Deliverance: The Establishment Of "Masculinity"
The novel Deliverance by James Dickey portrays the essence of middle-aged men experiencing the mid-life crisis through which they must prove to themselves and more importantly every one else that they still possess the strength, bravery, intelligence, and charm believed to be society's ideal of "masculinity." Dickey's four main characters undertake a risky adventure to satisfy their egotistical complexes and prove to the world that they are still the strong young men their wives married. Each character represents a different stereotype of the middle-aged man, and therefore experiences a different type of psychological and physical journey than their peers. ...
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his music is his true companion.
Without having any talent, as he would be the
first to tell you, Drew played mighty well, through
sheer devotion.
(Dickey, 11)
For Drew the highlight of this trip is his duo with Lonnie, an uneducated banjo player. Drew obviously finds this the most exhilarating part of the adventure in that he is the center of attention and is playing very well with a talented young man.
I had never heard him play so well, and I really
began to listen deeply, moved as an unmusical
person is moved when he sees that the music is
meant….I could not see Drew's face, but the back
of his neck was sheer joy…I was glad for Drew's sake
that we had come. Just this incident would be plenty
to satisfy him.
(Dickey, 59-60)
Ironically, it is this peaceful and innocent man who reaches his demise on this perilous trip. Drew's innocence and morality is truly displayed when he is the only one among these four men who wants to report the death of the local man ...
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also, Bobby is in a state of denial of this event because it is embarrassing to him.
He [Bobby] got up, twenty years older, and
walked over to the dead man. Then, in an
explosion so sudden that it was like something
bursting through from another world, he kicked the
body in the face, and again.
(Dickey, 124)
Lewis, at the beginning of this trip is the egotistical man who serves as the true epitome of mid-life crisis. Lewis wants to be strong, and he wants to remain young.
Lewis wanted to be immortal. He had everything that life
could give, and he couldn't make it work. And he couldn't
bear to give it up or see age take it away from him, either…
(Dickey, ...
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Deliverance: The Establishment Of "Masculinity". (2006, June 14). Retrieved December 23, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Deliverance-The-Establishment-Of-Masculinity/47499
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"Deliverance: The Establishment Of "Masculinity"." Essayworld.com. June 14, 2006. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Deliverance-The-Establishment-Of-Masculinity/47499.
"Deliverance: The Establishment Of "Masculinity"." Essayworld.com. June 14, 2006. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Deliverance-The-Establishment-Of-Masculinity/47499.
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