The Theme Of Masculinity In Long Way Down
Masculinity. “The epitome of what a man should be,” or, “the social expectations of being a man.” The theme of masculinity is highly present in the book Long Way Down, by Jason Reynolds. The main character, Will, has just witnessed his older brother Shawn get shot to death. Shawn has been a role model to Will throughout his whole life, and his death absolutely shattered Will. Now he must decide whether or not to “follow the rules” and murder the person he thinks took his brother's life, or just let it go. If he follows the rules, which are, 1. No crying. 2. No snitching. And 3. Revenge is a must, he will be accepted by his peers, even though he knows it’s wrong. But if he doesn’t follow the rules, a part of Will feels as if he is betraying his brother. As …show more content…
But he also has to uphold his idea of what being a man is, and that means following the rules, which clearly state that you must carry out revenge, no matter what. In Long Way Down, Will has to make a decision between what is right, and what society is pressuring him to do. While reading Long Way Down, one should consider the pressures Will faces from others, and what the gun means to him and what it meant to important role models in his life. Will is constantly being told what a man should or should not do. This is clearly demonstrated in The Rules. “No. 1: Crying. Don’t. No matter what. Don’t. (Reynolds 31)” While The Rules don’t specifically apply to men only, the most prevalent rule followers in Will’s eyes are men, such as his brother. Will believes that this rule, and others are the most important things above all else. If one is
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