Masculinity in Men Should Weep by Ena Lamont Stewart and Perfect Days b

Masculinity in Men Should Weep by Ena Lamont Stewart and Perfect Days by Liz Loc fountainheadBoth operates portray custody under a cast out light. In Men Should Weepmen be the dominant sex and are seen socially of far greaterimportance. Whereas in Perfect days men are easily manipulated andtend to be controlled by the contents of their trousers.Men Should Weep is a play which examines how the family unitcrumbles under the pressure of poverty. John the incur of thefamily is the main male figure throughout the play. His wife Maggiedoes everything for him and their family. However although there isalways a lot to be done John man senesces not to do anything to help as hewould never want to damage his alter ego. Not only doesnt he helparound the house just now he is also unemployed. This says a lot aboutJohns character and implies that he is a selfish self-centredcharacter.Id an stem a was heid o this hooseAlthough John gives the family no support in anyway he is still quiteconte nt in thinking that he is head of the household. Due to the waysociety was at this time it implied that women had to do as theirhusbands told them. Once women married they were their husbandsproperty. Men in that day and age overruled women they were morepowerful and a lot of women feared them for various reasons. Domesticabuse was a main reason for this fear. Although a lot of women weredomestically abused it wasnt something they talked about. Mrs Boneone of the neighbours which are used as a vehicle to examine how menhave a hold over women in the play is a victim of domestic abuse.I just canna understand a women who lets her man bash her aboot..Standing up to men was unheard of you just wouldnt... ...Brendan doesnt know about. Grant is seento give Barbs a lot of happiness but their relationship ends withGrant asking.Why are you so ashamed of me?This portrays Grant as a very nave character as Barbs was only usinghim for a bit of fun the relationship as never serious, yet he looked upon it to be.In conclusion the portrayal of men and masculinity in two Scottishplays that I have studied are that they completely dominate thesociety. They are selfish self-absorbed characters.In Men Should Weep this is portrayed through John a veryself-absorbed character. I think the writers purpose was to show howbad the conditions were that people use to live in and some peoplestill do.In Perfect Days the men are portrayed to be very stupid and weakcharacters. I feel that the writers purpose was to show that womencan cope without men.