Question

What is the significance of bullfighting in the novel the sun also rises?

Answer 1

Hemingway uses bullfighting as an ongoing metaphor for war and the nature of masculinity. The bullfight represents, in part, the ideals of war that were destroyed by the mechanized war of World War I. The bullfight is a battle of skill, of two beings coming face to face in search of victory and glory.

Answer 2

The most significant use of symbolism in The Sun Also Rises is the bullfighting, which represents the destructiveness of sex. Sex is a major theme in this novel: Jake becomes obsessive about the thing he can't have and it is a constant topic of conversation in the novel.