Masculinity In Macbeth And The Catcher In The

People often have an opinion of how a man should be or act, they have a perceived image of what is to be a man. These themes of masculinity are present within Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and J.D Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye. Macbeth and Holden Caulfield, both struggle with their masculinity and “being a man”. Holden, through his thoughts, actions, and beliefs, demonstrates that he is more manly than Macbeth. Holden and Macbeth both struggle with their manhood, while questioning the manhood of others. Holden and Macbeth also deal with courage and what makes a man. Lastly, the death of loved ones, both affect Holden and Macbeth. Incidentally, Macbeth struggles with his manhood, yet he questions the manhood of others. Lady Macbeth questions Macbeth’s masculinity when he refuses to kill King Duncan. Lady Macbeth exclaims, “What beast was’t

Holden sees the words “F*ck You” etched on the walls of Phoebe’s school and attempts to remove it even though he knows it is futile. Holden’s greatest fear is that children will lose their innocence when exposed to the harsh realities of the adult world, such as profanity. He knows that it is impossible to get rid of all profanity written on wall everywhere, but he tries to overcome his fear because it is important to him that children do not see it. Holden shows true courageousness in the way he relentlessly tries to shield the innocent and conquer his fear. Holden explains that he is a pacifist and that he does not really like violence. Avoiding a fight and trying to stay away from violence is very difficult and takes a lot of courage. Holden is able to show courage by abstaining from physical violence and harming others. Holden often gets himself into situations that arise in conflict, but Holden does not usually engage. This is often seen as cowardly, although to refrain from violence at times is very