Boys will be boys.

For most of the human population, masculinity has become synonymous with one word: tough. Of course, when asked "What is masculinity?” most would immediately think of a buff and courageous man in the prime of his life. Perhaps a Arnold Schwarzenegger-type figure circa 1984. This image of masculinity has been so ingrained in our minds from all sorts of external influences from the earliest stages of development. Growing up, little boys played with G.I. Joe's - America's ultimate action figure. Little girls expected their future husbands to have fantastic bodies similar to Barbie's man-toy, Ken. From fictional superheroes to real-life celebrities, we are all led to believe that being masculine means looking the part of an abnormally fit, attractive young man. 

According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of masculine is "having qualities appropriate to or usually associated with a man". What are these qualities? The ability to defend himself and his loved ones from others who mean harm? Yes, I would have to say these qualities deemed universally valuable in a man. It seems that George Orwell would also agree. In 1984 (the book, not the year that the Terminator first time-traveled back into your local theatre), the character, Big Brother is a figure of masculine dominance.

After getting four pages into the book, one already gets the idea that he is always watching you. Is he trying to look out for you? Oceania is so heavily totalitarianized that the average person is forced to think so. One cannot think an original thought such as perhaps, Big Brother is over-exerting his dominance. The Party displays these male qualities as well - violence, dominance, power and control. We are led to believe that feeling weak, insecure and out of place are "sissy" qualities; more acceptable in women than men.

George Orwell knew how to create the image of a dominant male. Orwell made him overbearing, cunning and intelligent, all-knowing and intolerable of anything less than what he expected. This tough, authoritarian man, this Big Brother, is what we all think of when asked about masculinity. It shouldn't be that way, but it is. G.I. Joe, Ken, the guy from the extremely-quotable Old Spice commercials all exemplify masculine qualities garnered from society's expectations. Even the men from Jersey shore, who are of questionable intelligence, fruitlessly seek to be "manly" by their belief in GTL. No one thinks of a sensitivity or modesty as masculine qualities. Similarly, not many would think of Julia as masculine. Despite the fact that she is the one who is affirmed in her belief of the misdemeanour of The Party, since she is a woman, she must be protected. Never mind that the man, Winston, eventually betrays Julia and gives in to the pressures of conformity. Julia automatically must be soft-spoken, virtuous and pure given her sex. Men who display signs of vulnerability are also automatically thought to be feminine if they do not display the outward signs of masculinity. It's an unfair situation but we must always remember that we as a society defined it so.