Masculinity In Hemingway's Naked Lunch

Though Ernest’s Hemingway’s Hill like White Elephant Michael Hollinger’s Naked Lunch were written more than five decades apart and depict fundamentally different character and situations, both short stories raise similar question about the role of a men who approach to the situation and how they want to control their circumstances. Respectively work reveals a man who adapts to society’s expectation of gender to be dominance, but with their pride, they become stoic. While both Hemingway’s American man and Hollinger’s Vernon are compassion, Vernon’s submissiveness creates a clear explanatory of his break up relationship while the American man’s insincerity create emotionally and physically damage to his partner’s needs. These short stories advent

With his motivation, he creates one expectation from her – spending more time with her. However, Vernon thinks he is important to Lucy to get his desires which he possesses stubbornness. For example, in the beginning of the play, Vernon created a conversation while “regaling Lucy as he vigorously devours a steak” (Hollinger 856). Vernon is incompetent of changing himself because of his egotism to put his effort to get what he wants. With this trait, he is developing persistent, limiting his compromise to communicate with Lucy. While Vernon did not learn compromise due to his pride, he possesses another trait:

Having a baby will impose a drama change in their lives including their relationship. Because of that, the American man becomes supportive for the girl’s choice of abortion, but at the same time he wants her to have operation. For example, the American man gave his explanation about the relationship, “That’s the only thing that bothers us. It’s the only thing that’s made us unhappy” (Hemingway 201). The American man is evading the responsibilities of fatherhood if the girl decides to do the operation, yet he is trying to maintain his relationship without directly giving pressure on the girl. However, he did not realize that the girl is trying to avoid the conversation. Instead, he simply does not want to acknowledge the baby becoming part of their relationship which he possesses inconsiderate trait. That is why the American man merely told her “They just let the air in and then it’s all perfectly natural” (Hemingway 201). The American man did not consider how the operation will affect the girl’s life at her age. Even though he has seen people undergo operation, he did not his time to listen to the girl’s concerns. With pressure, the girl become doubtful of her choice which cause the American man to be