The end of Manhood - Softcover

Stoltenberg, John

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0452273048 ISBN 13: 9780452273047

Publisher: Plume, 1994

Synopsis

This breakthrough book from the author of Refusing to Be a Man offers a daring alternative to the cult of masculinity. Stoltenberg explains why men so often act as if they were split in two--like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde--and provides a realistic prescription for gender justice, showing exactly how men can put this wisdom to work in every aspect of their lives.

About this title

From Kirkus Reviews

A mixed bag of essays, fables, musings, and skits in which a radical feminist plays havoc with the concept of manhood. In this follow-up to Refusing To Be a Man (1989--not reviewed), Stoltenberg, a founder of Men Against Pornography, turns from public policy to interpersonal issues. His theme here is contained in the epigraph: ``The core of one's being must love justice more than manhood.'' The notion of manhood itself, says Stoltenberg, is a sham, a trap--and those who would redeem it or remythologize it are kidding themselves, for manhood is a mask, incompatible with truly human selfhood. So much for beating drums with male companions in the woods. Each of Stoltenberg's 23 brief chapters poses a question--usually an anxiety-laden one (``What If My Father Didn't Love Me?''; ``How Can I Be Anybody If I'm Not a Real Man?'') that may or may not be answered here. The text takes many forms and varies from philosophical, even scholarly, analysis to tongue-in-cheek humor. Homophobia, pornography, and the treating of women as sexual objects are scrutinized and lampooned. ``Coach `Irony' John'' gives advice to sexual athletes; ``Mister Mann'' offers a guide to proper etiquette in male bonding; and the ``Ancient Armorer'' versifies on the link between manhood and warfare. In a final sendup, all three testify at the ``National Commission on Manhood Hearings.'' Stoltenberg's humor can be heavy-handed and often crude, perhaps because his anger is so strong, but it gets his message across. Less persuasive are his personal revelations (of his homosexuality, for instance). A harsh critique of masculinity ostensibly written for men but likely to find its warmest reception among women. -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

From Publishers Weekly

The author of Refusing to Be a Man dispels the myth of manhood in this analysis of modern-day notions of masculinity.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Plume
• Publication date: 1994
• ISBN 10: 0452273048
• ISBN 13: 9780452273047
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 336