Eleven academics from English, literature, and women and gender studies examine the emotional history of American masculinity. Collectively, the eleven essays explore the origins of the concept
of the emotionally stifled U.S. male; how this concept has changed over time; reasons why it continues to dominate images of white, middle-class masculinity; what is at stake in the repeated
announcement that men are emotionally stifled; and the cultural uses of representing male feelings in light of this concept. The authors consider masculinity and emotion in literary narratives,
including works by Crevecoeur, Brockden Brown, Thoreau, Lowell, Du Bois, Cather, Hemingway, Kerouac, Irving, and in other kinds of narrative, including political theory, legal history, film
melodramas, popular men's studies texts, academic discourse, and oral interviews. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
