Analyzing Christina Sommers 'Men-It's In Their Nature'

Marissa Wonderly
M. Schroeder
English Comp.
Oct. 26th, 2015
Boys—It’s Not Their Nature; It’s Society’s
In the article “Men –It’s in Their Nature” by Christina Hoff Summers, the author supports the claim that men acting the way they are born and bred—that is, aggressive, competitive, and more indifferent to their feelings—is not an issue (Sommers 366). The issue, she argues, is that schools are trying to make boys less “like boys” and more “like girls”. Sommers believes that masculine qualities and behavior are rooted in men’s DNA and it is practically a hate crime to try and force them to suppress their manly tendencies. However, on the opposite end of the spectrum, men being “the way they are”, or rather, “the way they are supposed to be”

In the third paragraph Sommer writes, “… The students sat in a circle while the girls read their impassioned reactions to the ‘haunting loneliness’ of the desert; the boys could barely suppress laughter…” (366). Her diction creates a teasing tone as if she is making fun of women for being emotional to the point of ridiculousness and generalizing men as not caring about feelings at all. Her insensitivity with this subject from the very start makes it hard for the reader, especially female ones, to see her side of the argument and take her

Sommers states that schools across America have banned activities such as dodge ball, cops and robbers, army games with toy soldiers, and violent stories. All of these activities, she says, are enjoyed by boys (Sommers 366). Sommers then states that, “The goal is to resocialize boys, freeing them from male stereotypes… to promote genuine equality between the sexes –which for the reformers means sameness” (366). However, is the goal really only directed towards boys? Or is the focus to teach all children, both boys and girls, that violence should be taken seriously? According to the American Academy of Children and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), “…efforts should be directed at dramatically decreasing the exposure of children and adolescents to violence in the home, community, and through the media. Clearly, violence leads to violence” (“Understanding Violent Behavior”). The banning of violent games in schools is not solely for the sake of targeting aggressive things that boys do and forbidding them in order to make young men gentler; violent games are prohibited because violence anywhere can cause violence in