Masculine Bravado in Death of a Salesman and A Streetcar...

What is it to be a man? Masculinity is defined and characterized differently across cultures and time – there is no â€Å"global† standard. In some cultures, being a man may mean being comfortable with both your masculine and feminine sides or it could suggest being â€Å"tough† and not letting your feelings show at all. Manliness can be demonstrated in some cultures by providing for a family through work, and in others, it might mean scoring the winning goal in a championship game. It is not an easy thing to define an entire gender based on the arbitrary set of ever-changing social and cultural norms, but somehow- it still happens. Trying to define one’s own masculinity and live up to its standards is a tough and grueling task that many men†¦show more content†¦Nevertheless, with both in the sales industry, it’s easy for them to turn on that charismatic charm and sell not only their ideals, but â€Å"themselves in the form of their winnin g personalities† (Cardullo 29). Stanley Kowalski is the typical hyper-masculine example of a man in the late 1940’s to early 1950’s. He is described by his sister-in-law as an â€Å"ape† (Williams 121), he is abusive towards his wife, and he is the breadwinner of the family- he literally brings home the meat and throws it at his wife to catch and cook. Masculinity itself is not a character flaw, but when expressed with such ferocity it can become a crutch and unflattering. Stanley displays his manliness in several different ways throughout the play, something that the author Tennessee Williams did on purpose to reflect on the societal norms of the time and to do so in a questioning manner. The manliness that Stanley has is not one that is kept tamed and unleashed in appropriate moments, but is a type that is constantly wanting people to know that he is â€Å"the king† (Williams 138) of his home and family. By asserting his dominance, Stanley is show ing how masculinity can be a force that drives one to do absurd things in order to keep up a faà §ade. Willy Loman’s disposition is not as boisterous as Streetcar’s anti-hero, Stanley, but is instead more internal and self-reflective. His views of masculinity arise from the