In Our Time

Chapter XII

Summary

Close up, you can see Villalta make a face at the bull and curse it. When the bull would charge, he would swing solidly back. The crowd would roar. When he started to kill it, he and the bull would stare at each other. Then, they would charge at each other. For a minute, they would seem to join and become one entity. Then, Villalta would emerge, standing, as the bull bled and stared at Villalta.

Commentary

The heroism of bullfighting is extreme, just like in war. Villalta is almost a mythic creature. He and the bull can join together as one because they are so much of the same mind. The two are both out for blood in a violent, masculine way. Even though the bull and Villalta are enemies, they understand each other well because they are both so masculine. According to Hemingway, a man and a woman cannot meld into each other (as seen in previous stories), but two masculine creatures can, even when they are enemies.