Masculinity / Masculinities
What is "masculinity"? What are "masculinities"? What defines these concepts? Use examples from Orwell's 1984 as well as those drawn from popular culture, literature, advertising, and so forth to furnish your response.
According to the Cambridge Online Dictionary, masculinity includes “the characteristics that are traditionally thought to be typical of or suitable for men.” Thus masculinities refer to something traditionally considered to be a characteristic of a male. Currently, some stereotypes of male characteristics may include being strong, brave and dashing, but through different eras and cultures characteristics of masculinity can differ.
Masculinity in a popular culture setting focuses on being fit, as well as a main focus on aesthetics. One leading man example is Brad Pitt, who some women want to be with and who some men want to be, which presents the idea that Brad Pitt portrays the desirable masculine qualities in that culture. However, in the past, for instance pre WW2 there was a large focus on males being the bread winner in the household. Contrasting males, who were not the bread winner, were sometimes viewed as having their masculinity emasculated. Today that same judgment can be seen, although it is less common, however, it appears some males still strive to produce a higher income than their partner which presents the idea that income, or type of job a male acquires reflects his masculinity.
In George Orwells 1984 it is interesting to see how the role of masculinity affects characters in the book. Winston, the protagonist, dislikes nearly all women, “especially the young and pretty ones” (12). He believed that it was always the women who were the strongest advocate supporters of the Party, “the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies and nosers-outs of unorthodoxy” (12). This reflects a little of Winston’s masculinity which is reflected by the time period in the book; since he is the only one not ‘brainwashed’ by the Party, he feels a specific dislike not only for his society, but the women in his society who advocate the Party rules. It’s seems Winston feels smothered and is also being suppressed. One reason he did not like a girl behind him was due to the fact he “wanted to go to bed with her and would never be able to do so” (17). His masculinity is suppressed in the sense that he is unable to sexually express himself since it goes against the Junior Anti-Sex League and the Party. Eventually, Winston resorts on sneaking off with prostitutes to appease his desire although it is viewed against the law.
Winston creates Comrade Ogilvy who portrays the type of strong masculinity desired by the Party. Comrade Ogilvy joined the Spies at age six, “at nine he had been a troop leader. At eleven he had denounced his uncle to the Thought Police” (49) and age seventeen he joined the Junior Anti-Sex League. At age nineteen he designed his own hand grenade and died at twenty-three. He didn’t drink or smoke; he was celibate and only discussed the Party philosophy. Comrade Ogilvy would pretty much be a Catholic Sylvester Stallone. Ironically, since the Party and Big Brother are so in control masculinity is suppressed and isn’t even allowed to surface; “‘Mrs.’ was a word somewhat discountenanced by the Party- you were supposed to call everyone ‘comrade’” (22).
According to the Cambridge Online Dictionary, masculinity includes “the characteristics that are traditionally thought to be typical of or suitable for men.” Thus masculinities refer to something traditionally considered to be a characteristic of a male. Currently, some stereotypes of male characteristics may include being strong, brave and dashing, but through different eras and cultures characteristics of masculinity can differ.
Masculinity in a popular culture setting focuses on being fit, as well as a main focus on aesthetics. One leading man example is Brad Pitt, who some women want to be with and who some men want to be, which presents the idea that Brad Pitt portrays the desirable masculine qualities in that culture. However, in the past, for instance pre WW2 there was a large focus on males being the bread winner in the household. Contrasting males, who were not the bread winner, were sometimes viewed as having their masculinity emasculated. Today that same judgment can be seen, although it is less common, however, it appears some males still strive to produce a higher income than their partner which presents the idea that income, or type of job a male acquires reflects his masculinity.
In George Orwells 1984 it is interesting to see how the role of masculinity affects characters in the book. Winston, the protagonist, dislikes nearly all women, “especially the young and pretty ones” (12). He believed that it was always the women who were the strongest advocate supporters of the Party, “the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies and nosers-outs of unorthodoxy” (12). This reflects a little of Winston’s masculinity which is reflected by the time period in the book; since he is the only one not ‘brainwashed’ by the Party, he feels a specific dislike not only for his society, but the women in his society who advocate the Party rules. It’s seems Winston feels smothered and is also being suppressed. One reason he did not like a girl behind him was due to the fact he “wanted to go to bed with her and would never be able to do so” (17). His masculinity is suppressed in the sense that he is unable to sexually express himself since it goes against the Junior Anti-Sex League and the Party. Eventually, Winston resorts on sneaking off with prostitutes to appease his desire although it is viewed against the law.
Winston creates Comrade Ogilvy who portrays the type of strong masculinity desired by the Party. Comrade Ogilvy joined the Spies at age six, “at nine he had been a troop leader. At eleven he had denounced his uncle to the Thought Police” (49) and age seventeen he joined the Junior Anti-Sex League. At age nineteen he designed his own hand grenade and died at twenty-three. He didn’t drink or smoke; he was celibate and only discussed the Party philosophy. Comrade Ogilvy would pretty much be a Catholic Sylvester Stallone. Ironically, since the Party and Big Brother are so in control masculinity is suppressed and isn’t even allowed to surface; “‘Mrs.’ was a word somewhat discountenanced by the Party- you were supposed to call everyone ‘comrade’” (22).
Later when Winston goes to a restaurant he sees a beetle like man and notes that he finds everyone there unattractive. However, he thought that “if you don’t look around you, you would think the ideal physical type set up by the Party would be – tall, muscular youth and deep-bosomed maidens, blond hair, vital, sunburnt, and carefree- existed and even predominated,”(63) but that wasn’t that case, everyone he saw he thought was “small dark and ill favored” (63). One would think that the Party would try and have the most attractive predominated in society; however the Party is actually dramatically suppressing those views, leaving no room for freedom of expression.
Winston notes that “the ideal set up by the Party was something huge, terrible and glittering- a world of steel and concrete of monstrous machines and terrifying weapons- a nation of warriors and fanatics, marching forward in perfect unity, all thinking the same thoughts and shouting the same slogans, perpetually working, fighting, triumphing, persecuting- three hundred million people all with the same face” (77) It is this view of extreme conformity that destroys masculinity.
Winston notes that “the ideal set up by the Party was something huge, terrible and glittering- a world of steel and concrete of monstrous machines and terrifying weapons- a nation of warriors and fanatics, marching forward in perfect unity, all thinking the same thoughts and shouting the same slogans, perpetually working, fighting, triumphing, persecuting- three hundred million people all with the same face” (77) It is this view of extreme conformity that destroys masculinity.
Overall, depending on the era and cultural settings, masculinity can be suppressed, or shaped however a particular society finds desirable. However, either way there can be large effects on individuals and consequences in that society.
