How are the Social Relationships of Boys and Men Formed in Moonlight?

In an environment that has brutal standards for masculinity, boys may find

that establishing their place may be a difficult experience. This is evident in the

movie, Moonlight, which depicts the coming of age of Chiron in a drug-ridden

neighborhood. Pressure and aggression that boys feel from the influence of their

community dictates many of the social interactions between the boys in the movie.

Upholding ones masculinity causes others to become victim to bullying or challenge

of power, which are intended to preserve status and masculinity. These actions are

forms of policing of masculinity that are explored in Adolescent Boys Experiences

with Masculinity: Forms, Functions, and Consequences, by Christopher Reigeluth

and Michael Addis and are applicable to the aggressive behavior of the boys in the

movie Moonlight. The interactions they have are usually dictated by the policing

concepts, like bullying and pressure to change ones behavior, but the movie

illustrates mentorship that demonstrates the importance of relationships built on

trust and love opposed to hostile policing.

The need for boys to defend and build their status results in behaviors like

assertiveness, bullying, and aggression. Reigeluth and Addis explain the motives

behind aggressive social interactions between boys, like those in Chirons high

school, through their explanation of the policing of masculinity. As Reigeluth and

Addis note, [p]articipants acknowledged that policing behaviors, if successfully

executed, function to help the policer build or preserve status in the group (79).

Throughout the chapter in Moonlight entitled Chiron, Terrell, the tyrannical bully

at Chirons high school, frequently comes across as the enforcer of policing

behaviors. He appears to be on top of the social hierarchy. Therefore, the other boys

feel pressured into submitting to his policing behaviors. This enables him to

preserve status and control the status of the other boys.

This is clear in the lunch scene between Kevin, Chirons only friend, and

Terrell. Terrell is very assertive in his comments and physical actions towards Kevin

in this scene. Terrell shoves Kevins lunch tray at him and steals his juice box by the

end of the scene to assert his higher status. Kevin feels his masculinity is being

challenged when Terrell wants his to play the game, Knock down, stay down. The

pressure that Kevin feels about defending his manhood in his society, explains his

compliance to Terrells request, even though he is clearly struggling and hesitating

to agree. Kevin knows that if he doesnt engage in the policing behavior that Terrell

wants from him, fighting and enforcing social order, then he will be perceived as

weak and faces the risk of losing his social standing. He fears appearing less

masculine than accepted in his community and he wants to prove his masculinity to

himself. Kevin must police the behavior of someone the boy pack determines to be

not masculine enough through aggression in the form of fighting. Unfortunately, this

happens to be Chiron, who is a constant victim of frequent bullying behaviors.

The pressures of social conformity and masculine norms ultimately lead to

Kevin beating up Chiron in a fight scene. Terrell draws together a circle of boys to

fuel the fight. Kevin and Chiron face off as jeers from the other boys add to the

tension building up to Kevin throwing his first punch. This scene demonstrates both

Kevin and Chiron displaying some form of defending their masculinity in response

to the policing nature of their community. Reigeluth and Addis explore the pressure
of upholding ones masculinity, which may influence the behavior of the boys in

Moonlight:

Because of the precarious nature of manhood and the unattainable

standards set by hegemonic masculinity, boys and men can experience

constant fear of emasculation and ongoing social pressure to defend and

demonstrate their masculine status to other boys and men. (76)

Kevin follows through with his agreement with Terrell to fight in the game, Knock

down, stay down. Terrell uses his dominance to gather a group of boys to

constantly coerce Kevin and victimize Chiron. Pressure from policing causes Kevin

to ignore what he is feeling internally in order to externally conform to masculine

standards imposed on him. Whenever the camera focuses on Kevins expression, he

is grappling internally with the fact that Chiron is his best friend and more, yet his

masculinity could be in question with the other boys if he doesnt follow through.

When Kevin states, Stay down Chiron! he is practically begging him to stay down,

because as long as Chiron stands up, Kevin must fight in order to meet the

expectations set by the policing from the other boys.

On his part, Chiron displays his masculinity by continuing to stand back up

each time he is punched. He remains silent while enduring the torment of the boys

surrounding him and the fists of his best friend. He even raises his chin a little bit

higher and leaves the smears of blood across his face to exemplify that even though

he is the victim, he wont let them strip away every ounce of his pride. Although

Chirons actions werent enough to prove himself to the other boys, he displays

strength that aligns very well with masculine traits.

 A community with harsh standards for masculinity causes boys to succumb

to policing behavior in order to survive. It is noted in Dan Kindlon and Michael

Thompsons book, Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys, that, all boys

live with fear in this culture of cruelty (75). All the boys in Moonlight strive to be

masculine to fit the societal norms of their community. It is the only way they can

survive or they will suffer unrelenting bullying and verbal and physical abuse from

others if they dont fit the mold. Chiron comes to this realization after years of

suffering when the fight scene is over. After staring his battered reflection down in a

mirror, Chiron storms through the school with one goal in mind, take down Terrell.

He realizes that the only way for him to be accepted is if he takes extreme action.

Striking Terrell over the head with a chair signifies Chirons violent change in his

character. He learns that survival is cruel in a world with standards set by

aggressive policing of masculinity. This marks the turning point in Chirons

character, that shapes him into the muscled, hard, and tough drug dealer in the next

chapter of the movie, Black. What he learned from his interactions between the

other boys in high school, taught him that this policing of masculinity is unavoidable,

so the only way to survive is to conform externally to fit the mold of aggressive,

dominant, masculinity that is expected in his community.

The movie explores another dimension of interactions with men and boys,

like mentorship that takes the form of a father son like relationship, that Reigeluth

and Addis do not distinguish with policing of masculinity. The role of a father figure

lacks support from this article, while Moonlight demonstrates this very well with

Juan and Littles relationship. This is especially evident in the scene where Juan
teaches Little how to swim. When Juan corrects Littles strokes with the phrase,

more athletic, Reigeluth and Addis may view this as a comment that policies

masculinity. This can be concluded from their statement that policing of masculinity

can, [t]est, challenge, or urge another boy to improve his performance and toughen

up (78). Juans statement has the qualities of a policing of masculinity comment,

since it implies, that Little isnt meeting the strong and athletic standards of an ideal

man in his swimming performance. If this statement was relayed in a more belittling

sense, then it may be a better fit with Reigeluth and Addiss definition of policing

masculinity. But it wasnt, since the context of the scene is one of building trust. Juan

wants to be a father figure towards Little. His comment may have similar effects as

policing of masculinity, but it doesnt hold the same social pressures that policing of

masculinity does. Fathers and mentors can interact with boys by correcting them,

but it doesnt come with the stress of failing to fit in socially because they are

correcting them kindly as a teacher that they can genuinely trust.

Furthermore, Moonlight explores how the presence of trust and care are also

crucial factors in establishing relationships that impact future choices in life, which

policing of masculinity doesnt fully explain. Throughout most of the movie Chiron is

surrounded by a violent neighborhood, drug abuse, and the brutal policing

standards of masculinity that result from these influences. Reigeluth and Addis only

factor in policing influences, like those in the movie, in their article. Their view

appears to fit well during Chirons coming of age and transformation into a drug

dealer in the final chapter of the movie, Black. Although these are influential

factors in Chirons development, this explanation lacks the impact of Juans father
like relationship with Chiron. Juan is successful in filling the role of a father that

Chiron desperately needs in the first chapter, Little. Chiron idolizes Juan because

he finds love and trust in his relationship with Juan, where as almost every other

interaction Chiron has is tinged with violence and judgment that is aligned with

policing behaviors. Since Juan is Chirons role model, that also influences him to

become a drug dealer like Juan. Not only does he have the same job as Juan in the

final chapter of the movie, but he also mimics him by placing the same crown on his

dash as Juan and having conversations and using mannerisms with other drug

dealers that resemble Juans. Chiron determines, as he transitions to Black, that

Juans job allows him to survive in their cruel society, yet he is still able to maintain

compassion, like Juan did, which is valuable to Chiron as well.

Shaping ones masculinity appears to be a complex process that encompasses

more than just policing of masculinity. Policing is just an aspect of societal influence

on expected masculinity, so this single idea isnt enough to describe the

development of masculinity. The influences on masculinity, which include

mentorships built on love and trust, could be explained as growth in an individual

through relationships. This growth can be influenced by the positive and the

negative relationships that care for or police ones masculinity. So even in a culture

with brutal and dominant standards for masculinity, love and trust still impact

masculinity.
 Works Cited

Kindlon, Dan and Michael Thompson. Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of

Boys. Ballantine Books, 1999.

Moonlight. Dir. Barry Jenkins. A24, 2016. DVD.

Reigeluth, Christopher and Michael Addis. Adolescent Boys Experiences with

Masculinity: Forms, Functions, and Consequences. Psychology of Men and

Masculinity, vol. 17, no. 1, 2016, pp. 74-83.