People can be easily influenced by others to be something that they are not. They tend to adhere to societal norms to fit in rather than being true to their own identity. Leslie Bell, author of “Selections from Hard to Get: Twenty- Something Women and the Paradox of Sexual Freedom,” speaks about how women are perplexed about the role they should play in a relationship because society and loved ones give two contradicting ideas on how they should behave. Similarly, Susan Faludi presents how society’s perception of cadets are different from reality in “The Naked Citadel,” as men at the Citadel attempt to validate their masculinity by degrading the underclassmen through physical abuse and gender swapping practices. In “The Mind’s Eye,” Oliver Sacks gives several different examples on how the blind are still capable of seeing the world despite the misconception that they are unable to see at all, whether it’d be keeping their visual imagery or choosing to completely part with it. All three texts demonstrate how people can be influenced by society to try and conform to their norms or go against them. People tend to follow societal norms because those who go against them may be seen as abnormal. They feel pressured to meet societal expectations, however in the attempt to meet them they realize that they are not definite. The expectations society has for people can sometimes contradict one’s loved ones and lifestyle, which leaves them confused but ultimately helps them better
All of the Cadets come into the Citadel with different unique personalities and identities, but when they come to the Citadel, they put all of those to the side. When becoming a “Whole Man” at the Citadel the Cadets clear all differences and possess one identity, a masculine, tough, man. A Cadet states, “it’s like we’re all one, we’re all the same, and-I don’t know- you feel like you’re exposed, but you feel safe”(75). Even though each person is different, they are in the same place doing the same thing which connects them on another level.
In the above poster entitled, Gee!! I Wish I Were a Man, I'd Join the Navy. Be a Man and Do It. , the image of a youthful young woman was dressed up in a men’s Navy uniform stating that if she were a man, she would join the Navy. Not only is this type of propaganda a blatant form of using sex to get a man’s attention, but also a form of demasculinization/humiliation, motivation, and patriotism.
The idea of splitting is an important one. It is one that helps to explain how individuals attempt to resolve uncertainty, ambiguity, and conflicting cultural demands in a society. Leslie Bell’s work, Hard to Get and Susan Faludi’s work, The Naked Citadel help to illustrate the importance of splitting. Specifically, with regards to Jayanthi and being a “bad girl”, Shannon and being a “bad girl”, and Alicia and being a “good girl” and how they tried to change how they acted because of uncertainties, ambiguities, and conflicting cultural demands. Splitting , which is “a tendency to think in either/or patterns and to insist that one cannot feel two seemingly contradictory desires at once…”(Bell, 28) is useful in Jayanthi's case and in her desire to be a “bad girl.”
One’s own identity is crucial in defining a person. Some believe identity is defined by an individual, whereas others believe identities are defined by the context of one’s own surroundings. It seems more reasonable to believe the notion that people’s identities are chosen by the influence of their surroundings through the fourth class system which was expressed in Susan Faludi’s work, the Naked Citadel, the Stanford and the Seminaraian experiements which was explained in The Power of Context by Malcolm Gladwell, and through the influence of mega marketing like in Ethan Watters work, The Mega Marketing of Japan. The fourth class system creates an environment in which students are abused and mistreated in order to change the students
English Essay Q3 Texts used : The Altar of the Family and At Seventeen Traditionally, society views males as strong, aggressive, dominant and unemotional individuals while females play unimportant and demure roles within society. Sheila Morehead’s “At Seventeen” and Michael Wilding’s “The Altar of the Family” challenge this idea of masculinity and gender roles, “The Altar of the Family” especially does this as the protagonist of the short story is a young boy, David. David is constructed to challenge the stereotypes of masculinity and through this the author is able to push the message that being a man doesn’t mean you need to conform to these gender stereotypes and not conforming to the stereotypes doesn’t result in being a failure as a person.
History has repeatedly given men privilege due to their physical advantages; yet it is these same advantages that have developed into “rules” or expectations that all men should conform to in order to prove their manhood. Michael Kimmel’s essay, “‘Bros Before Hos': The Guy Code” outlines the “rules” where men are expected to never show any emotions, be brave, act knowledgeable, be risk takers, be in control, act reliable, and be competitive, otherwise they would be showing weakness which is analogous to women. It is humiliating that men associate weakness with women; they should focus on the potential of the individual rather than their gender. Most insults toward men attack their masculinity because society finds it shameful for men to be
Women have found themselves at the bottom of society’s hierarchal pyramid for eons. Even though females make contributions that prove vital to the world’s function, they are still regarded as the weaker link. The female plight of constantly facing debasement is a pawn used to ensure compliance. It is a common notion that if one is demeaned enough, he or she will conform to the suggested persona. Society tests this notion through its treatment of women.
Over time, the thought patterns of many individuals mould to believe only one perception of what is morally acceptable— a perception that is completely faulty. The ideology of the male body and demeanor is only one of the many societal norms constructed by the media, and it alone can result in mental health fatalities, mass violence, or the mere elimination of self-identity whilst attempting to meet the ever-changing ideals of masculinity. The continuous and stereotypical depiction of masculinity in the media has idealized invulnerability, toughness and physical strength as the sole qualities of a ‘true man’. As a result, the complexity of masculinity is flattened, and immense pressures are placed on individuals to meet requirements that are entirely faulty. According to Katz, cultures, topics, and even genders are not one-dimensional; in order to fully comprehend the meaning the entirety of something, one must look at more than its representation in the media.
Jess confines herself within the strong emotional barriers that she creates. The isolating effects of Jess’s emotional fortification are touched upon by Rodness, who writes, “hardened, or frigid figurations of female masculinity and gender queerness provide modes of withdrawal and antisociality” (Rodness, 550). Rodness highlights the negative effects
To comfort her friend into obediently listening to Montag’s book of poetry, Mrs. Phelps remarks that “‘if we listen nice, Mr. Montag will be happy and then maybe we can go on and do something else’” (95). Even though Mrs. Phelps isn’t agreeing to follow the majority in this circumstance, she still is promoting submission through conformity to a person in a position of power. She attempts to make listening to literature, a highly illegal crime in their society, seem like no big deal by using positive language like “nice” and “happy.” Those words put a positive spin on submission of self, all in hopes that “Mr. Montag will be happy.”
These students are many times symbolically labeled and classed as, “weird,” “gay,” or “loser” due to non-conformist dress, behavior, or participation in unmasculine activities such as art and drama (Kimmel and Mahler 2003). Consequently, these labels tend to define how others treat and interact with these students (Ballantine and Spade 2015). Students displaying volatility in emotional self-management experience poor treatment. Young men who fall short or step outside of the representation of hegemonic masculinity are met with relentless persecution (Kimmel and Mahler 2003). Tragically, over time, the compilation of these various symbolic factors and negative interactions can compound and incite deadly, violent outbursts.
The narrator is certain that the ability to see is everything and puts no effort into seeing anything beyond the surface. The only way he can break free from this artificial world that he has isolated himself in if he lets down his guard and surrenders his jealousy and insecurity. The narrator is resentful of the connection that
This essay made me recognize how much someone’s masculinity influences someone’s thinking, belief, and opinion about someone just by observing them. It opened me up to the different beliefs people have about being masculine and what it means to be masculine. Overall, the most important thing about this essay is that it made me a more well-informed person on the influences that made me who I am
“His being blind bothered me” (Carver 1). In Raymond Carver’s short story Cathedral, Carver establishes an ignorant narrator, who is dependent on alcohol and fixated upon physical appearance; he juxtaposes the narrator to a blind man who sees with his heart rather than his eyes. Through indirect characterization, Carver contrasts the narcissistic narrator to the intuitive blind man while utilizing sight as a symbol of emotional understanding. He establishes the difference between looking and seeing to prove that sight is more than physical.
the enhancing of the other senses, using blindness to one’s benefit and even the ethical demeanor of an individual who is blind. “In the course of the many lectures-too many lectures-I have given, I’ve observed that people tend to prefer the personal to the general, the concrete to the abstract. I will begin, then, by referring to my own modest blindness. Modest, because it is total blindness in one eye, but only partial in the other.” (377)