Boys Don't Cry?: Rethinking Narratives of Masculinity and Emotion in the U.S. (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780231120357)

We take for granted the idea that white, middle-class, straight masculinity connotes total control of emotions, emotional inexpressivity, and emotional isolation. That men repress their feelings as they seek their fortunes in the competitive worlds of business and politics seems to be a given. This collection of essays by prominent literary and cultural critics rethinks such commonly held views by addressing the history and politics of emotion in prevailing narratives about masculinity. How did the story of the emotionally stifled U.S. male come into being? What are its political stakes? Will the "release" of straight, white, middle-class masculine emotion remake existing forms of power or reinforce them? This collection forcefully challenges our most entrenched ideas about male emotion. Through readings of works by Thoreau, Lowell, and W. E. B. Du Bois, and of twentieth century authors such as Hemingway and Kerouac, this book questions the persistence of the emotionally alienated male in narratives of white middle-class masculinity and addresses the political and social implications of male emotional release.

Author: Milette Shamir
ISBN-10: 0231120354
ISBN-13: 9780231120357
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Language: English
Published: 04/10/2002
Pages: 320
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.91lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.12w x 0.66d

Review Citation(s):
Lambda Book Report 06/01/2002 pg. 29
Choice 12/01/2002 pg. 629