Male Role Models Vastly Shape Young Men Masculinity Analysis

Male Role Models Vastly Shape Young Men’s Views on Masculinity
Where does one’s masculinity come from? This is one of the key questions addressed in Wes Moore’s book The Other Wes Moore. This book contains the coming of age stories of the author and another man named Wes Moore, who begin in similar circumstances but ultimately have two vastly different fates. The masculinity portrayed by Wes Moore and the Other Wes Moore’s male role models as they grew up led them to develop very different views of manhood, and their stories show that in the United States familial male role models play a large role in the construction of young men 's masculinity.
While both Wes Moore and the Other Wes Moore mostly grew up without their fathers, these two men still largely shaped how Wes and the Other Wes view manhood. Wes had a caring father who was around while he was alive. His father taught him to respect others, “My father loved the sound and meaning of Watende, a Shona word that means ‘revenge will not be sought,’ a concept that aligned with his gentle spirit” (6-7). …show more content…
One’s father was absent and did not care, while the other one’s was present until his death and taught his son many lessons that started him out on the right path. The Other Wes’ brother Tony took over as his main male role model, while Wes gained multiple strong male role models when he entered military school. It just so happened that the Other Wes’ role model was a drug dealer who taught him to demand respect through force, while Wes’ role models were men who taught him the importance of leadership and how that earns others respect. In the end, Wes and the other Wes 's fathers, and the other Wes’ brother Tony, set them on their current paths and each gained other male role models with similar ideals throughout their lives, which tends to be how masculinity is built in the United