Death in the afternoon

SOME REACTIONS OF A FEW INDIVIDUALS TO THE INTEGRAL SPANISH BULLFIGHT

P. H. — 4 years old; American; male. Taken by his nurse to a Spanish bullfight at Bordeaux without his parents' knowledge or permission he called out on first seeing the bull charge the picadors, "Il faut pas faire tomber le horsy!" A short time later he called out, "Assis! Assis! Je ne peux pas voir le taureau!" Asked by his parents his impression of the bullfight he said, "J'aime ça!" Taken to a Spanish bullfight at Bayonne three months later he seemed very interested, but did not comment during the fight. After it he said, "Quand j'étais jeune la course de taureaux n'était pas comme ça."

J. H. — 9 years old; American; male; education, French Lycée; one year kindergarten in U. S. Ridden horses two years — allowed to go to bullfights with his father as reward for work in school and because his younger brother having without parents' intention seen one with no bad results, he felt it unjust that the smaller child should have seen spectacle he was not to have been allowed to attend until twelve years old. Followed action with great interest and without comment. When cushions commenced to be thrown at cowardly matador whispered, "Can I throw mine, Papa?" Thought blood on horse's right front leg was paint and asked if horses were so painted so bull would charge them. Was greatly impressed by bulls, but thought work matadors did looked easy. Admired vulgar bravery of Saturio Torón. Said Torón was his favorite. The others were all frightened. Held firm belief that no bullfighter no matter what he did was doing his best. Took dislike for Villalta. Said "I hate Villalta!" first time he had ever employed this word in regard to a human being. Asked why; answered, "I hate the way he looks and the way he acts." Declared he did not believe there were any fighters as good as his friend Sydney and that he did not want to see any more fights unless Sydney was going to fight. Said he did not like to see the horses injured, but laughed at the time and afterwards at only funny incident in regard to horses. On discovering matadors were killed decided he would rather be a guide in Wyoming or a trapper. Maybe a guide in the summer and a trapper in the winter.

X. Y. — 27 years old; American; male; college education; ridden horses on farm as boy. Took flask of brandy to his first bullfight — took several drinks at ring — when bull charged picador and hit horse X. Y. gave sudden screeching intake of breath — took drink of brandy — repeated this on each encounter between bull and horse. Seemed to be in search of strong sensations. Doubted genuineness of my enthusiasm for bullfights. Declared it was a pose. He felt no enthusiasm and declared no one else could. Still convinced fondness for bullfights in others is a pose. Does not care for sport of any sort. Does not care for games of chance. Amusements and occupation drinking, night life and gossip. Writes. Travels about.

Capt. D. S. — 26 years old; soldier; British; of Irish and English extraction; education, Public Schools and Sandhurst; went out to Mons in 1914 as infantry officer; wounded August 27th, 1914; 1914-1918, brilliant record as infantry officer. Rides to hounds and in regimental point to points. Recreations, hunting, skiing, mountaineering — is widely read and has intelligent appreciation of modern writing and painting. Does not care for gaming or betting. Suffered sincerely and deeply at what happened to horses at first bullfight — said it was most hateful thing he had ever seen. Continued to attend them, he said, in order to understand mentality of people who would tolerate such a thing. At the end of his sixth fight understood them so well that he became embroiled in a dispute through defending the conduct of a matador, John Anllo, Nacional II, during the fight when a spectator insulted him. Went in the ring in the amateur fights in the mornings. Wrote two articles on bullfighting, one of them an apology for it, in the regimental gazette.

Mrs. A. B. — 28 years old; American; not a horsewoman; finishing-school education; studied to sing in opera; does not care for games, or gaming. Does not wager. Attended bullfights — was moderately horrified. Did not like them. Did not go again.

Mrs. E. R. — 30 years old; American; school and college education; ridden horses and owned pony as child; musician; favorite author Henry James; favorite sport, tennis; never seen either boxing or bullfighting until after her marriage. Enjoyed good prizefights. Did not want her to see horses in bullfight, but believed she would enjoy rest of corrida. Had her look away when bull charged horse. Told her when not to look. Did not want to shock or horrify her. Found she was not shocked nor horrified by horses and enjoyed it as a part of bullfight which she enjoyed greatly first time and became great admirer and partizan of. Developed almost unerring judgment for telling a matador's class, sincerity and possibilities as soon as she saw him work once. Was very much moved at one time by a certain matador. Matador was certainly much moved by her. Was fortunate enough to be away from the fights during this matador's moral debacle.

Mrs. S. T. — 30 years old; English; private school and convent education; ridden horses; alcoholic nymphomaniac. Done some painting. Spent money much too fast to be able to gamble with it — gambled occasionally with borrowed money. Loved drinking more than excitement — rather shocked by horses, but so excited by bullfighters and general strong emotion that she became a partizan of the spectacle. Drunk herself out of any remembrance of it shortly after.

W. G. — 27 years old; American; male; college education; excellent baseball player; very good sportsman, keen intelligence and good esthetic appreciation; only experience with horses on farm; recently recovered from manic depression which followed nervous breakdown; shocked and horrified by horses. Unable to see anything else in fight. Put everything on moral basis. Suffered sincerely and truly at pain being inflicted. Took violent dislike to picadors. Felt they were to blame personally. After he was away from Spain, horror died out and he remembered parts of fight he liked, but he truly and sincerely disliked bullfighting.

R. S. — 28 years old; American; male; successful writer without private means; college education; enjoyed bullfights greatly; fond of music of fashionable composers, but not a musician; little esthetic appreciation other than music; no horseman; was not at all distressed by horses; went into amateur fights in the morning and was a great crowd pleaser: came to Pamplona two years. Seemed very fond of the fights, but has not followed them since his marriage although he often says he would like to. May possibly go to them again some time. Seemed genuinely fond of them, but has no time now for non-social or non-money-making manifestations. Is genuinely fond of golf. Does very little gambling, but makes a few bets on questions of veracity, opinion, college loyalty, etc.

P. M. — 28 years old; American; convent and college graduate; not a musician; no musical ability or appreciation; intelligent appreciation of painting and letters; rode horses and owned pony as child. Saw first fight in Madrid in which three men were gored. Did not like it, and left before end. Saw fairly good fight second time and liked it. Completely unaffected by the horses. Came to understand fights and enjoyed them more than any other spectacle. Has attended them steadily. Does not care for boxing or football — enjoys bicycle-racing. Likes shooting, fishing. Does not like to gamble.

V. R. — 25 years old; American; convent and college education; good horsewoman; liked fights tremendously from start; completely unaffected by horses; has attended fights whenever possible ever since seeing her first one. Enjoys boxing very much — enjoys horse-racing — does not care for bicycle-racing — likes to gamble.

A. U. — 32 years old; American; college education; poet; great sensitivity; all-around athlete; keen esthetic appreciation, of music, painting, letters; rode horses in the army; not a horseman. Does not care for gambling — deeply affected by seeing bulls charge horses in first fight, but this did not prevent his enjoyment of bullfight. Appreciated matadors' work intensely and was ready to row with spectators who were hooting them. Has not been where he could see bullfights since that fall.

S. A. — Internationally famous novelist writing in Yiddish. Had luck to see excellent bullfight his first time in Madrid — declared there was no emotion comparable in intensity except first sexual intercourse.

Mrs. M. W. — 40 years old; American; education, private schools; not good at sports; has ridden horses; keen esthetic appreciation of music, painting, writing; generous, intelligent, loyal, attractive; very good mother. Did not look at horses — kept her eyes away — enjoyed rest of bullfight, but would not care to see many. Very fond of having a good time and very intelligent about knowing what it consists in.

W. A. — 29 years old; American; male; successful journalist; college education; no horseman; very civilized appreciation of food and drink; well read and wide experience; was disappointed in first fight, but not at all shocked by horses; in fact enjoyed horse part, but tended to be bored by the rest of fight; became rather interested in fights finally and brought wife to Spain, but she disliked them and the next year W. A. no longer followed them. Had bad luck nearly always to see bad fights — was close follower of boxing for a time, but no longer goes to fights. Does little gambling — loves food, drink and good conversation. Extremely intelligent.

In these few reactions of individuals I have tried to be completely accurate as to their first and ultimate impressions of the bullfight. The only conclusion I draw from these reactions is that some people will like the fights and others will not. Because I had never seen her before I could not chronicle the history of an Englishwoman who looked to be about thirty-five I saw once at San Sebastian who was attending the bullfight with her husband and was so overcome by the horses being charged by the bulls that she cried as though they were her own horses or her own children who were being gored. She left the ring crying but urging her husband to stay. She had not meant to make a demonstration, it had only been too horrible for her to stand. She looked a very fine and pleasant woman and I felt very sorry for her. Nor have I described the reactions of a Spanish girl who attended a fight at La Coruña with either her young husband or fiancé and who cried very much and suffered all through the corrida but remained in her seat. These are, speaking absolutely truthfully, the only women I have seen cry at over three hundred bullfights. It is to be understood, of course, that at these fights I could only observe my very immediate neighbors.