Analysis of Pamplona in July (Ernest Hemingway)

In Ernest Hemingway’s Pamplona in July, Hemingway writes about his first trip to Pamplona, Spain where he attended his first series of bullfights. The essay was originally published in 1923, however it was not the first work that Hemingway had constructed. Prior to his trip to Pamplona, Hemingway wrote many short stories and news articles during his time as a journalist. Throughout his piece, Hemingway writes to inform of the fascination that he had with the city in hopes that he can recreate the magic that he experienced for the reader. In order to do so, Hemingway exhibits intense diction tied together in a first person narrative. When describing the entryway to the bullfighting arena, Hemingway writes, “It made a runway about two hundred and fifty yards long. People were jammed solid on each side of it. Looking up it toward the main street,” (100). Through the very short sentences that Hemingway uses to explain the entrance, he forces the reader to vividly imagine what he saw by providing very few details at a time. He continues to push the limits of the imagination by telling his tale as a first person narrative stating at one point, “All the carnivals I had ever seen paled down in comparison,” (98). By telling the reader of the elaborate carnival in a first person narrative form, the reader is able to put themselves into the shoes of the narrator as the author lays out the scene before them. In this case, the reader is likely to picture the most grand carnival that they possibly can since Hemingway uses ‘I’, which causes the reader to think like the author. After reading, it is clear the Hemingway wrote his essay for those that are familiar with bullfights by using terms such as, “encierro,” which is when the bulls run to the arena in the morning. Overall, I do believe that Hemingway effectively established his purpose, as I was able to quite visibly recreate the story in my own mind. In Pamplona in July, Hemingway clearly recreates the astonishment that he experienced during his first trip to Pamplona, Spain.


A reveler is gored by a Cebada Gago's ranch fighting bull during the running of the bulls - While he did find it exciting, Hemingway acknowledged the dangers of bullfighting.
Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/08/briton-among-those-injured-as-five-sufffer-gore-wounds-in-pamplo/