Okay - maybe I need a bit more info here: so in terms of 'masculinity' as a theoretical zone, I suggest you start by looking here and making notes of key scholars/texts etc cited that associate - and then take those references further in terms of research:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men%27s_studies
I think you'll also need to look at feminism as a movement, because arguably you'll see 'hyper-masculinity' defined in opposition to/or because of the various conversations around 'equal rights'.
You'll need to define and identify hyper-masculinity as a specific term that associates with specific scholars... so start here, and look at the key terms and reputable book lists
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypermasculinity
Not sure exactly what you mean by 'society after the war' or how it relates directly to Fight Club - but perhaps post-war saw particular subcultures of masculinity: the teddy boys, the rockers, and so on, but conversely you saw the hippy movement which arguably represented a feminisation of men (or so it might have been argued etc).
I think too you might want to look at homoeroticism - Fight Club makes a spectacle of Brad Pitt etc... and you often find hyper-masculinity and homoeroticism go hand-in-hand...
I agree with looking at feminism! I'd also like to mention the fact that although the men in the film have these complexes within gender, the only female character in the film is Marla.
When I said society after the war I was kind of leaning toward post-war masculinity because women began working alongside men so the jobs were halved and there was no longer any 'war' to fight for, so men then had to work in offices etc :) I just wasn't too sure how to put it in terms of 'context' earlier.
I also agree about homoeroticism- I'll take some notes!
2 Comments
Okay - maybe I need a bit more info here: so in terms of 'masculinity' as a theoretical zone, I suggest you start by looking here and making notes of key scholars/texts etc cited that associate - and then take those references further in terms of research:
ReplyDeletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men%27s_studies
I think you'll also need to look at feminism as a movement, because arguably you'll see 'hyper-masculinity' defined in opposition to/or because of the various conversations around 'equal rights'.
You'll need to define and identify hyper-masculinity as a specific term that associates with specific scholars... so start here, and look at the key terms and reputable book lists
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypermasculinity
Not sure exactly what you mean by 'society after the war' or how it relates directly to Fight Club - but perhaps post-war saw particular subcultures of masculinity: the teddy boys, the rockers, and so on, but conversely you saw the hippy movement which arguably represented a feminisation of men (or so it might have been argued etc).
I think too you might want to look at homoeroticism - Fight Club makes a spectacle of Brad Pitt etc... and you often find hyper-masculinity and homoeroticism go hand-in-hand...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homoeroticism
And yes - watch the film - a lot!
I agree with looking at feminism! I'd also like to mention the fact that although the men in the film have these complexes within gender, the only female character in the film is Marla.
DeleteWhen I said society after the war I was kind of leaning toward post-war masculinity because women began working alongside men so the jobs were halved and there was no longer any 'war' to fight for, so men then had to work in offices etc :) I just wasn't too sure how to put it in terms of 'context' earlier.
I also agree about homoeroticism- I'll take some notes!