preview

Deh Neudecker Falling Man Analysis

Decent Essays

What is it to be a man? Are you a man because of your biological sex, the way you act, the things you do, or because of the things you like? Who is the responsible to assign you your gender identity? If we lived in an advanced world, the answer would be that every individual is the only legit responsible for it, and in a utopic world, I would dare to say that there would be no necessity to discuss this topic. However, as we are still stuck on thoughts and beliefs that are not correspondent with our era, your gender is chosen by the premises made by your society. Therefore, your society is the responsible for making you believe which qualities, behaviors, appearances, and so on, are the ones that match with the masculine gender, and consequently, the others go hand in hand with the feminine gender. However, …show more content…

We learn that Keith was already a difficult man even before the 9/11 attack, however, after the accident, in which he is involved and survives, he becomes even more distant, violent and powerless. If we take into account what conforms the hegemonic masculinity, we soon realize that the protagonist it is not the kind of man we expect, really different from the kind of man that society tries to sell us. He is like an empty living recipient, although it does not seem to live. He has no feelings, showing no emotions, not for his wife, not for his lover, not even for his son. He just lives as an automata, moved for the meaning of his relationships, but not because they have any meaning for him. For example, the relation between Keith and his son, Justin, is not really an emotional one, but based on just the fact that he is his father and has the obligation to do what he believes are the parental stuff. “How is it possible that he was about to become someone of clear and distinct definition, husband and father?” (DeLillo

Get Access