Examples Of Toxic Masculinity In This Is How You Lose Her

A Generational Curse: Toxic Masculinity In current patriarchal society, mass culture dictates men are providers, protectors, and saviors. However, who exactly are men saving? A patriarchal society thrives on gender inequality or the oppression of women, which is upheld by toxic masculinity. Thus, toxic masculinity is encapsulated by the societal expectations of “manly” behaviors, which include the notion of abusive, emotionally absent men. Perhaps men should be saving because culturally dictated toxic masculinity has negative impacts on both genders. Therefore, in Junot Diaz’s This Is How You Lose Her, Daz explores the plight of toxic masculinity through three male characters: Rámon, Rafa, and Yunior. Yunior, the narrator, describes his life experiences and family dynamics as a Dominican man that immigrated to the

(Diaz, “Invierno” 133-134) Therefore, Ramón’s insistent need to display assertive dominance in the form of assault over his sons stems from patriarchal values that diminish familial connections. Rafa and Yunior lost the ability to form an emotional bond with their father because of Ramón’s brutish behavior. Thus, the lost connection between father and son manifests in the behavior of Rafa and Yunior; the second generation of toxic masculinity. Moreover, Benjamin Freer, a psychologist, states, “Family and cultural ideals of femininity and masculinity that are dependent on the dominance of males and the subjugation of females can lead to the devaluing of the human worth of girls, creating a condition of unequal power and regard in the family and the community” (98). The devaluation of women is seen in the physiological abuse Vierta faces from her husband Ramón. Therefore, Ramón uses his dominance to diminish Vierta’s authority by not allowing her to learn the English