Bulls, Bullfighting, and Spanish Identities (review)

214 Arizona Journal of Hispanic Cultural Studies Bulb, Bullfighting, and Spanish Identities Tucson: The University of Arizona Press, 1997 By Carrie B. Douglass Bullfighting has been a controversial topic for some time both within and outside of Spain. This book shows from a cultural anthropology perspective that despite vociferous opposition to taurine spectacles, especially from many Spaniards , bulls and bullfighting constitute a rich medium to consider debates about Spain's identity, its place in Eutope (modernity versus rradition), and the place of the various regions in the construct of the Spanish state (regional identity vetsus national unity). For this purpose Douglass brings together much information about differenr kinds and caregories of taurine spectacles, their national and local formats, and their significance. She establishes clearly that references to el toro in daily conversation, media or scholarly works are not only to the corrida de toros, or as it is polemically called la fiesta nacional, but also to such spectacles as novilladas, becerradas, toreo cómico, and festivals at which other taurine events occur (tientas, recortadas, encierros, capeas, toro de fuego). The author believes that the bull is a totem of Spain. She cites such examples of its piesence beyond the bull ring as the Roman geographer Strabo's description of the Iberian peninsula as having the shape of a bull's hide, the bull as theme and metaphor in literature since the thirteenth century, the anthropomorphic view of the bull as "the life [of freedom] for which every Spaniard secretly longs," the commercial use of the bull's image in advertisements of products , sports events, and the ultimate butchering and sale of rhe bull's meat at a special stand in the market. Through a ritual, "this 'totem' is 'sacrificed' for general consumption." Douglass contextualizes questions of national identity as mental consttuctions which, briefly stated, include the consideration of Spain as a nation or nationality and the identification of the culture and nationality of Spain with only Castilla, a view historically imposed on the other "nationalities" within the country's borders. A third, mediating construction of nation and culture is "Us Españas, "one that assumes both unity and diversity. These differentiating views underlie the extensive discussion of the identity(ies) of Spain which she conducts using such binary oppositions as the North/South and the Center/Periphery, through which she advances economic, social, demographic and terrain characteristics that support the principle of diverse identities. The author maintains as well that bulls and bullfighting transcend the differing views and constitute at least one element of commonality that can serve as a potential benchmark to delineate national unity and identity of Spain. In outlining the history of the on-going debate concerning modernity and tradition, the author emphasizes the underlying convictions of those who believe that Spain can not be parr of the European mainstream as long as taurine rituals are celebrated. She elaborates on descriptors —barbarous, non-European, Third Book Reviews 215 Worldish, primitive anachronism—invoked in 1983-86 by antitaurinos in favor of modernity and the desire to be identified with Europe. Douglass tries to mediate the contradiction of belief and identity expressed by informanrs who, while considering Europe a rational model and Spain irrational, suspend their own rationality, she believes, when they go to los toros. The author studies regional identity in detailed, enlightening discussions and interpretations of taurine celebrations in Bilbao, Sevilla and Pamplona. She explains with precision the structure of festivals for each of these sites, their schedules and important local traditions. She also elucidates on the role of politics, demonstrating convincingly, for example, that in the Basque Country los toros provide both an illusion of community and an opporrunity to set aside regional/ national conflicts, at least tempotarily. The author lists over two-hundred cired references from anthropological, cultural, philosophical, political studies; journalistic arricies; essays and literature . All of these, with the exception of nine works, were published prior to 1987. Much of her field research, conducred 1983-1986, involved conversations with an unspecified number of individual informants. Citing informant commentary is, according to the author, the recent trend in anthropology, one that she follows faithfully throughout the volume. Quotations are ar times from only one...