American manhood is the fear men have of being dominated and controlled by other men. Usually, it is the impression that men want to feel superiority through the dominance over women, but that is not the case. In my perspective, men fear being dominated by other men because it makes them feel inferior and less of a man.
To begin with, men fear domination because they feel that they are not owning up to what it means to be a man. As Michael Kimmel proposed in his book, Manhood in America, throughout American history men have always been afraid of being seen as weak and scared, basically anything considered less manly. This is important because men feel that they have to own specific characteristics in order to be considered a man. For example, men
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For instance, in my household, my father does not allow my mother to work, as stereotypically a woman’s job is to care for their home and family. This is an example of a man showing his dominance because my father is controlling my mother in that sense and wants her to follow the norms that society has assigned for women.He did so alone without having a male figure present, which shows that his desire for dominance was not provoked by the fear of others dominating him or as a sign of weakness. However, one cannot deny that men do show their dominance without others being there, however when a male is present men dominate out of fear and not as a choice. This is seen in the novel, Of Mice and Men, when Curley’s wife says that when she is alone with a man she will get along with him fine, but when men are together is nothing but madness. This proves that a man’s presence can alter how another man acts, as Curley’s husband alone is a pleasant person to talk and be with, but when his friends are present he becomes mad and indifferent, as he does not want to demostrarte weakness nor