Caston Draper

AP/IB English Composition

5th Period

Mrs. Mckay

Masculinity Response

The central issue that faces males in our society is the frivolous belief in a dichotomy

existing between femininity and masculinity. This belief is so ingrained that it inhibits our ability

to evolve as a society, and causes emotional and physical harm to not just men, but also women.

It is widely accepted that the man must be the stark opposite of the woman, they cannot be

nurturing or emotional, they must be strong and stoic. To express emotion is not masculine and is

therefore inferior. This only leads to nearly fifty percent of our population being, unable or

unwilling to express any sort of emotions essentially making a bomb ready to explode. To

combat this within society we must accept that femininity and masculinity do not exist as two

polar opposites, but are more like a spectrum in which anyone can fall anywhere.

"No one is as fragile as a woman but no one is as fragile as a man." (Ehrlich 2)

The masculine stereotype is seen as the epitome of strength however the standards are extremely

strict and fragile. Every person on this planet experiences life and the good and bad that come

with it, every person struggles to succeed at some point in their life. This is just the way of life, it

is not confined to one gender or the other. Men experience this emotion just as much as a woman

and should feel comfortable sharing these emotions with others who experience the same. This is

not the case. Emotions are viewed as weak and “feminine” and therefore should be kept private.

There is no natural or biological reason as to why this is, it is only they view of our society

which governs the lives and actions of so many. This is the reason that unsettling statistics like
the male suicide rate, and ratio of men to women in tragic events like mass shootings. “In 2017,

men died by suicide 3.54x more often than women.” Our society’s standards of masculinity are

dangerous and must be amended for the greater good of all.

There is no reason why men and women should be viewed as complete opposites. “ The

whole idea of manhood in America is pitiful, in my opinion. This version of masculinity is a

little like having to wear an ill-fitting coat for one's entire life (by contrast, I imagine femininity

to be an oppressive sense of nakedness).” (Theroux 1). The idea of masculinity and femininity is

more of a spectrum, some people are more feminine and some people are more masculine

whether they be male or female. There is an essential balance between the two that is required in

being human. Forcing one person to be just masculine or just feminine is cruel and inhumane.

The world, and especially Americans must realize this if they wish to further societal

development. These stereotypes are not conducive to change, only anger and misunderstanding.

There are several ways that we could change our view on what makes someone a man

and what makes someone a woman. These should not be defined by the way someone behaves

only by what they view themselves as. The way that one identifies is a decision for them and

only them to make and should not be determined by others within a society. Almost nothing in

this world is strictly black and white, there is always a grey area and our society almost always

refuses to believe that out of fear of judgement or non-conformity. There is an immense pressure

within our society to conform or face the consequences and this pressure leads to irrational

decisions. “If one’s life purpose is obscured by the pressure to conform to a generic type and

other traces of self are ostracized into shadow, then just how difficult is it to pick up a gun,

metaphorical or literal, as a means of self-definition, as a way of securing what feels like

personal” (Walker 2). We poses a dire need to change the ways we perceive masculinity to
minimize the consequences of our current unreachable standards of what is considered masculine

and what is considered feminine.

When the current view of masculinity within our society is assessed, we can see that it

only leads to turmoil and anger. Both of these should be avoided at all costs if we wish to

progress further as a species. Seperating a person into just masculine or just feminine is

inherently unnatural, both sides are required to have a sense of humanity. One should not be

judged or ostracized for falling on one side or the other, regardless of gender, because of this we

must change our views to be more accepting and all encompassing if we wish to progress and be

the best humanity possible.

Works Cited

Ehrlich, Gretel. "About Men." The Solace of Open Spaces, 1984.

 "Suicide Statistics." American Foundation for the Prevention of Suicide, 2017,

afsp.org/about-suicide/suicide-statistics/.

Theroux, Paul. "Being a Man." Sunrise with Seamonsters, 1985.

Walker, Rebecca. "Putting Down the Gun." What Makes a Man, 2004.