American Masculinity In The 1930's
Manhood during the Great Depression
Manhood was shaken to its core during the Great Depression. Never before has an era had such an altering impact on the way we perceive masculinity. This is best portrayed in the popular culture of the day that demonstrated conflicting views of men at the time. This division of what masculinity is developed directly from the cynicism, escapism, and the traditional view of what the American man should be.
Popular Culture depicts a media response to what is happening in society at the time. During the Depression early on, Pop Culture tries to force the traditional American way of living and perspective of manhood despite the growing change in sentiment. This traditional view on pre-depression American masculinity …show more content…
It has often been argued that men's roles in society have to be artificially created and so are fragile and in constant danger. "It is impossible to strip [the woman's] life of meaning as completely as the life of a man can be stripped," anthropologist Margaret Mead wrote in 1932 . For many men, the Great Depression went a long way toward stripping their lives of meaning. What had traditionally given meaning to men's lives were their roles as providers and protectors. Without this many man felt lost and cynical at the position society had put them in as they scoffed at the idea of the traditional American man. In John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, Pa Joad says, “I ain't no good any more…Funny! Woman takin' over the fambly. Woman sayin' we'll do this here an' we'll go there. An' I don't even care. …show more content…
The Marx Brothers showed a range of different types of males placed in starring roles . Groucho Marx was very effeminate, loose limbed and stooped. Chico Marx was a ridiculous Italian con man and musician. Harpo Marx was never talked and was consequently very physical. Harpo was driven by appetite and was always chasing after women. These three are so unconventional that it comforts the struggling depression man to see and laugh at characters such as these . It was the fourth brother Zappo, who displayed the greatest resemblance to the traditional male character, yet it was because of this he was the least
Manhood was shaken to its core during the Great Depression. Never before has an era had such an altering impact on the way we perceive masculinity. This is best portrayed in the popular culture of the day that demonstrated conflicting views of men at the time. This division of what masculinity is developed directly from the cynicism, escapism, and the traditional view of what the American man should be.
Popular Culture depicts a media response to what is happening in society at the time. During the Depression early on, Pop Culture tries to force the traditional American way of living and perspective of manhood despite the growing change in sentiment. This traditional view on pre-depression American masculinity …show more content…
It has often been argued that men's roles in society have to be artificially created and so are fragile and in constant danger. "It is impossible to strip [the woman's] life of meaning as completely as the life of a man can be stripped," anthropologist Margaret Mead wrote in 1932 . For many men, the Great Depression went a long way toward stripping their lives of meaning. What had traditionally given meaning to men's lives were their roles as providers and protectors. Without this many man felt lost and cynical at the position society had put them in as they scoffed at the idea of the traditional American man. In John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, Pa Joad says, “I ain't no good any more…Funny! Woman takin' over the fambly. Woman sayin' we'll do this here an' we'll go there. An' I don't even care. …show more content…
The Marx Brothers showed a range of different types of males placed in starring roles . Groucho Marx was very effeminate, loose limbed and stooped. Chico Marx was a ridiculous Italian con man and musician. Harpo Marx was never talked and was consequently very physical. Harpo was driven by appetite and was always chasing after women. These three are so unconventional that it comforts the struggling depression man to see and laugh at characters such as these . It was the fourth brother Zappo, who displayed the greatest resemblance to the traditional male character, yet it was because of this he was the least