What I Learned In The Locker Room Analysis

In “What I Learned in the Locker Room,” Steve Almond discusses his own adventure within the male dominated world of sports and its unhealthy view of masculinity. Almond continues to discuss the fear of not being masculine enough in the male world. While Almond portrays masculine doubt as the main issue, he actually exposes the feminine subordination, male dominance, and the lack of humanity in contemporary culture. The paper begins with Almond talking about his internship with the sports department of a newspaper and how important sports were in his life. The focus of the paper then transitions about masculinity and Almond’s fragile understanding of it. Events in Almond’s life, such as his brother coming out, magnify his insecurities about
She had to be excommunicated because of her sin, as if she were a leper in biblical times. Shelly was removed from complete interaction with males in order to subordinate, belittle, and force her to remove herself. These actions are detrimental to the healthy development of masculinity in young men because they are given an example of unnecessary dominance. Instead of allowing young men to develop their own masculinity, they are given a formula to follow in order to prevent from “losing” a generation to unmasculine ideals. This pattern that evolved has entrapped society and forces young men to adopt unwanted characteristics, such as aggression and a need for dominance. These characteristics are why males commit the majority of crimes, and are at a higher risk of imprisonment. A change is needed in the male world in order to protect men from themselves. Humanity needs to be taught, not masculinity. Humanity teaches people to care for others while masculinity, in the current form, teaches men to dominate others. Masculinity breeds criminals because it removes men from the humanity people need to function. Humanity, or caring for other people, is seen as a