Study Of Masculinity Of Effeminate Male Characters In McEwan’s Novels

Ian McEwan,a prominent figure in the British literary world,has produced many literary classics throughout his career.Two of his most notable works,Atonement and On Chesil Beach,have attracted significant attention from scholars.However,the portrayal of the masculinity shift of effeminate male characters,a critical aspect of these works,has not been extensively examined.In the late 1980 s,R.W.Connell introduced the theory of hegemonic masculinity,which later underwent reformulation and amplification to explicate the social norms and personal traits generally accepted by patriarchal societies.This theoretical framework offers a firm foundation for analyzing the masculinity shift of effeminate male characters depicted in Mc Ewan’s novels.In light of this theory,this research takes Robbie in Atonement and Edward in On Chesil Beach as the investigation target.The primary objective is to investigate these two effeminate male characters’ masculinity shift processes and uncover the underlying reasons.This thesis comprises four parts.The initial part introduces the author,his works,a comprehensive literature review,the theory of hegemonic masculinity,and the reformation and amplification of the theory.The second part examines Robbie’s masculinity shift in Atonement.Robbie shifts from an effeminate man subordinated by hegemonic masculinity to a marginalized individual in society.Then,he shifts from a marginalized individual to a complicit member.Robbie’s masculinity shift is due to personal traits and social factors.The personal factors are Robbie’s innate characteristics,which include natural sensitivity,vulnerability,and emotionality.The social factors include Robbie’s low social status,weak economic power,and lack of societal voice.The third part analyzes Edward’s masculinity shift in On Chesil Beach.Edward’s masculinity shifts from hegemonic masculinity to a marginalized individual.Then,he shifts from a marginalized individual to a complicit member too.Edward’s masculinity shift is also due to personal traits and social factors.His innate characteristics are aggression,rationality,and hypersexuality.His social factors,such as low status,economic distress,and sexual repression,also contribute to his failure to shift.The fourth part discusses and summarizes the various factors contributing to the masculinity shift of the two effeminate male characters.The analysis reveals that these two effeminate male characters’ masculinity shifts are due to intrinsic personal traits and extrinsic social factors.Hegemonic masculinity is pervasive in society and shapes cultural norms that dictate gender-related social behaviors.The social relations of Robbie and Edward exemplify the dominance of norms of hegemonic masculinity in different social gender relationships.The diverse structural oppression resulting from hegemonic masculinity offers different social models for relations between men and women and between men and men.The eventual complicity failure of Robbie and Edward reflects the current unequal gender relations under hegemonic masculinity,which is widely accepted and tolerated due to its ubiquity.By examining the masculinity shift of two effeminate male characters,this thesis exposes the variety and shift of masculinity.It legitimates unequal social-gender relations and explains the widespread integration of hegemonic masculinity in people’s daily lives.