Boxing Match in Vienna: An Analysis
My favorite scene in the novel thus
far is Bill’s description of the boxing match in Vienna between the local
fighter and a black fighter. I thought this passage was humorous and striking
at the same time. Humorous, because of the unexpected plot twist when it’s
revealed that the black fighter was trying to let the white fighter win.
However, striking because of the injustice that the black fighter experiences
after winning the fight (fairly). It is probably more angering because of the
social standards that we have in the present, but in 1926 (when this novel was
published) the civil rights movement hadn’t really started yet.
But an important question is why
did Hemingway feel the need to include this anecdote in the novel?
One idea is that Hemingway is
developing Bill’s character through this mini story. The anecdote is narrated
by Bill as he describes his take on the fight. In the novel, Bill is portrayed
as a humorous guy. He’s constantly expressing himself through jokes and other
funny comments. This story that he tells, could have been an “extended” joke:
not blatant, but still ironic and humorous. Also, as Bill is a war veteran,
this passage could be demonstrating his emphasis on masculinity. One final
thought is that, since Bill describes himself to have helped the black fighter
by loaning money, perhaps he’s showing Jake that he’s a caring dude and a good
person.
Maybe Hemingway was just having
some fun. In class, we discussed how Hemingway was a macho-masculine guy.
Through Bill’s narration, we see that the white fighter is being mocked in
terms of his masculinity. First off, when the black fighter was trying to say
something, the white fighter attacked him with a cheap blow: showing how
dishonorably he had to act in order to take out a “lowly” black fighter. Then,
even more humiliatingly, he was knocked out right away. Finally, to top off an
embarrassing defeat, the black fighter tells everyone that he was trying to
lose. I can’t think of a series of events that can be more demeaning to one’s
“macho-masculinity” than what that white fighter just went through. As a
contemporary reader, I found the humiliation hilarious. Perhaps when Hemingway
was writing this little anecdote he felt a similar joking attitude making a
fool of that secondary character.
One final point that I found memorable is the frequent, casual use of the N-word. Why does he say it so much? Does this reflect Hemingway's character or the portrayal of Bill's character? I personally think that this reveals Hemingway's mindset. If the use of the N-word was exclusive to this particular scene, it would've been reasonable to think that Hemingway is simply incorporating this into the character of Bill. However, we see other demeaning portrayals of black people later in the novel as well. A notable example being the silencing of the dialogue of the black man. Also, the frequent use of the N-word by other characters in the novel as well.
This interesting and memorable scene is revealing of Bill's character and Hemingway's values. In what other ways do you think this scene reveals more about the novel, characters, or the author? I'm interested to hear.
This scene is really interesting for a number of reasons. I feel that it's revealing of both Bill and Hemingway- Bill is more obvious, as he chose to use the n-word with such frequency and casualness that I personally disagree with. To me, his use of this kind of language is indicative of the fact that, while he may not be actively hateful, he is still racist and does not view black men on the same level as white men. As for Hemingway, I personally feel that it's extremely revealing- I interpret 'The Sun Also Rises' as being somewhat autobiographical, since Jake lives a very similar life to Hemingway (WW1 vet, American expat in Paris, avid drinker/dancer/male socialite) and thus Jake's willing acceptance of the story feels like Hemingway's acceptance. Further, even if Jake is not a stand-in for Hemingway, the fact that this story is seemingly meant to endear us to Bill indicates that Hemingway intended for us to, rather than being offended by Bill's use of the n-word, to giggle along. As such, Hemingway's choice to include the story and contextualize it as he did tells us a great deal about his personal values, as well as illuminating Bill as a character.
ReplyDeleteI really liked this scene too. I found that It was a really good way to introduce Bill's personality to the reader. We also get a scene of his relationship with Jake. They're clearly really good friends. Additionally, It would seem as though their friendship is genuine, unlike Jake's relationship the Cohn. Lastly, I disagree with Bill's use of the "N-Word" in this scene. He's using this word to create an inequality between people with black skin and people with white skin. Although the usage of this word is pretty awful, I think it does say a lot about Bill's character, and even about the time in which this story takes place. Good post Albert Lee!!
ReplyDeleteI like this scene too because it reveals things about Hemingway and Bill, and the relationship between Jake and Bill. First, it reveals that Bill is obviously racist, based on the uncomfortable frequency (the fact that he uses it at all) and casualness of his use of the N-word. The fact that Bill is portrayed as a fun person to be around and obviously someone to like, it follows that Hemingway was then at least also somewhat racist. It also reveals (like Mr. Mitchell said) that Jake plays sort of a comedic 'straight man' role, just feeding Bill topics for him to run with.
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