Investigating Masculinities Enactment and Its Psychological Undercurrents in Fugard’s “Master Harold”…and the Boys

Abstract

This paper explores masculinities enactment in a racial environment where men are treated as second class citizens. Traditionally, men have been made to carry the guilt of the oppression of women as the narrative has always been that men are originator and promoter of patriarchy. From Feminists’ perspective, men have enjoyed patriarchal privileges that give them undue advantage over women. Women scholars have supported this narrative for a long time until recently when studies confirm that men enact masculinities at different hierarchical levels and have different statuses in terms of role exhibition. Situated in racial clime, men are, therefore, made to carry a double yoke of emasculation by circumstances that challenge their manhood and racial discrimination that further place upon them the burden of oppression  in all spheres. Using a combination of Psychoanalysis and Masculinities as tools of analysis, the study employs a qualitative approach which involves a literary text analysis of Athol Fugard’s “Master Harold”…. and the Boys. Findings reveal that not all men are macho and capable of exhibiting masculine traits constructed for them as men in their social milieu. Again, the study discovers that not all men exhibit provider roles as husbands and fathers as some men are actually emasculated having lost their breadwinning masculine role to their wives and become irresponsible fathers. The experiences of the Blacks in South Africa under the oppression of racial discrimination confirm W.E.B Du Bois’ assertion that Black men in a racial environment are carrying a double yoke. It is. therefore, suggested that men enacting hegemonic masculinities should be conscious of other weak men made so by poor economic circumstance that incapacitates them. Black men in a racial environment should purge themselves of toxic masculinity associated with hypo-masculinity enactment and instead embrace pro-feminists notion of masculinity which promotes cooperation of sexes.