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Masculinity In Dexter

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Introduction: Television series have become the ultimate medium of entertainment; they entertain audiences by presenting them with such themes or issues related to society as domestic relationship, crime, suspense, thriller, terrorism and politics. Television series is open to interpretations; that is it can serve as a text open to analysis. This paper will discuss and analyse the TV series Dexter as a readerly text and also open to interpretations at cultural and social levels. Dexter has been adapted from the renowned novel series Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay. Dexter falls into the genres of crime fiction and detective fiction – hard-boiled and whodunit detective genre. This paper will go in length to discuss and analyse on masculinity …show more content…

(28) Masculinity is not an unchanging concept: it is constantly expanding and reinventing itself. Who is Dexter? Dexter is a vigilante detective, a serial killer and a blood splatter analyst for the Miami Metro Police. Is he a victim of masculinity? Does he revel in being a masculine subject? Dexter’s masculinity is clear cut heterosexual masculinity, and the show also highlights the intrinsic relation between violence and masculinity. Masculinity and patriarchy function at many levels in Dexter and Harry’s code will be discussed elaborately in this paper to discuss how it contributes in shaping Dexter’s manhood. …show more content…

The series does not promote patriarchy or masculinity (masculinity is based on and deeply rooted in patriarchy) in itself but it unfolds how patriarchy or masculinity functions and affects the individual who practices it. Harry Morgan is the epitome of a perfect man – an ideal husband, a caring and loving father, and a respectable police officer – but he is a questionable figure because, as the series unfolds, Dexter discovers Harry’s infidelity to his wife Dorris Morgan and that Harry had a fling with Dexter’s biological mother Laura Moser who was also a C.I. (Confidential Informant) of Harry. Laura Moser was brutally murdered during one of the undercover operations done by Harry Morgan. So, Harry is flawed in many ways. He is also indirectly responsible for Dexter’s traumatic childhood. Where are Harry’s masculinity and authority when it comes to Laura Moser? He did not only fail to protect her but also put Dexter and his brother Brian’s future at stake, he exposed them to a gruesome future where both of them become serial killers. Harry has failed as a patriarchal figure. Though he taught Dexter to defend his “Dark Passenger” by targeting those whom law has failed to punish yet, but after seeing Dexter’s first victim who had been mutilated and butchered, Harry could not live with himself and in the end he committed suicide. He has failed as a father and a patriarch.

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