TOW #2 - Pamplona in July

Ernest Hemingway is considered one of the greatest authors in history. Included in The Best American Essays of the Century is his memoir, Pamplona in July. Hemingway has a gift in his descriptive ability - the adjectives and verbs he uses make his writing absolutely beautiful. His piece is all about his experiences from when he visited Pamplona, Spain, to spectate the "Running of the Bulls," an annual tradition held in the city where voluntary participants run through the streets from several released angry bulls – for fun. He writes about the chaotic scenes before the running began, specific people he encountered (and saw get thrusted into the air by bulls), and some of his own opinions on the event (his pure joy!). Through many connecting anecdotes and near-tedious narration, Ernest Hemingway illustrates a perfect summer vacation.

Hemingway directs the memoir towards people searching for adventure and new experiences in hopes of communicating his fondness and love for the Running of the Bulls. He never would have written a memoir about a trip he didn't enjoy. His first line captures interest by way of mere description: "In Pamplona, a white-walled, sun-baked town high up in the hills of Navarre, is held in the first two weeks of July each year the World's Series of bull fighting" (1). He uses untraditional adjectives as he refers to the city as “white-walled” and “sun-baked.” Throughout his piece, Hemingway also relies heavily on metaphor to further his text. In addition, in order to make the memoirs more personable, Ernest Hemingway uses sentence fragments, creating a more informal yet focused tone. His whole piece is awfully nostalgic as he essentially tries to sell a vacation to the reader and practically screams, "Hey, you should check out Pamplona!" Hemingway is certainly successful in his attempt to do this; whether it is his vivid description or his passion that seems seeping through the pages, Pamplona and the Running of the Bulls are depicted as something magnificent and not to be missed.