ipl-logo

Examples Of Masculinity In Ernest Hemingway's In Our Time

1469 Words6 Pages

Throughout Earnest Hemingway’s book In Our Time there are many examples of masculinity, how men treat women, and the pressure society puts on men. Nick’s journey through the story shows him growing and learning about masculinity and how to treat women. The few stories that don’t include Nick show how society puts pressure on men to act a certain way. Finally the intermediate chapters show the gruesome reality of war on men and how it forces them to break their masculine cover and show fear. In the short story, Indian Camp, the father takes Nick to help deliver an Indian woman’s baby. During the procedure, the father mentions how he just blocks out the woman’s screams. This is because he is trying to keep a masculine composure by showing no …show more content…

He is seen as very masculine and teaches Nick many lessons. One is that his brain was ‘fried’ by women and warns Nick to not become close to them. This can be also related to when Nick and Bill are talking about married men. They say that once a man gets married he gets fat and he’s done for also that they’re ‘bitched.’ Neither one of them see getting married as a good thing. They see it as a way of losing your masculinity and being chained down by a woman. The second one that he taught Nick wasn’t direct Nick aspires to be like Ad Francis because he’s strong and Nick feels like he should be tough like him. This toughness helps lead Nick down the road of masculinity he wants to obtain. In Cross Country Snow Nick and George are on a skiing trip together. After they’re done skiing George and Nick are in an inn talking about wanting to ski forever. In the end, Nick says he can’t make any promises to go skiing again because Helen is having a baby. In this story, you can see Nick becoming a man. He knows he probably won’t be able to go skiing in the future because he must go home to Helen and take care of the baby and her when it’s

Show More
Related
579 Words | 3 Pages

He disliked Martin because he perceived that Martin was wealthy and ate well, which Nick doesn’t do, which influences his point of view. When the author finally pulls back the curtain to show Martin’s true source of his appearance, he recognizes some signs of his mother and him being poor, which confuses but may give Nick an idea that Martin was not wealthy. He sees what Martin eats, which is only two things, which reveals that what Nick perceived was wrong. The narrative realizes this, and understands that he was wrong, which caused him to think

Read More
648 Words | 3 Pages

Winton uses the characters of Mr Pike and Mr Loon to provide contrasting views on the constructs of masculinity present in Australian society during the 1970s. In Sawyer, there are not many opportunities offered to young Pikelet, but as they are male, they are expected to follow in the footsteps of the other men in town, becoming fishermen or miners. However, a great deal of his masculine identity is shaped by his father’s masculinity. Mr Pike is timid and “naturally subdued” (p12) and as a teenager, Pikelet finds it difficult to relate to him. He is not a strong or inspiring figure and is instead a masculine model who is cautious of the natural world.

Read More
632 Words | 3 Pages

“in my younger more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that ive been turning over in my head ever since. “whenever you feel like criticizing someone, “just remember that all people in this world haven’t had all the advantages that you’ve had.”ch.1 Analysis: nicks father is telling him not to judge or look down on to people of less because you don’t know what they have been through even if they are of lower stature, They can be better than you personality wise and not be rich. 6. “his speaking voice, a gruff husky tenor added to the impression of fractiousness he conveyed.

Read More
430 Words | 2 Pages

Often when one thinks of the standard father-son relationship, rather stereotypically there’s an essence of rigidity. Masculinity and the stubborn adherence to its tight standards in how men should behave, how they should talk, or how they should even feel about other men, even in their own families. Even the simplest “I love you,” or any variation is replaced between men with awkward or utterly empty silences, censoring the feelings of familial or brotherly or friendly affection between them, even if they are strongly there. In A River Runs Through It, throughout lies a demonstration of such omission of actual feelings about many ranges of feelings and thoughts- which also is a reflection of how often men as individuals who are socialized in certain societies submit to ideas of

Read More
1201 Words | 5 Pages

Nick had attempted to escape from this lifestyle but because he was unable to make a complete decision in the beginning, he kept living it through the Buchanans; they were Nick’s window to the past. He witnesses Tom’s affair being “insisted upon wherever he was known” (21) without shame, and Daisy “[turn] out the light” (117) in her relationship with Gatsby, as it it never happened. A quiet bystander, never interfering, he experiences their life of ignorance, one with no repercussions, the one he had. Unwilling to remove himself from them, he instead complies to their wants, their decisions that create a sense of accomplishment. Doing nothing to change and move on from his past, Nick makes his choice to move to the east pointless.

Read More
564 Words | 3 Pages

But it is also inferred that Nick is a homosexual. Fitzgerald implied in the novel that Nick, the narrator, had a homosexual affair with a photographer. This novel was set in the 1920’s, and at that time, it would have been shameful to be a homosexual. They were often shunned for it when people found out. Nick went to a small get together with a few friends, including a photographer, Mr. McKee, and his wife.

Read More
1042 Words | 5 Pages

As the story begins, Nick says, “...I’m inclined to reserve all judgments, a habit that has opened up many curious natures to me…” (Fitzgerald 1). Although Nick claims he has been taught to not judge others, he does quite frequently. Nick insults Daisy and Tom,

Read More
889 Words | 4 Pages

He couldn't stand things, I guess." "Do many men kill themselves, Daddy?" "Not very many, Nick." (Hemingway, Indian Camp, p. ) Hemingway’s construction of gender identity is a theme intrinsically seen as part of his works.

Read More
1033 Words | 5 Pages

Nick’s transition from boy to man is immense as he goes from being an immature boy, educated and mentored by his father, to a war veteran who has traveled around Europe and has gained freedom and worldliness. In Indian Camp, Hemingway portrays Nick as an innocent and sensitive young boy who is being taught about masculinity and white male behavior from his father and uncle. At the beginning of

Read More
438 Words | 2 Pages

28 Oct. 2015. Debra Moddelmog examines Ernest Hemingway’s In Our Time to show how Nick Adams could be “the implied author of In Our Time” and this helps to resolve “confusions about the book’s unity, structure, vision, and significance” (592). She brings to light how this approach makes Nick Adams “a character both separate from yet also an extension of Hemingway” (592). When Nick arrives in Seney, he holds back his thoughts and then he “suddenly begins thinking and does so calmly and contentedly”

Read More
1587 Words | 7 Pages

Nick exemplifies these qualities from his experiences within the text. At the beginning of the text we are introduced to him having been beaten yet he gets up and continues on his journey. From this encounter Nick has a black eye and scraped hands and knees and is generally looking worse for wear. Nick is bitter about this loss of the fight and is wanting to seek out a fight with this brakeman who has thrown him off the freight train vowing that “He would get him someday”. Nick in this instance shows the crude masculinity of revenge in the face of weakness.

Read More
643 Words | 3 Pages

Although giving birth is the role of a woman, Nick’s father comes in and dominates the situation. When the Native Women is screaming out in pain, Nick shows empathy by begging his

Read More
1487 Words | 6 Pages

Everybody I knew was in the bond business, so I supported it could support one more single man.” (3) After the War the economy was growing very quick and everyone wanted to be in the bond business, it was a quick way to get rich. Nick always admire his father, one of the things Nick’s father passed along to him was "Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven 't had the advantages that you 've had" (1.2). Nicks parents though him not to show off what he has and always think

Read More
1838 Words | 8 Pages

Ingoldsby describes this as being “masculine” and strong” as “lack of emotion is part of the superiority of the male” (Ingoldsby 57, 58). This is true as men are thought to not cry and show any emotion other than one’s relating to masculinity. Plascencia uses the inability to express emotion as detrimental not only to males, but to surrounding people. Lacking expression provides a lack of connection to other people, which in turn creates a detrimental effect on one’s mental health. Plascencia uses Federico as a metaphor of men in society, showing how males being taught to be reserved and remaining emotionless is terrible.

Read More
1142 Words | 5 Pages

The actions that he portrayed in the apartment (Fitzgerald, Ch. 2) set the scene for his sexual awakening. His mental state is clearly altered as he states, “I have been drunk just twice in my life, and the second was that afternoon. "(Fitzgerald 20). The state of being intoxicated may have added to the scenario that he was apart of. Nick's sexuality became apparent in the case where he was in the elevator with McKee (Fitzgerald 25).

Read More

More about Examples Of Masculinity In Ernest Hemingway's In Our Time

Related Topics

Open Document