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How Boys Become Men Katz Analysis

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Recommended: Gender roles in literature

Many boys grow up to be just like their fathers, and we are still living like we were in the 1950’s. In the short story, How Boys Become Men, Katz explains what it was like to grow up in the 1990’s and how growing up molds boys into being a man. Throughout the story he shows many examples of events that happened through his life that molded him into a man that he is today. Many boys go through life with things happening like in Katz’s life. Katz says that specific events lead to how boys grow into how many really are, they solve issues with physical violence, barely any emotional response, and having to act strong. When boys are young they are always fighting with physical violence. A scenario is shown like this in the story when Katz …show more content…

They did not really show that much emotion in Katz’s time, and likewise in modern times. An example of this in the story is when Katz was explaining boy's own Code of Conduct. The code of Conduct, according to Katz, is similar to today’s Bro Code. They are both a set of rules that guys are supposed to follow to one another. One example of this is when Katz says, “Empathy is for nerds. You can help your best buddy, under certain circumstances. Everyone else is on his own” (317). This shows that men really do not tend to have sympathy for one another. Men tend to not show a lot of sensitive emotion, instead they might take that emotion and turn it into a more angry emotion and get mad easily. Men have the standard to always have to act strong and brave. An example of this is also in Katz Code of Conduct, “Never admit fear. Ride the roller coaster, join the fistfight, do what you have to do. Asking for help is for sissies” (317). This means that boys have a standard of having to act manly or are always being told to man up. Also, men are always told that they shouldn’t show pain or ever cry because that shows weakness. Men are told to not rat on other people

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