I wrote “The Faithful Bull: A Moral Narrative” in LTC Iddings’ Language and Style course. This course focused on developing the appropriate discipline terminology and methods of criticism to analyze texts.  LTC Iddings framed the course within the lens of Systematic Functional Linguistics. Therefore, our specific terminology was rooted in examining textual, interpersonal, and experiential meanings. In this essay, I examine these factors within Ernest Hemingway’s short story The Faithful Bull. This examination reveals much about the textual functions of the story within its social location and purpose. 

 

 

The Faithful Bull: A Moral Narrative

            “The Faithful Bull” is a short story written by Ernest Hemingway. It recounts the life of a young bull who loved to fight. This bull was a champion, and dominated his peers. He did not fight out of spite or meanness, but nature. However, because he damaged the other bulls, his owner sent him to stud. Instead of breeding with all the cows, the Faithful Bull fell in love with one, and was faithful to her alone. Finally, frustrated with the monogamous relationship, the man sent the bull to be killed in the ring. Although the bull dies in the ring, his wonderful effort is admired by the crowd and matador. The story ends with the matador remarking that “we all ought to be faithful”.

The genre of this text is a moral narrative. By genre, I do not mean category, but rather a styled, goal orientated, culture saturated, language process. This may sound strange, but it is a major concept in the discipline of Systematic Functional Linguistics. SFL is concerned with the large concepts of genre, theme and register, down to the specific terms used at a clause level. It seeks to understand meaning through specific patterns and usages of language. SFL does this by examining three overarching types of meaning. The first meaning is textual. Textual meaning examines individual themes and rhemes, as well as the patterns they create. These larger patterns compose the hyper and macro-themes. Textual meaning starts at the clause level, but expands to the text level. The second type of meaning in SFL is interpersonal. Interpersonal meaning examines the use of mood and attitude. The mood of a clause can be declarative, imperative, or interrogative. Each is used specifically to communicate a certain meaning. Attitude refers to different evaluations. There are three types of attitudes. The first attitude is appreciation, which is an evaluation of things. The second is judgement, which is an evaluation of people. The third is affect, which is an evaluation of emotion. Similar to mood, these attitudes accomplish distinct meaning-making. The final overarching type of meaning in SFL is experiential. Experiential meaning includes processes, participants, and circumstances. These three avenues of analyzation explore the actor, action, and extending circumstances within a clause. The combination of these three aspects of the experiential can result in numerous combinations of meaning.

But how is this relevant to Hemingway? We can determine the genre of “The Faithful Bull” by discovering the social purpose and location of the text. A SFL orientated examination of “The Faithful Bull” will result in an understanding of the social purpose and location of text, indicating genre. The SFL evidence in “The Faithful Bull” clearly indicates that is a moral narrative .

            The first type of meaning we will examine is the textual meaning. The textual meaning involves an analysis of theme and rheme. The theme is the point of departure for a clause, and the rheme is everything else in the clause. This concept can be expanded to macro-theme, which is the point of departure for the entire text. The macro-theme in our text is the title. “The Faithful Bull”functions as the macro-theme. It identifies the protagonist of the narrative and clearly describes the subject of the story. The macro-theme gives the audience an instant point of departure. In narratives specifically, the title is especially important. This is because the audience looks to the title to determine the essence or significance of the narrative. The title, as a macro-theme, informs and prepares the audience for the proceeding text.

At a clause level, the themes are nearly always the subject of the clauses. These points of departure are direct and purposeful. The clear manner allows readers, or listeners, to follow the action. A crucial part of a story is understanding the sequence of events and the actors within those events. By making the themes the subjects of the clauses, Hemingway gives the audience a clear pattern of actors. We see this happening in clauses 3, 4, 7, 11, 23, 26, 49, 68, 72, and many more.

The larger textual patterns of the text also point to “The Faithful Bull” being a moral narrative. The individual themes within the clauses can be grouped together into stages. These patterns are intentional and give insight into the genre. The first theme in clause 1 singlehandedly composes the first stage. It is “one time”. This theme provides a setting for the story. Countless fairy tales begin with, “Once upon, a long time ago”. “One time” functions in a similar manner. However brief, it provides the occasion for the story. The second stage we notice is an introduction to the protagonist, the Faithful Bull. This stage is from clause 2-16. The themes in this section are about the Faithful Bull and his attributes. The third stage of themes is in clauses 17-30. This is where our protagonist encounters a complication and reacts. The themes in clauses 31-36 work to analyze the Faithful Bull’s decision. We see this pattern of complication and reaction happen four additional times: twice more for the Faithful Bull (46-47, 57-67), and twice for the antagonist, the owner (38-44, 51-58). Then, we arrive at the final stage, which is clauses 70-71. The themes here construct the moral of the story. In 70 the theme is “perhaps we”, and in 71 it is “the matador”. These two themes account for the two necessary elements of a morality narrative: the audience and the analogy or metaphor. These last two themes connect the audience to the struggles and the triumphs of the story, creating an occasion for the moral to be delivered. The thematic patterns of settings, complications, resolutions, and moral occasion, support the idea that “The Faithful Bull” is a moral narrative.

The second type of meaning that sheds light on the genre of “The Faithful Bull” is interpersonal. One of the primary components of the interpersonal is mood. Hemingway’s use of mood reinforces that the text is a moral narrative. All clauses are declarative except clause 37. Declarative clauses are an effective method for telling stories. The heavy use of declarative clauses indicates that the text is informing the reader of something. Hemingway has something to say, and he uses declarative clauses to say it. This points to a narrative, which recounts what happened, how it happened, and where it happened. Also, declarative clauses effectively make important statements. The statement found in clause 70 declares the moral of the story. This declarative mood is combined with a judgmental attitude. This makes the statement more personal to the reader because the mood of judgement concerns evaluating people. This final evaluation goes outside the story and makes a claim on reality.

The one interrogative clause may seem out of place. Nonetheless, it is a potent feature that indicates the text is a moral narrative. The single interrogative clause is, “So what happened to him?” This statement is interesting because the narrator is asking the audience. However, the narrator already knows what happened to the bull. Yet, he asks the audience, who don’t know. Why? The narrator does this to engage the audience. Hemingway acts like a grandfather asking his grandkids, “Do you know what I did?”. The kids have no idea, unless they have heard the story before. The grandfather does not actually expect an answer; rather he is simply setting up the rest of the narrative. The question acts as a breath or pause, which draws the audience in. Clause 37 does exactly that. For a brief moment the focus turns from the story to the audience. This grabs the audience before the story continues. It also adds tension. The pause begs the question, “What will happen next?” The rhetorical interrogative clause indicates that the text is a moral narrative.

The attitude of the text also indicates the previous genre. From clauses 1-36, only appreciatory and affect attitudes are used. This portion of the text introduces and describes the protagonist, the Faithful Bull. Appreciation clauses evaluate things. In this case, these clauses evaluate the Faithful Bull and his attributes. This is an important part of moral narratives. The protagonist needs to be described. Part of this description includes the evaluation of the Faithful Bull’s situation and attributes. In addition, the affect clauses also serve to introduce the protagonist. Clauses 7, 30, and 32 all mention emotions that the Faithful Bull feels. Clause 7 mentions how the horns hurt his head when he fights. Clause 30 and 32 mention the Faithful Bull’s anger. This anger is a puzzling and crucial motivation for the Faithful Bull’s preliminary action. Thus, these affect clauses offer insight into how the Faithful Bull feels. This helps shape the reader’s understanding of the protagonist before the first complication occurs. Through this initial understanding, the audience will be able to make better judgments concerning the bull’s actions. This early development is typical of moral narratives.

Like mentioned in the discussion of themes, the subjects of the clauses are nearly all the actors within the clause. We have a small list of actors inside the text: The Faithful Bull, other bulls, the man who owns the Faithful Bull, the Matador, and the Sword Handler. Each of these actors are nearly always the subject of the clauses. This makes for a simple reading of the text. It is very clear. There are few marked clauses; most follow an unmarked structure of subject then finite (exceptions: clause 19 and 21). By making the actors the subjects of the clauses, and placing the subjects in theme position, Hemingway provides readers with an informative point of departure. This reduces the need for adjuncts and streamlines the clauses. This direct style of recollection is easy to follow and keeps auditory audiences from getting lost.

The final type of meaning we will examine is experiential meaning. In this specific text, the experiential meaning provides the most evidence that Hemingway’s story is a moral narrative. A major part of our analysis will revolve around processes. The first 30 clauses rely heavily on behavioral and mental processes. This makes sense when we consider how the appreciatory and affect attitudes work to introduce the protagonist. Similarly, the behavioral and mental processes help shape the audience’s understanding of the protagonist. Clauses 2, 4, 8, 15, 17, 22, and 29 all discuss how the Faithful Bull behaves. These behavioral clauses shape the audience’s perspective on the Faithfull Bull. The clauses present the Faithful Bull’s behavior and allow the audience to make judgements on his character. In addition, Hemingway uses the behavioral processes to personify the Faithful Bull. Although he states that the Bull is not named Ferdinand, an initial implication that the bull will be considered as an animal, Hemingway uses specific behavioral process to personify the Faithful Bull. We can see this happening in clauses 3 and 47. Clause 3 remarks on the Faithful Bull’s affection towards fighting. This implies an affection more sophisticated than an affection for grain. It attaches affection to a certain action, like humans do with hobbies. More convincingly, the behavioral process in clause 47 says that he “fell in love”. This love, which is not shared with the other female bulls, is distinctly human. This added humanity helps Hemingway increase the effectiveness of the moral aspect of his story. Similar to parables, sometimes inanimate objects or animals are imbued with deeper meanings, creating a powerful comparison. Hemingway creates this mnemonic device with behavioral processes.

Also, the mental processes offer insight into the Faithful Bull’s mind. In clauses 10a, 11, 33, and 34, the audience learns what the Faithful Bull thinks. Specifically, they learn what he thinks about fighting. The audience also gets a window into the minds of the other bulls (clause 19). These clauses give the audience insight into what drives the actions of the charterers within the text. This gives another occasion for the audience to makes judgements about the characters and actions. These judgements are crucial when the moral is presented. Previous judgements are juxtaposed with the moral of the story. With this comparison, the audience views its own judgements in light of the moral. This is a particular effective tool used within moral narratives. Hemingway is setting up the occasion for comparison through allowing the audience to make judgements on mental processes.

Mental processes are used heavily in clause 36-71. However, the sensor of these processes widens in scope. In clauses 38, 43, and 51, the owner is the sensor. This opens his mind to the audience. It also helps the audience understand the man’s material processes in clauses 43b, 43c, 44, 57, and 57a. By knowing the thoughts of a character, the audience can better judge the qualities of their actions. In addition, what Hemingway contains in the mental processes heavily affects the audience’s perception of characters. This allows Hemingway to emphasize the significance of certain actions, and lead the audience to certain conclusions.

Another process that is used repeatedly is the relational process. Throughout the text, these processes offer strong connections between characters and attributes; also between tokens and values. Both attributive (ex. clause 12-13) and identifying (ex. Clauses 4a and20) relational processes are present. The attributive processes work to describe the Faithful Bull and briefly the other bulls (clause 40-41). However, nearly all attributive processes are used to inform the audience about the attributes of the Faithful Bull. Opposed to complex and intricate character development, the straight forward attributive processes Hemingway uses effectively and clearly inform about the nature of the Faithful Bull. The identifying processes serve a similar function. Similar to the attributive processes, they are primarily used in relation to the Faithful Bull. They comment on the beast’s attributes, helping form the audience’s conception of the Faithful Bull. Hemingway uses these straightforward relational processes to develop the characters. Character development is a crucial part to narratives, and is displayed here in the use of both relational processes.

Another instance of processes pointing to genre is found in the placement of verbal processes in the form of dialogue. Typically, narratives are densely packed with dialogue. However, in “The Faithful Bull” there is no dialogue until the end, clauses 64-71. This lack of dialogue points to the importance of the final section of text. The first instance of dialogue jumps out from the text, grabbing the audience’s attention. But why does Hemingway do this? By withholding the use of verbal processes in the form of dialogue, Hemingway emphasizes the importance of the last portion of text. This makes sense because the moral of the story is not explicitly presented until the last two clauses. The characters begin speaking when Hemingway presents the moral. In a way, Hemingway speaks when the characters speak. Thus, as the audience perks up to listen to what the Matador and his Sword Handler have to say, they also listen to the moral of the story. Hemingway’s abstention from verbal processes in order to emphasize the moral-stating portion of the text is a strong indication of a moral narrative genre.

In addition, the circumstances used in the text also indicate it is a moral narrative. Specifically, the use of role circumstances works to provide focused information about characters. Clauses 38, 43a, 46a, 51, 66a, and 69a, all inform the audience through a “who” role circumstance. For example, in clauses 43a and 51, Hemingway offers key information about the man through “who” role circumstances: “…the man, who was a good man” (clause 43a), “The man, who owned the bull ranch” (clause 51). The “who” role circumstance in clause 43a qualifies the man as a good man, providing the audience with a judgment from the narrator. Clause 51 qualifies the man as the man who owns the bull. Both are simple statements, but are crucial in understanding who the man is. In his typical brief manner, Hemingway presents this information through “who” role circumstances. Another example of this is found in clause 69a. This circumstance provides information about the Sword Handler. The circumstance “who knew everything” is remarkably informative. The sword handler obviously does not know everything, but this is the only description he receives. It implies a know-it-all nature to the Sword Handler. Perhaps, this is why he is not a matador. Or, perhaps Hemingway is commenting on the pride of youth. Regardless, the Sword Handler, trying to prove his worth, comments in clauses 67-68. Through a simple 3 word “who” role circumstance, Hemingway gives a deep description of the Sword Handler, provoking secondary thought.

A narrative can have multiple purposes. Hemingway’s narrative serves to recount a story, a chronological sequences of events. Nonetheless, he does more than merely provide a random narrative. This narrative has a distinct social purpose. We can see this in the last two clauses of the text: “‘Perhaps we should all be faithful,’ the matador said”(clause 70-71). Hemingway sets these two closely related clauses apart from the rest of the text. After learning about the Faithful Bull and his short and brilliant life, we reach the end. Hemingway does not take long to conclude. He does so in less than 10 words. But this conclusion is powerful; it contains a moral. The moral is that we ought to be faithful. Although the Faithful Bull was killed for his faithfulness, the matador admires the quality. This has a very distinct cultural context. The relationship between the matador and the bull is almost mystical, or at least Hemingway thought so. Bull fights fascinated him. How could there be so much mutual respect and admiration from the executioner to the dying beast? The bull rages and the matador slashes. Both are lost in a gruesome, captivating dance. Hemingway uses this unique relationship to comment on faithfulness. The matador kills the Faithful Bull, but he also praises him. Ordinarily, the antagonist would not praise the defeated protagonist. However, the strange relationship between matador and bull allows for the laud in clauses 64 and 70. The oddity of the antagonist praising the protagonist makes the worth of faithfulness stand out even more explicitly. Hemingway presents a familiar moral in a unique and marked manner. This adds to the effectiveness of the text, and also points to its genre as a moral narrative.

Hemingway’s comment on the value of faithfulness is small, but it is far reaching. It is applicable on two different planes. The first plane is the immediate story. The Matador praises the Faithful Bull for the quality that brought him death. The Matador’s tone is somber in clauses 70-71. He reflects on how the bull’s faithfulness lead him to the slaughter; yet, it was still beautiful and valuable. This reflection in within the narrative. The second plane is outside the narrative. The matador’s final line is directed at the audience. It is natural for the last line of a story to be the take-away. The moral challenges the audience to respond. It moves from the narrative of the text to the narrative of the audience’s lives. This is an important aspect of effective moral narratives. With subtle or explicit delivery, these stories attempt to stir the audience to action or warn them of consequences. In Hemingway’s story, he reminds the audience of the importance and value of faithfulness.

The social location of this text has a wide range. It can be read by a young audience as well as an old audience. The declarative attitudes and simple relational processes make the text accessible for numerous different types of people. The book can be read alongside the referenced “The Story of Ferdinand” by Munro Leaf. Young people can read this text and easily pertain the moral and purpose of the story. In addition, an older audience can aslo read the simple story. They however, might be able to understand an additional level of meaning within the text. In addition to understanding the clear moral, an older audience can also see Hemingway’s text as a response to “The Story of Ferdinand”. The audience may view Hemingway’s bull as a slightly cynical, but beautiful, criticism of Leaf’s story. This offers another strata of social location within the text.

In addition, the text’s location is multi-modal. The theme stages and the uses of specific processes make the text accessible from at least two different modes. First, the text can be accessed by a reader. I found “The Faithful Bull” in a collection of Hemingway short stories. In this mode, the text is meant to be read. However, the strong narrative form, and the simplicity and repetitive consistency of the subjects within the clauses also implies that the text could have an auditory mode. Oftentimes, stories meant to be told vocally rely on repetitive subjects and specific narrative stages. This allows the orator to easily remember the story and add personal inflection to the tale. Also, moral narratives are common stories for children, which are often told orally.

“The Faithful Bull” appears to be a simple short story. Nonetheless, it is remarkably complex, and communicates a large amount of meaning. The SFL method of analysis provides a glimpse into this complexity.  By examining textual, interpersonal, and experiential meanings, we can observe how the text functions within a social location and purpose. Placement and function determine the genre of a text. Through SFL we observed that the “The Faithful Bull” is a narrative that has a wide range of social locations and an intent to communicate a moral value. This specific combination of form and purpose indicates that Hemingway’s story is within the genre of moral narratives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Works Cited

Philip, Nel. “Ferdinand at 75”. Nine Kinds of Pie. 17 Sept. 2011.

The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway”. The Finca Vigia Edition. Scribner. 2003.