Real men hunt. White men, anyway. Real men drink. Real men gamble. Real men have all the say at home. Real men gather around the fire and talk real men's talk. Or do they? Well, there might be a lot of clichés such as these in Go Down, Moses, but if you read past them, you'll see that it takes a lot more to be a "real" man, whether you're African American or white. Just keep in mind that the society Faulkner is writing about here is not just racist but also deeply sexist, and get ready to engage in some heated debates about what makes a man a man.
Questions About Men and Masculinity
- Which qualities are described (by the different characters or by the narrator) in Go Down, Moses as necessary for a man to have?
- What are the different attitudes that men display toward women in this book?
- Is the concept of patrimony in these stories limited to land, money (and before Abolition, slaves) or does it include anything intangible?
Chew on This
It can be seen in Go Down, Moses that the abolition of slavery resulted in a crisis of masculinity for white Southern males.
The idea that hunting, even humanely, is what makes a "real man" is a pretty narrow view of manhood.