Masculinity is the possession of the qualities traditionally associated with men. Men have an unspoken privilege in America and other countries. Xyfeminist.com listed male privileges and a few that stood out were the privilege of violence, to make rules, womanizing, not being judged, and physical strength. These privileges are attached to the male persona and are given to men by the society at hand. Men do not typically have a choice when it comes to these privileges and some men may fall victim to the consequences of these privileges. Men typically have an easier time fitting in. But men are not allowed to show emotion, or it is taken as a weakness. Subjectivity, as defined by thefreedictionary.com, is “based on a given person 's experience,
…show more content…
They gain experience and knowledge from other men in the household which in terms reflex on the minds of the youth. In the book Drown, written by Junot Diaz, follows a boy, Yunior, through different times of his life in a collection of short stories. Yunior struggles with finding acceptance from his family and trying to find his identity. Through the collection of short stories, the author is transmitting a message about male subjectivity and privilege. The purpose of this paper is to show how Drown maps masculine subjectivity and privilege though the character of Yunior in the stories “Fiesta, 1980”, “Ysreal”, and “Boyfriend”. In the story “Fiesta, 1980”, Yunior and his family are going to a party in the Bronx. But the only way to get to where they need to be is by driving in their father’s Volkswagen van. Diaz described it as “Brand-new, lime-green and bought to impress” (27). But “every time [Yunior] was in that VW and Papi went above twenty miles an hour, [Yunior] vomited” (Diaz 27). Diaz introduces important characters that would shift the type of person Yunior would become in the future. These important characters are his father, mother and …show more content…
He listens to their arguments and even invites the woman into his own apartment for a cup of coffee. Through the story of “Boyfriend”, Yunior begins to see himself in the girlfriend and reflects on his own relationship with ex-girlfriend Loretta, “It would have broken my heart if it hadn’t been so damn familiar” (Diaz 112). Sees himself and how men act as players and do not give a damn about women. They become an object and nothing more. “…having seen his ass in action at local spots, that he liked to get over on the whitegirls. She didn’t know nothing about his little Rico Suave routine” (Diaz 114). In society, it has become OK that men can go around and sleep with other women. Through Yunior’s life, this example of womanizing has been all around, from his father messing with a Dominican girl and his brother who has slept around with many girls. Yunior still had his boundaries and believed that some girls were too high class for him, “Homegirl was too beautiful, too high-class for a couple of knuckleheads like us.”(Diaz 112). Yunior is hurting from the break up and is missing a connection with a woman. An Interview with Junot Diaz, Diaz says “look at Yunior 's life; look at all he has suffered. He was never really loved in his family like his brother was. A smart, sensitive political kid, he had a tough time in the world he grew up in.”(LARB)
They gain experience and knowledge from other men in the household which in terms reflex on the minds of the youth. In the book Drown, written by Junot Diaz, follows a boy, Yunior, through different times of his life in a collection of short stories. Yunior struggles with finding acceptance from his family and trying to find his identity. Through the collection of short stories, the author is transmitting a message about male subjectivity and privilege. The purpose of this paper is to show how Drown maps masculine subjectivity and privilege though the character of Yunior in the stories “Fiesta, 1980”, “Ysreal”, and “Boyfriend”. In the story “Fiesta, 1980”, Yunior and his family are going to a party in the Bronx. But the only way to get to where they need to be is by driving in their father’s Volkswagen van. Diaz described it as “Brand-new, lime-green and bought to impress” (27). But “every time [Yunior] was in that VW and Papi went above twenty miles an hour, [Yunior] vomited” (Diaz 27). Diaz introduces important characters that would shift the type of person Yunior would become in the future. These important characters are his father, mother and …show more content…
He listens to their arguments and even invites the woman into his own apartment for a cup of coffee. Through the story of “Boyfriend”, Yunior begins to see himself in the girlfriend and reflects on his own relationship with ex-girlfriend Loretta, “It would have broken my heart if it hadn’t been so damn familiar” (Diaz 112). Sees himself and how men act as players and do not give a damn about women. They become an object and nothing more. “…having seen his ass in action at local spots, that he liked to get over on the whitegirls. She didn’t know nothing about his little Rico Suave routine” (Diaz 114). In society, it has become OK that men can go around and sleep with other women. Through Yunior’s life, this example of womanizing has been all around, from his father messing with a Dominican girl and his brother who has slept around with many girls. Yunior still had his boundaries and believed that some girls were too high class for him, “Homegirl was too beautiful, too high-class for a couple of knuckleheads like us.”(Diaz 112). Yunior is hurting from the break up and is missing a connection with a woman. An Interview with Junot Diaz, Diaz says “look at Yunior 's life; look at all he has suffered. He was never really loved in his family like his brother was. A smart, sensitive political kid, he had a tough time in the world he grew up in.”(LARB)