Illustration of a bull and a bullfighter

The Sun Also Rises

by Ernest Hemingway

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Last Updated August 24, 2024.

1. The Fiesta de San Fermin is an annual festival that takes place from July 6 to July 14 in Pamplona. Research the history of bullfighting in Spain and explore the specific traditions linked to this festival.

2. Investigate and report on the American literary community in Paris during the 1920s. Notable writers from this group include Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ford Madox Ford, and Gertrude Stein. For firsthand insights into expatriate life, you may want to refer to Hemingway's memoir A Movable Feast or Stein's The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas.

3. Brett likens herself to Circe, a seductress from Greek mythology. Research the Circe myth and evaluate how fitting Brett's comparison is. Additionally, explain Jake's role in the Circe legend as presented in Hemingway's novel.

4. In chapter 17, a man is fatally gored while running with the bulls in Pamplona, leading a waiter to remark to Jake: "A big horn wound. All for fun. Just for fun. What do you think of that?" How does Jake respond to the waiter's comment? Do you believe his perspective on bullfighting evolves throughout the book? Why is it significant that the bull which kills the man is later slain by Romero?

5. Read Hemingway's 1932 work, Death in the Afternoon, which delves into bullfighting. Compare his portrayal of the sport in this nonfiction piece to the descriptions found in The Sun Also Rises.

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