English Assignment
GENDER NORMS ESSAY
Parents must ensure that children are brought up well. Most parents do not educate their boys on various critical issues. They may not care about the emotions of the boys as they care about girls’ emotions. The relationship between Digby and Jeff in the Greasy lake article proves what is stated in Orenstein’s article because it shows aspects of toxic masculinity, hiding one’s emotions, using abusive language, misogyny, and the bro culture.
The relationship between Jeff and Digby shows numerous aspects of toxic masculinity. Both characters in Boyle's article engage in a fight. This is an aspect of toxic masculinity as they think that the person who wins is the best of all. “Jeff was on the guy’s back, biting his ear. Digby was on the ground, cursing” (Boyle,3). They think it is good to fight because it shows who is the strongest. The boys in Orenstein's article also engage in fights and give each other hard times. They sometimes pretend to pick a fight and kick each other.
Jeff and Digby's relationship also shows that one should hide his/her emotions. Jeff and Diggy do not act emotionally. In Orenstein's article, the boys believe that they should not act emotionally. One should always hide their feelings and “man up”. Boys and young men are not expected to cry. They are expected to withstand the bad things done or said to them by other people.
Both Jeff and Digby use abusive language. This proves what is stated in Orenstein's article about the use of slurs amongst boys. "Digby, Jeff, and I included- were chanting 'motherfucker, motherfucker" (Boyle,4). The boys seem to have accepted the use of abusive language, and this proves what Orenstein explains about young men that they love using abusive language. Those who use slurs are considered heroes.
Jeff and Digby are recruited into the bandwagon of unconscious misogyny. Consciousness is gained when undesired occurrences land them in trouble, it is through this that they learn the disadvantages of their foolish perceptions.
“Digby's face was crosshatched with smears of dirt; Jeff's jacket was gone and his shirt was torn across the shoulder. They slouched across the lot, looking sheepish, and silently came up beside me to gape at the ravaged automobile. No one said a word” (Boyle,5).
According to Ornstein, young men are raised to be tough; however improper care and parenting make them develop undesired toxic masculinity. It is because of toxic masculinity that men will often be misogynistic, and be portrayed as misogynists because of the way they treat women, and how they value women. Young men make nasty comments on girls and their language proves their hatred towards the women. They establish masculinity through homophobia and misogynist language.
There are various aspects of the bro culture in Jeff and Diggy’s relationship. Both characters influence each other to take various actions and behave in a particular way while dropping certain behaviors. Young men pressure each other to take various actions. The actions might not be good for them. In Orenstein’s article, Ethan faces the pressure to quit the team.
“If I’d stayed, there would have been a lot of pressure for me to play, a lot of resentment, and I would have run into those guys all the time. I did not have to explain everything this way” (Peggy, 305).
Young men treat anyone who is not in their team as the enemy. They are likely to use the phrase, “bros before hos” (Peggy, 299). The phrase shows that they prefer each other to girls. In Boyle’s article, the two characters Jeff and Digby display aspects of bro culture in their relationship. They do not seem to associate with other people who are not members of their group.
Orenstein recognizes that discussing girls is not a complete version of the societal conversation. Boys are subject to the equivalent cultural influences as girls; steeped with the equivalent distorted media perception, images, pictures, and paired stereotypes of female provocativeness and toxic masculinity; which similarly influence how they explore sexual and animated connections (Peggy, 310). Orenstein plunges once more into the existences of young men to negotiate the unspoken, revelation on how young men comprehend and position the new principles of physical and emotional intimacy. These are principles young men hold in their public and private spaces.
Drawing on comprehensive discussions with young males, and psychologists; the portrayal takes apart purported locker-room talk; how misguided hilariousness denies boys of empathy; pornography as the new sex education; young men's understanding of the hookup culture and assent; and their experience as the two casualties and perpetrators of sexual violence. By surfacing young men’s involvement with all its complexity, Orenstein can unwind the hidden truths, hard exercises, and significant real factors of young men's sexuality in this day and age (Peggy 320). The outcome is a provocative and paradigm-shifting work that offers a much-needed vision of how boys can strive to become better men.
Young men should not use slurs or hide their emotions. Parents should ensure they encourage young men to explain how they feel. That would help prevent diseases such as depression among young men because they would be able to speak up when faced with problems. They would also acquire good values and avoid toxic masculinity.
Works Cited
Boyle, T. Coraghessan. "Greasy Lake." Greasy lake and other stories (1985): 1-11.
Peggy, Orenstein. "Navigating the Complicated New Landscape." Peggy, Orenstein. Girls & Sex. New York: Harper Collins, 2016. 320. ISBN 978-0-0622-0972-6.