P.105 "When he started to kill it was all in the same rush. The bull looking at him straight in front, hating. He drew out the sword from the folds of the muleta and sighted with the same movement and called to the bull, Toro! Toro! and the bull charged and Villalta charged and just for a moment they became one. Villalta became one with the bull and then it was over.Vilallta standing straight and the red hilt of the sword sticking out dully between the bull's shoulders. Vilallta, his hand up at the crowd and the bull roaring blood, looking straight at Villalta and his legs caving."
A recurring theme we see in Hemingway's In Our Time is the idea of masculinity. Being a novel centered around World War !, this isn't surprising. What is surprising is the way that Hemingway presents masculinity through the characters in the book. Bullfighting was an excellent way for Hemingway to portray the connection between two masculine enemies, just as it was in WWI on a larger scale. What is significant in this quote is the part which describes the matador and the bull, just prior to the bull's demise, as being one. I think this is Hemingway's way of conveying the strange bond between all men, a silent interconnectedness if you will, even as they stare down the barrel of a gun at each-other.
This quote precludes a chapter regarding Nick and George skiing in the Alps. The same idea of an "unspoken" bond between the two is quickly noticed as they enter a bar, in stark contrast to Hemingway's portrayal of women as bonding through lots of spoken word, and even through crying in some parts. This masculine way of relating to each-other could probably be best described as a silent enjoyment of things, and a quote from the chapter Cross-Country Snow portrays this perfectly.
P.109 "There's nothing really can touch skiing, is there?" Nick said. "The way it feels when you drop off on a long run." "Huh," said Geroge, "It's too swell to talk about."
An interesting addition to your post is from p. 63 which is Chapter VI. This passage displays exactly what you're talking about through Nick and Rinaldi's connection, despite Rinaldi being a dying soldier of the opposing force, Nick feels that he and Rinaldi understand each other and have a connection in the moment that they are both injured and bleeding together on the street, and even though Rinaldi can't talk, Nick feels this connection is silently validated. ("Nick turned his head carefully and looked at Rinaldi. "Senta Rinaldi. Senta. You and me we've made a separate peace.")
ReplyDeleteVery nice eye. It definitely seems like it's one of the larger, overarching themes in the book, and that Hemmingway (often known his revolutionary "masculine" and simplistic writing), chose a very appropriate story for his breakout novel.
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