Masculinity in Fiction and Film: Representing Men in Popular Genres, 1945-2000

Gender studies tend to focus on the female experience. Recently, some attention has turned to the way men are portrayed in fiction and how it affects the expectations society has for men. Baker (English, Lancaster University, UK) uses a wide range of popular film and novels from 1945 to 2000 to demonstrate how images of masculinity reflect and inform post-war ideology. Beginning with the Cold War and the difficult transition for many men to a world of suburbs, family and mind-numbing jobs, Baker selects films that show the danger of the rogue male. In contrast, there are the homosocial films that redefine the male experience as distinct from, and better than, female. This includes westerns, spy and war books and films. Throughout this study, Baker notes the unsteady balance between society's need for brave, independent paladins and the fear that they will be uncontrollable. A chapter on aging heroes and "the last hurrah" is particularly fascinating. Annotation c2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Brian Baker is Lecturer in English at Lancaster University, UK.