¶ … Harness: The male Condition Herb Goldberg argues men lost touch, running, feelings awareness

There are a number of societal pressures based upon gender. These pressures, and the roles they inevitably lead men and women, boys and girls, to fulfill are widely discussed in a pair of essays: Herb Goldberg's "In Harness: The Male Condition" and Nancy Mairs' "A Letter to Matthew." Although they pursue so via different means, both of these essays allude to a brimming awareness required to see people for how they truly are devoid of societal boundaries. Both essays encourages men to free themselves from the conventions of society that threaten to harness them -- Goldberg's essay suggests doing so through a liberation movement based on fear, whereas Mairs' work implies doing so through an awareness that allows men to avoid stereotypical behavior.

The titular harness in Goldberg's piece of literature refers to the restrictions that society places men within. Although these restrictions...

Specifically, the harness is the character associations that go along with perceptions of masculinity, which require an emotional dearth, willingness to take charge and command, and a distinct separation from one's feelings. It is this harness that presents difficulty in men's gaining awareness of both themselves and of others, and the author alludes to the fact that the only way access such awareness is through a men's liberation movement patterned after that of women.
Mairs largely concurs with Goldberg's assessment of the psychological and behavioral restrains placed upon men by society. She uses her son as a case study in this respect, and states that that she already sees him exhibiting behavior that conforms to societal expectations in his manner which is partially judgmental, cocksure. The author implies that this sort of behavior is superficial at best, and…