Theroux Being A Man Essay

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Theroux’s major argument is how the idea of manhood in America is pitiful.

He describes masculinity as “having to wear an ill-fitting coat for one’s entire life (in contrast femininity is nakedness).” What I believe he means by this is that every man must cover themselves up with a layer of manliness and toughness in order to be a man.

Theroux continues to bash the male lifestyle and even suggests that “manly” behaviour is not acceptable to be a good person.

He says that to act like a man means to act stupid, unfeeling, obedient, soldierly and stop thinking.

Being a man in that time period was more pressured than an average male today.

Theroux writes about how societies expression “Be a man” insults him.What separates boys from men, is exactly what Theroux thinks is... Theroux goes into great detail painting the image of how women and men have to defend their man and womanhood. He continues his essay by explaining and pointing on why and how it is more difficult to be a man in todays society. Theroux offers many strong assertions of the male personality to show the male personality and the judgement that men have to go through, these assertions help one of the female gender to relate and be understanding towards a male.He was born in 1941 which means he reached the age of eighteen in 1959. Not may women worked so the income of the family was placed on the man’s shoulders.Whereas now the women are more present in the workforce and some of the work load has been lifted off man.Therefore, Theroux sees American manhood as being pathetic, sorry, piteous, and disgraceful, but this is not necessarily true.First of all, the time setting of Theroux’s birth plays a small role in why he thinks that way about manhood.While reading this essay I can’t help but wonder how many other men can possibly agree with Theroux, if any.Men want to be known as manly, they don’t want to be seen as weak or pathetic that has just been engraved in men forever.Paul Theroux Analysis: “The Male Myth” Is a Myth Paul Theroux describes manhood: “The whole idea of manhood in America is pitiful, a little like having to wear an ill-fitting coat for ones entire life” (292).Webster’s dictionary defines pitiful as pitiable, piteous, pathetic, sorry, and disgraceful.