Salvage The Bones By Jesmine Ward

Famous filmmaker Taika Watiti once said, “It's very draining; it's quite tiring trying to be macho.” The Cambridge Dictionary defines macho as behaving forcefully or showing no emotion in a way traditionally thought to be typical of a man. According to this definition, men are often portrayed as self-centered, prioritizing wealth and status above all else, leaving the responsibility of caring for others to the women. But what happens when the women are not present and the men are the only ones left? Salvage the Bones by Jesmine Ward acknowledges this as it describes a community days before a hurricane with only one female daughter among numerous men. Through her use of traditionally masculine characters, such as Daddy, Skeetah, and Big Henry,

The first instance of this is when Skeetah strikes Rico after they disagree about the method to divide the money made from the puppies, “Skeetah punches Rico. He does it with his whole body, raining down on Rico’s wide, sweaty face with the steady fury and quick power of the small: fierce as China” (150). Ward could have ended the sequence of Skeetah attacking Rico with just “Skeetah punches Rico” however she adds more violent language such as “He does it with his whole body, raining down on Rico” to emphasize the amount of effort that Skeetah uses to inflict pain upon those who disrespect the ones he cares about. It is later clarified in an interaction between Skeetah and Randall that the reason backing why he attacked Rico was that “Rico f****ed with Esch'' (157). In both contexts of the quote, Skeetah is fighting for something or somebody he cares about. If Skeetah was fighting for the puppies, he would have been defending dogs that he had raised since birth. On the contrary, if he were fighting for Esch, then he would still have lashed out for something that he cares about as she is his little sister. Another instance of men using violence to be caring is Daddy’s violent interaction with Skeetah. Daddy shoves Skeetah after he took wood planks from his hurricane preparations causing Daddy to attack Skeetah, “[He] reaches to

However, Jesmyn Ward's novel Salvage the Bones challenges this notion and offers a new framework for masculinity — one that draws its strength from caring for others. This new definition of masculinity can allow characters such as Daddy and Skeetah to show affection for those whom they care for yet stay virile. Protectiveness and toughness are still valued traits, as shown through Daddy’s and Skeetah’s willingness to use violence to safeguard those that they care for. Ward portrays compassionate qualities through Big Henry and Skeetah, which demonstrates how selfishness and pride should be put below selflessness and a sense of duty to others. By viewing masculinity through this fresh perspective, men can find a renewed sense of purpose. Embracing this new form of masculinity can help men break free from the confines of false manliness and prioritize caring for others over their ego. Relatable characters such as Skeetah, Daddy, and Big Henry show how masculinity hinges on caring for others rather than machismo. Salvage the Bones presents a powerful message about redefining masculinity and offers a valuable contribution to the ongoing conversation about gender roles and societal