The emergence of a new identification model as “enlightened masculinity”
Apart from generational and cultural-geographical differences, the previous analysis reveals several levels of awareness in the process of developing a healthy sense of conceptualizing masculinity within the convulted framework of late-modern social reality. The three emergent prototypes of masculinity outlined previously give rise to three major problems, followed by two necessary adjustments in envisioning the late-modern masculine man as a response to the increasingly empowered and liberated late-modern woman (feminine or not). These five elements are essential for the comprehension of the fluctuating inter-gender animosity occurring currently – which will dictate, sooner or later, the flexible dynamics among nations, determined by new patterns of political awareness and economic inter-relatedness.
The first problem refers to the questioning of the traditional image of an almighty invincible hero who challenges – and eventually defeats – the irreversibility of death: both Luke Skywalker and Himura Kenshin end up as broken men, overwhelmed by the legends they have become themselves. Their last attempts at rescuing, or at least guiding, those they love coincide with a final “kiss of death”, which explains, in the end, the disappointment and angry outbursts of fans worldwide when the deaths of the two heroes, respectively, were explicitly displayed. With their deaths, a whole era of male entitlement and invincibility goes to an abrupt – though foreseeable – end. This is what Michael Kimmel calls “aggrieved entitlement” as a reaction to the dissolution of the “masculine hegemony” which transcends death itself: instead, the “masculine hegemony” is disintegrated by the fragmentation of the social narrative into a multitude of possible life trajectories, dispersed over multiple layers of the social fabric, and accessible to a plurality of actors. Unlike them, Harry Potter willingly and openly sacrifices himself for the sake of community, not as an act of defensiveness (like Luke does) or repentance (like Kenshin), but as an act of kind courage – like his mother had done, when she had saved him. His return from the world of the dead is a symbolical reward for a life which started with and in love. Harry Potter lacks the birth trauma of Luke and Kenshin, and he overcomes the tragedy of his own grandeur: eventually, he chooses to be a simple human, living a peaceful family life surrounded by those he loves.
The second problem is connected to the omnipresence of (physical) strength, aggressiveness and ruthlessness as exclusive tools in attaining supremacy and total control: while the three protagonists train relentlessly for increasingly challenging encounters with stronger and more reckless enemies, neither of the three heroes is a symbol of physical strength and overtly aggressive attitude. Rather, they are portrayed as slim and quiet, leading an inconspicuous life in the anonymity of lost planets, in London’s middle-class neighborhood or endlessly wandering through early-modern Japan’s rural areas. They all prefer to quit fights and do not really show their abilities – until challenged to do so, and usually in a context in which they have no other choice. They do not attack, and do not hurt the others for the sake of it. Often, they get hurt or get in trouble when running to protect those they love.
The final problem is linked to sexuality and financial respectively material wealth as defining characteristics of an accomplished man: if there is something really touching about the three heroes, is that none of them ever strives to achieve any sort of fame or monetary reward, and even less in terms of status or success with women. They wear clothes typical for the group they are part of – Jedi garments, wizards’ cloaks, samurai’s hakama outfit –, and their accommodation is always frugal. None of them is flattered by the attention they receive, either as a consequence of their own acts, or as part of their family heritage, and when they can, they retreat in the solitude of their self-chosen spaces or in the warmth of their friends’ circle. The same goes for financial gain: they understand it is part of life, but they neither chase it nor regard it as something to be pursued in itself.
It is important to note that precisely these three levels questioned both by the protagonists and by the narrative lines of the three franchises have been at the very core of the modernity project as it has been carried on for the past 450-500 years: the almighty invincibility which can overcome all difficulties, even death (resulting in the obsessive preoccupation with health improvement, anti-aging and life extension, the main reason for over-population); (physical) strength as a prerequisite for mental strength, aggressiveness and ruthlessness which are exclusive tools in attaining supremacy and control (hence the permanent drive for more technological development and territorial expansion in the quest for natural resources and labor force, the two main reasons behind interminable wars and ecological calamities); unlimited sexuality and financial/material wealth are openly promoted as ultimate symbols of enlightenment and progress, with those possessing them being regarded as entitled to perform publicly and to represent the general demographics (the main reason for the moral and ethical decay of the population, chillingly reminiscent of Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World).
The first necessary adjustment for the construction of a healthy model of masculinity, deeply resonating with concurrent models of femininity, are the imminent reconsideration of vulnerability as the ability to feel, understand, accept, respect and show emotions. Vulnerability must be taught within the process of progressing from childhood, to adolescence, to young adulthood through the challenges of life. Deep down in the mastery Luke, Harry and Kenshin achieve, there is a profound connection with their own innermost self. This connection has to be learnt and trusted. Sometimes it is scary, because it contains negative energies and painful scars – but these must be revealed and confronted, as well, before they turn into existential monsters. In return, delving into one’s self through the openness enabled by this connection through vulnerability brings to light incredible joys and beauties, transformed by the ability to live life at its fullest, in “here and now”, with honesty. It is this connection through vulnerability that Luke, Harry, Kenshin are slowly crafting, and in spite of all failures, they forge a clear sense of self which, eventually, leads to higher levels of awareness and compassion. Even if, in the end, Luke and Kenshin end up as defeated, lonely warriors, and Harry turns out to keep on living an ordinary family life, they serve as human models of humility, commitment and the will to love. In striking contrast to former requirements of “real masculinity” which meant hard training in learning how to cut off emotions and how to perceive and process the world through a cold, purely rational lens, Luke, Harry and Kenshin choose to love and to care, to address their emotions, and then to act upon them. Eventually, love is the “secret tool” they all employ, and it is the presence or the absence of love which makes the difference between fulfilling one’s destiny, or failing it.
The second necessary adjustment is the acquiring of the power to acknowledge and respect the others – friends, family, enemies – in their radical otherness. This leads to carving one’s path through life and advancing on it not as a loner wolf, but as a social, loving human being: exceptional individuals in themselves, by means of a pre-destined life trajectory and of particular achievements, Luke, Harry and Kenshin learn in the course of their evolution that belonging to a greater whole than the isolated self is what makes their existences so symbolical. With conflicts and controverse opinions comes growth and the enhancement of one’s worldview, as well as that warm feeling of safely relying on the old adage of “back-to-back in times of hardship” and “face-to-face in times of joy”. Allowing for differences to unfold, for misunderstandings to be solved, for difficult discussions to take place, creates the space for creativity and fresh solutions, and also leaves room for hope and happy reconciliations. The wordless stoicism of classic masculinity is obliterated by this newly-found sense for “togetherness in otherness”, which is embraced unconditionally – for the most part, at least – by all three heroes. By turning towards the others, Luke, Harry and Kenshin learn to watch within themselves more tenderly and more compassionately, and to approach the challenges of life with patience and insight, rather than with impatience and fear. In doing so, they reflect the modernity’s teachings about progress and excellence, and undermine them by proposing in pragmatic terms an alternative way of dealing with problems, focused on integrity, warmth and harmony.
As to be shown in a future post, there are still indissoluble clashes between the ten common characteristics mentioned previously as a complex monolith of “enlightened masculinity”, which turns Luke Skywalker, Harry Potter and Himura Kenshin as exceptional loners into archetypes of invincible masculinity, unquestionable in its hegemonic superiority, and the everyday reality of the world. Violence and aggressiveness have been basic teaching methods in disciplining the human being on its way to responsible, comprehensive adulthood.
