Stereotypes Of Masculinity In Victorian Literature

Being a man in today’s world can be a difficult challenge. However, when masculine stereotypes determined by society come into play, the task rises to a whole other level. Men throughout history have been faced with daily tests as to which societal norms are to be followed. If the expected norms are not followed, a man could become an instant outcast of society and could be looked upon as weak, feminine, or an overall disappointment. There are a number of masculine stereotypes that are often found in Victorian literature. These include men limiting and controlling their feelings and emotions, rules on how men are to treat women, the economic and social standing that men are expected to achieve, and finally, how men influence family life.
Yet, when it came to one of the typical stereotypes of masculinity found in Victorian literature, men were often taught that emotions should be controlled and not shown to others. When this societal norm was not followed, a man was looked down upon as having feminine characteristics, and he was then thought of as weaker than a “proper, dominant” male who did not need to showcase his emotions to the world. This stereotype, in particular, was commonly broken when a male showed emotion and genuine love towards a female. With regards to marriage, one would think that it is wonderful to show love toward a partner. Yet, in reference to the stereotypical masculine identity during that era, a display of affection from the man to his spouse or partner may have been looked badly upon by society, especially if done in public. Such a display of affection by men was considered a
Once Luck arrived, the camp went through a major change of behavior in order to make everything much more clean and presentable. “The cabin assigned to “Tommy Luck”—or “The Luck,” as he was more frequently called, first showed signs of improvement. It was kept meticulously clean and was whitewashed. “THERE was commotion in Roaring Camp” (Harte 1). Once Luck was brought into the equation at Roaring Camp, it created an incentive for the men to have someone to love and a need to care about something. The men showed that they were not the typical hard-nosed men who didn’t have the ability to have a loving figure in their