The Sterotypical Man
“Be a man” is a saying that is often heard, but what exactly does this mean? To some this phrase may seem insulting or abusive. Society has set the stereotype that men must exhibit “a manly air of toughness, confidence, and self-reliance and the aura of aggression, violence, and daring” (Devor 425). Ms. Devor has described what most Americans would call a “real” man. Men must constantly avoid anything associated with femininity. It is becoming more common to see men coming out of these assigned gender rolls but not without consequences of being labeled as “gay”. Even homosexual men have been discriminated against for coming out of their assigned gender rolls that they are expected to follow. “The whole idea of manhood in America is pitiful” (Theroux 430). This is a very true statement; Americans act like men must be very tough all the time. It is unethical to label men as being homosexual because of the way they may chose to act. This type of ignorance leads to cruelty that is not deserved by these types of men. Today’s man is expected to follow a certain path in life characterized by a disposition towards dominance and aggression, concerned only with goals, means an
d use of power. This is widely used in the relationships men carry on with women. “It is very hard to imagine any concept of manliness that does not belittle women.” (430) For centuries men have been the most dominate ones in the household. They have been the ones to have the jobs while the women stay at home and take care of the children, clean the house, and answer to the man’s ever demand. This is what is most commonly expected. Paul Theroux, the author of Being a Man comments that he never wanted to follow the traditional male gender roll. He feels as though being a man means to “be stupid, be unfeeling, obedient, soldierly and stop thinking” (430). People that treat others unfairly and judge them before they get to know them are ignorant. Society needs to realize that just because a man does not follow a life style that they feel is normal does not mean that they live a dysfunctional life style. Hopefully, people will realize how ignorant they may have been and will help pave the way for a more successful, less judgmental future. It should be realized that a man is still a man no matter how he may chose to act and should not be punished for this.
Some topics in this essay:
Ms Devor,
Deborah Tannen,
Paul Theroux,
,
gender roll,
supposed friends women,
devor 425 ms,
425 ms devor,
assigned gender rolls,
coming assigned gender,
emotional damage,
devor 425,
425 ms,
supposed friends,
life style,
coming assigned,
serious emotional,
friends women,
ms devor,
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Approximate Word count = 1235
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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