196)." This is what we see during the 1980s to throughout the 1990s cinema with films like Fatal Attraction (Lyne, motion picture film), Predator (McTiernan, John (dir), 1987, motion picture film), the Terminator film and sequels (Cameron, James (dir), 1984, 1991, and 2003, motion picture film), the Mad Max (Miller, George (dir),1979, 1981, and 1985, motion picture) series, and the Lethal eapon (Donner, Richard (dir), 1987, 1989, 1992, and 1998, motion picture film) series. There is a shift away from the female leading character in film, to the masculine characters, or what Susan Jeffords calls the "hard body" films, or the leading man who woos the women viewers, kills them with kindness, and the focus of the film is all about male masculinity and the male body (Ayers, Drew, 2008, 41).
The hard body films, and ultimately the focus of the feminine perspective is what Carl Plantinga calls hypermasculinity, and….

Masculinity
He sulked in the department store courtesy chair, two shopping bags in his keep. Other men walking by glanced at Adam with admiration, respect, and a hint of envy. "He got the chair," they thought. "That's the man's chair, the chair that we sit in while our wives and girlfriends and daughters do the shopping. I wish I was sitting in that chair right now." Similarly entrusted with shopping bags, these men, like Adam, reflect the masculine principle in operation in modern society. Adam's sigh and his slouching posture point to the "pressure of making one's way in a harsh, difficult world," and to the "unrelieved seriousness" that accompanies that pressure (Brownmiller 278). In contrast, the women around them, fully in their element, rejoice at the rainbow of colors on display, from cosmetics palates to silk scarves, on the department store shelves. As Susan Brownmiller suggests in her article "Femininity,"….

Masculinity and Vampires
In his chapter on "Modern Masculinities" Cooper Thompson defines masculinity by a number of traits, including independence, pride, resilience, self-control, physical strength, competitive, tough, aggressive, and powerful. Violence, as a method for resolving conflict, is also associated with masculinity in most extant cultures. This 'norm' of masculinity is often represented in popular films and the "Twilight" series of vampire films seems to represent an exception to the rule. The "Twilight" films are based on books written by Stephanie Meyer, which detail the social lives of contemporary vampires and werewolves living among us. Meyer takes pains to humanize the central non-human characters by expanding their personality tapestry to include emotional vulnerabilities, but does this really differentiate these characters from the purely masculine portrayals that have defined this genre of films historically? This essay examines how masculinity is defined in the movie "The Twilight Saga: New Moon."

Meyer's Portrayal of Masculinity

Edward….

Austere diets are also common, and after winning his final title and announcing his retirement from bodybuilding, Schwarzenegger celebrates with a meal of 'real food' for the first time in many months. The ascetic as well as aesthetic nature of the sport is also underlined in the way that Butler's subjects, Schwarzenegger in particular, also embody femininity, however unconsciously in their physical obsessions and movements. Schwarzenegger even takes ballet lessons to improve his movement and posing, in addition to pursuing a sparse and protein-heavy diet to enhance his body. Ballet, a stereotypical pursuit of gay men and women adds a catlike grace to his movements.
Schwarzenegger's emphasis on grace and beauty also raises the question: is bodybuilding art or sport? It is not about achieving a goal, a personal best or a 'time.' Rather bodybuilding, like modeling is about posing and being gazed at: it is a nonverbal, wordless art….

Masculinity in Things Fall Apart
In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart, the character Okonkwo struggles with differing notions of masculinity just as his country is struggling to adapt to colonial influence. At first glance, Okonkwo appears something like a tragic hero, striving towards an ideal but failing due to his inability to overcome his insecurity about his masculinity, and ultimately dying in a symbolic fight against colonial invaders. However, to treat Okonkwo as a tragic hero, somehow embodying the struggles of his time, is to ignore the textual evidence revealing that actually, Okonkwo is unable to adapt to anywhere, including his own clan. Rather than functioning as a metaphorical demonstration of the larger historical conflict between tradition and change instigated by the colonizers, Okonkwo's story is one of a single individual wholly unaware of social world around him. By examining Okonkwo's treatment of his neighbors, it becomes clear that just as….

A sound point to be made is the fact that Dr. Jekyll could not have been purely innocent, because he chose to create a drug that would intentionally pull out his evil side. Furthermore, we may all have a darker side, but we don't all go on killing sprees. It is safe to conclude that Dr. Jekyll wanted to have a murderous personality all along, but he was too shameful to show this side of himself in society, so he instead created a manner in which he himself could commit the murders, but without showing the general public who was truly behind them. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde looked and spoke differently, even though they were derived from the same person, so people who ran into them had no idea they were actually speaking to the same person.

The downside to Dr. Jekyll's plan is the fact that he had no….

More precisely, Wilhelm can also be interpreted as being an invention that in fact represents the reader to whom Werther confesses. The connection is thus more personal and direct and enables the reader to be in contact with the main character.
The other relationship Werther establishes is with Albert, who is his direct adversary in the fight for Lotte's love. Although they come to develop a certain type of friendship, Werther will never consider his adversary as being his friend, precisely due to the fact that his main characteristic is that of an unfulfilled lover, therefore he cannot base his friendship on sincere attitudes, but on hidden thoughts. Even so, there is a sense of relationship because Werther admires his qualities, although he is convinced that Albert will not make Lotte happy.

Throughout the evolution of these two pieces of literature, there are certain pressures these relationships are subjected to. In….

The documentary film Tough Guise provides many more striking and direct examples of the manner in which aggression in all three forms discussed by Kauffmann have become a seamless part of male identity in our society. From the association of aggression and physical prowess with sexuality and performance capabilities to the extreme pressure in minority communities to conform to specific masculine identities as a way of asserting independence, male violence against women and against other men through both direct physical violence and through general domination and intimidation is seen as a natural part of society by many. The violence against oneself that this sense of masculinity leads to is seen in examples like the school shootings that typically end in suicides, but every act of violence that leads to a deterioration of an individual's actual standing in society -- or the standing of that society itself -- is truly an….

hen Hamlet hands the kingdom over to Fortinbras at the end of the play, we see the importance of Fortinbras' character.
The masculine and the feminine are at odds in Hamlet. Gertrude represents a side of the female that is questionable at best. hile we never know what Gertrude knew regarding the King's death, we also do not know what she knew about many things. Her role in the play is significant but strange nevertheless. Hamlet believes Gertrude to be incestuous and he is outraged by her behavior. She is "pernicious" (1.5.105), disloyal, and incapable of being selfless and these are qualities that he attaches to a good mother. Hamlet thus believes his mother to be a maternal failure. It should be noted that while we might not know much about Gertrude, she is a woman that speaks her mind and appears to be practical when it comes to maintaining….

Both types of personas have their drawbacks and benefits. However, because the former is generally associated with the female gender and the latter is traditionally attributed to males, sense is considered to be more desirable than sensibility.
Ultimately, as long as both men and women continue to perpetuate gender stereotypes, equality between the sexes will remain impossible. It is important to note that equality does not mean the eradication of differences. The goal must be not to eradicate gender differences but to desist in ranking these differences in a hierarchal order. Kimmel ultimately believes that women and men have more similarities than differences and that "gender difference - the assertion of two qualitatively different natures - is the result of gender inequality, not its cause. Gender inequality produces difference, and the differences produced are then used to justify gender inequality" (xi). As Austen's novel ultimately illustrates, gender inequality leads to….

Soldierly Perception of Masculinity in Imperial Germany 1880-1914
According to the researchers, from last two centuries shifts have been experienced in Germany's war system. New forms of masculinity arose in 1945, when Germany was totally surrendered and so did the regime of Nazi's. The regime of Nazi's was a heroic one and after World War II new forms of masculinity arose in Germans. War system is a vital determiner of masculinity; such that changes in one have an impact on the others as well.

New configuration gives significance to refusal and gives less importance to subordination and obedience. Germany remained occupied and divided from 1945 to 1990. The years which followed the War were combined with the feminization of German society and this resulted in valorization of refusal.

The masculinity was a bit shifted to nation-state as far as occupied society was concerned. The increased pressure from the market made the society a….

Conflict Theory in FilmIntroductionConflict theory is a sociological perspective that emphasizes the role of power and inequality in shaping social relations and structures. As itzer (2011) points out, conflict theory was an attempt to bridge the gap between Marxism and sociological theoryand it served as a response to the structural functionalism (p. 215). While there are similarities between conflict theory and structural functionalism, the former is a kind of inversion of the latter, or as itzer (2011) puts it, a kind of structural functionalism turned on its head (p. 265). According to conflict theory, society is divided into different groups with competing interests, and conflicts arise from the unequal distribution of resources and power (Tajfel & Turner, 2006). Those with power and influence seek to marginalize and oppress those without power; the goal of those with power is to maintain power; the goal of those without power is to push….

Disorder does not descend from Heaven,

It is the spawn of a woman. 10

Contemporaneous with relocating the capital from Edo to Tokyo was the drawing up of the 'Memorandum on Reform of the Imperial Palace' in which Article 1 states that the emperor would 'deign to hear about all political matters' in the front throne room adding that 'women are to be prohibited from entering the front throne room' 11.

Yoshii Tomozane, enior ecretary for Court Affairs peremptorily dismissed all court ladies, after which a rare few were reselected for appointment. In his dairy, he noted: 'this morning, the court ladies were dismissed in their entirety… the power of women already lasting for centuries has been erased in a single day. My delight knows no bounds." 12.

In this way the power of the 'hens' was removed from the 'Enlightened regime' of Meiji rule and suppressed throughout the country. Acquiring and reinforcing the….

Italy is a cultural hub of gender identity where issues of feminism and masculinism have been deeply entrenched for many years. For centuries Italy has been considered a more masculine country, though the majority of work documented related to masculinism actually is sparse. Issues of feminism and masculinity has surfaced in the workplace, where naturally access to issues such as equal employment and technology have surfaced. Gender inequality issues in Italy have in fact created a basis for the continuance of a feminism-masculinism dichotomy.
Masculinism has been defined as "the property by which humans of the male sex are defined as manly" (Noumenal, 2004). Alternatively, Simone de Beauvoir described femininity as "neither a natural nor an innate entity, but rather a condition brought about by society." This statement is more true than any other, as evidenced by gender inequality differences largely the result of the paternalistic nature of the culture within….

Postcolonial) Man:
Postcolonial Masculinities in the 20th and 21st Centuries

"Can't understand/what makes a man." hile feminists have noted how masculinity is often considered a problem or as inherently fragile, the construction of masculinity has often proved to be particularly vexing in postcolonial nations. Both male and female colonial subjects have frequently been rendered as 'feminine' to justify their subjugation. The response in some regions, particularly Africa, has been the hyper- masculinization of resistance and the association of traditional gender binaries with traditional African culture. One of the central challenges of post-colonialism in an African context is to allow for feminine and masculine voices which resist such gender stereotyping.

As observed by Morrell (1998), masculinity is not a self-evident, cross-cultural construct any more so than femininity. "Masculinity is a collective gender identity and not a natural attribute. It is socially constructed and fluid. There is not one universal masculinity, but many masculinities."[footnoteRef:1]….

- The role of gender and masculinity in Macbeth
- The symbolism of blood in Macbeth
- The use of supernatural elements in Macbeth
- The portrayal of power and ambition in Macbeth
- The theme of guilt and conscience in Macbeth
- The significance of sleep and dreams in Macbeth
- The impact of betrayal and deception in Macbeth
- The portrayal of mental illness and madness in Macbeth
- The relationship between fate and free will in Macbeth
- The role of the supernatural witches in Macbeth
One lesser-known but interesting topic to consider exploring in an essay on Macbeth is the theme of equivocation. Equivocation is the....

Lesser-Known but Fascinating Macbeth Essay Topics

While topics such as guilt, fate, and the supernatural are often explored in Macbeth essays, there are a plethora of lesser-known yet equally intriguing aspects of the play that warrant examination. Here are a few suggestions:

1. The Significance of Sleep and Dreams

In Macbeth, sleep and dreams play a pivotal role in foreshadowing events, revealing characters' inner turmoil, and underlining the play's themes of guilt and madness. An essay could delve into the symbolism of sleep and dream sequences, their impact on character development, and how they contribute to the play's overall atmosphere of suspense and....

1. The theme of ambition in Shakespeare's Macbeth
2. The character development of Lady Macbeth throughout the play
3. The role of the supernatural in Macbeth
4. Gender roles and expectations in Macbeth
5. The motif of blood in Macbeth
6. The concept of fate and free will in Macbeth
7. The manipulation and guilt of Macbeth
8. The downfall of a tragic hero in Macbeth
9. The relationship between violence and power in Macbeth
10. The significance of loyalty and betrayal in Macbeth
11. The portrayal of masculinity in Macbeth and how it contributes to the characters' actions and motivations
12. The use of imagery and symbolism in Macbeth to....

Essay Topic 1: The Evolution of Feminist Thought: From Suffrage to Intersectionality

Trace the historical trajectory of feminist thought, from the early suffrage movement to contemporary intersectional feminism.
Analyze the shifting definitions and goals of feminism over time.
Examine the impact of social, political, and economic factors on feminist ideologies.

Essay Topic 2: The Intersectionality of Feminism: Identity, Power, and Oppression

Explore the concept of intersectionality and its significance within feminist theory.
Discuss how race, gender, class, sexuality, and other identities intersect to create unique experiences of oppression and empowerment.
Analyze the ways in which intersectionality challenges dominant feminist narratives and....