Putting Down The Gun Analysis

Captain America, Superman, Batman the chiseled brawn all kids looked to, but why should it stop a male writer from chasing his dreams writing non-fiction, a singer from expressing his emotion in song, a cook pouring his heart into his passion. Society’s presumptive view of what should make a man before realizing men aren’t defined to a spectrum of life because of their gender. Why waste a child’s unique talents in unconventional areas because they aren’t the lead pitcher on the school’s softball team? Why make yourself suffocate in self-depredating emotions, because showing affection or sadness is considered unmanly? The central issue facing boys and young men is society’s viewpoint in what makes a boy a man, which cripples what they can achieve.

Most young adults commonly play either a sport or indulge in violent video games, becoming the norm for males. Forcing others to conform to this principle, such as the boy referenced in Putting Down the Gun. “Essentially boiled down to two options: fight actually in sports, or fight virtually on the computer” (Walker 574), the mother points out how her son is pressured by his gender to conform to violence. Starting out with a baseball bat, to a joy stick, how long until they pick up a gun; priming the young males of our society for war. Starting by informing them they’re not good enough, pressuring them with the absence of companionship unless they abandon their own desires and pick up a tool of competition, and fight, dominate, and even kill if they want to be in a position of importance. Some may see the childhood stereotype, “In a nutshell, the girls liked the jocks the best, and sometimes deigned to give the time of day to the other team, the computer nerds” (Walker 574), as a playful matter without much fault. In reality “boys being boys”, is an excuse to turn a blind eye to all of those out of the lines of conformity. Without properly addressing the stereotype young males face it discourage future ambitions of developing