Article 2:

1. Much of this essay consists of negative descriptions of what it means to Paul Theroux to
be masculine or a man. Why does he offer such strong images and assertions?:
He offers such strong assertions because he wants the reader to try to visualize his “reality”, but
the problem is that he goes pretty far and could easily disenfranchise readers. He does state a
lot of things that are facts, but his personal opinion pulls those facts into more like fiction. He is
accurate, but not really to the extent that it is believable and trustable.

2. Do you agree or disagree with Theroux when he writes, “It is very hard to imagine any
concept of manliness that does not belittle women, and it begins very early” (para. 5)?
Explain.
No. I think there is a concept of manliness that I have encountered that contradicts this. Mr.
Rogers does not fit this definition of a man as I was thinking about it. He is a kind and teachable
man, very respectful and not to the extent of manliness that he is describing. So yes, another
type of man does exist, a type of man which respects women as equals. Mr. Rogers is popular
and seen as a man, yet this applies to him.

3. How does Theroux prepare his readers for the turn the essay takes in paragraph 12
when he says, “There would be no point in saying any of this if it were not generally
accepted that to be a man is somehow — even now in feminist influenced America — a
privilege”? What does this statement reveal about Theroux’s overall purpose in this
piece?

A lot of the “privilege” he describes is that men feel that they can be lazy and still important or
something like that. He does reveal a lot of things where men are preferred over women,
because we live in a society that is run by men. This basically introduces him as fighting for
equality between the gender and less of fighting to be a man.

4. Theroux’s essay was written in 1983. Which of his points are outdated? Which ones do
you think remain true today?
I felt most of his points were outdated, but I think he still has a point in saying that athletes are
not gentlemen, also when he talks about women needing to be polite in society. There are some
other things that could partially apply.