quote possesses.

In conclusion, Ernest Hemingway was a genius who was able to capture all of a books power at once. With a pen and ink, he could release his emotion, tell a story, and teach a lesson.