Pan's Labyrinth Character Analysis

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We can’t discuss masculinity and fatherhood without discussing violence, war, and gender relations and roles. I will use Fuenteovejuna and Pan’s Labyrinth as my materials in the discussion of masculinity and fatherhood in the Spain segment of the course. Within Pan’s Labyrinth, I will mainly focus on the Captain, his relationship with Ofelia and her mother, his relationship with Mercedes, and his obsession with the rebellion. As for Fuenteovejuno, I will focus on two male characters, the Commander and Esteban. In addition to the discussion of these two male characters, I will focus on their relationships with Laurencia and the community. Furthermore, I will use Yuval-Davis’s “Gender and Nation” in order to connect the themes of masculinity and fatherhood to ideas of …show more content…

The Commander and the Captain are very similar characters, they’re both villainous individuals, aggressive, violent, and masculine. The Commander is involved with many attempted rapes throughout the play, he uses this as a means to be superior to females, a method to control them. As for the Captain, he is married to a very timid woman as a means to gain a son to continue his legacy, this is very important to his role of empowerment and control. Having a son or having control over women’s bodies allow the men to feel the masculinity that society planned for them. In addition, Yuval-Davis mentions the role of war and duties, both the Commander and the Captain are involved in some sort of war. Davis writes “the national duties of the boys were to live and die for the nation” and that men were “often absent, even when the war is local, as they are attached to fighting units”. The Commander and the Captain are attached to their roles in the wars, it gives them power, and allows them to retain their masculinity; a very important aspect to the characterization and role of men in