Bullfighting

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses and analyzes the custom of bullfighting in Spain. The paper specifically discusses the sequence of events in bullfighting, along with the cultural purpose of the sport. The paper confirms that bullfighting is the national pastime of Spain, and has evolved over several centuries into the spectacle it is today. The paper states that bullfighting follows a prescribed ritual that is both spectacular and quite traditional, and while many Westerners may not understand it, its tradition is so long held in Spain that it is certain to continue for centuries to come.

From the Paper:

"Of course, not all people appreciate the bullfight. One psychoanalyst states, "In Spain and in other countries with Spanish roots, bullfighting is the collective manifestation par excellence of culturally sanctioned sadism. This manifestation may be a vehicle for other partial instincts as well" (Paniagua 85). Many animal rights organizations around the world decry bullfighting, seeing it as a cruel and deadly sport that often leaves the bull still alive in the ring after the matador has supposedly killed it. One group writes, "The dagger is supposed to cut the spinal cord, but even this can be blundered, leaving the bull fully conscious when its ears or tail are cut off as trophies. The bull may then be dragged away from the arena whilst it is still alive" ("What is Wrong With Bullfighting?"). In addition, while these practices have been decried, many smaller bullfights often suffer from forms of corruption, such as drugging the bull to make it less aggressive. In the past, the bull's horns might also be shaved, making them sharper, but also more brittle, thus actually posing less of a danger to the matador."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Editors. "Bullfighting Guide." Andalucia.com. 2008. 12 Feb. 2008. <http://www.andalucia.com/bullfight/guide.htm>
• Editors. "Cristina Sanchez." 2008. 12 Feb. 2008. <http://www.biographybase.com/biography/Sanchez_Cristina.html>
• Editors. "History of Bullfighting in Spain." Spanish-Fiestas.com. 2008. 12 Feb. 2008. <http://www.spanish-fiestas.com/bullfighting/history.htm>
• Editors. "What is Wrong With Bullfighting?" League Against Cruel Sports 2008. 12 Feb. 2008. <http://www.league.org.uk/content.asp?CategoryID=1939>
• Gay-Y-Balasco, Paloma. "Women and Bullfighting: Gender, Sex and the Consumption of Tradition." Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute 5.1 (1999): 125.

More papers on Bullfighting:

• Term Paper # 119688 : "Spanish Bullfighting"
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• Book Review # 120026 : "The Bullfight Ideal in Ernest Hemingway's Novels"

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