Men’s Tears Also Matter: A Study on the Patriarchal Oppression of Men in Literature

The present study focuses on the popularly established idea that women are almost always oppressed under the patriarchal system while all men enjoy its benefits. Concerning some selected literature, the study argues the possibilities of “certain” men being the victims of patriarchy, carrying both manly and womanly qualities (according to patriarchal interpretations) to be more successful in their roles as men. Victims of patriarchy in this context refer to those who do not satisfy the gender stereotypical characteristics drawn by the patriarchal system and whose voices are unheard in society. The sample of the present study which falls victim to their effort to act upon the gender expectations of their culture includes Okonkwo in the novel “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe, Macbeth in the drama “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare, and Viscount Gontran-Joseph de Signoles in the short story, “A Coward” by Guy de Maupassant. The analysis of the protagonists’ failure of these literary works raises the awareness of the “forgotten sex” in literature and obviously in society. Likewise, the present paper seeks to analyse whether a fine balance between the qualities of men and women would define successful personalities for men, which would help eliminate their ego-centrism that keeps women under their rule of thumb. The necessity of rejecting patriarchy which provides satisfaction to neither men nor women and replacing it with a system where men may freely respond to various circumstances of life without being the “outcasts” of their societies is also highlighted in the conclusion of the research.