What truly defines a masculine man or a feminine woman? How does society really view masculinity and femininity? When we see a man become emotional, we automatically assume he is weak. When we see a Woman become emotionally, we assume it’s totally normal. Many of us will look at a person on the outside and judge them specifically on looks. However, the physical attributes a person possesses, does not always define the traits or characteristics typically associated with being a male or female.
Men have the ability to show similar yet different qualities. Wayne from the novel Picturing Will by Ann Beattie, is a handsome man but a womanizer. Wayne’s character is looked at as a strong confident man while Mel’s character is looked at as not so “manly”. Not to mention, Mel is a good-looking man, however, he is more of a soft guy thats financially stable and a type that focuses on supporting his home and family. People may look at the outside of both characters and get the idea that one is more masculine than the other. The truth is masculinity cannot be defined on what you see on the outside but the view as a whole.
With paying attention to both characters, it is safe to say Mel is more likeable than Wayne. There are more pros than cons when it comes to Mel. These pros include the way Mel treats women with respect and helps out, As for Wayne, he did not change throughout the novel. He remained the same coward and it didn’t phase him. Wayne had abandoned his wife Jody and son Will and went and married a new Woman named Corky. That just shows how much of a “man” he is.
Jody is a single parent struggling to raise her son Will alone. She is a photographer in a small town named Charlottesville. She photographs weddings to make a living for her and her son. The first impression of her is an astonishing single parent who is doing an admirable job of being both a mother and father in order to support herself and her son Will. This proves that woman may simultaneously possess both masculine and feminine attributes.
Mel was the character that showed more emotion than Wayne. With this thought, does this mean Wayne is more masculine than Mel? Just because one character expressed himself more than the other, does that mean one shows more signs of weakness? The answer is no. Even though Wayne is probably considered such a “manly man”, it doesn’t necessarily mean he really was. He might be physically but not mentally.
People will always have their own ideas on the definition of masculinity and femininity. We may look on the outside of a human being and decide without hesitation the traits he or she might have to define his masculinity or her femininity.
