Past, Present (and Future) of Studies of Literary Masculinities: A Case Study in Intersectionality

Abstract

This article offers an overview of studies of literary masculinities. After tracing their origins and development within the broader field of masculinity studies, it continues by illustrating the present applications of masculinity studies to literary criticism, ranging from studies of female to “ethnic” (i.e., both white and non-white) masculinities in literature, among others. This article concludes by showing that, as in the case of masculinity studies in general, current studies of literary masculinities could and should continue to draw on critical insights from intersectionality, as illustrated by rereading Douglass’ autobiographical slave (1845). Narrative from the perspective of both masculinity and whiteness studies.