Topic
James Hamblin’s article “Trump is a Climax of American Masculinity” focuses on two main topics: Donald Trump’s stereotypical masculinity and American masculine culture. While these are the underlying themes of the speech, you should also note that the speaker touches on subjects such as gender roles and sexism, Trump’s lack of political ability, and social issues in America, like racism and income inequa…
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Donald Trump’s stereotypical masculinity
In his article, James Hamblin speaks about Trump’s stereotypical masculinity and his role in American masculine culture.
From the beginning of the article, the writer references the fact that Trump rarely smiles. When he does, the smile looks forced: “The muscles in Donald Trump’s cheeks are out of practice at smiling. (…) When they attempt to create a smile (…) his face seems to be saying to him, ‘What are you trying to do?’ “(ll. 1-7). The writer suggests this is suitable for the image Trump is aiming to create: “It fits in well, because tough men seldom smile.” (l. 8-9)
Hamblin continues his characterization of Tr…
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American masculine culture
In his article, James Hamblin discusses the topic of American masculine culture in connection to Trump’s surprising popularity, which he gained despite his often questionable behavior.
The writer attributes Americans’ trust in Trump to his display of masculine traits, suggesting that many Americans value them, even if they are not genuine: “His signature traits, confidence and bravado, are hallmarks of masculinity. Through them he convinces people that he’s correct (…) even when his words are false or misleading.” (ll. 54-56). This also suggests that masculine culture in America is characterized by blind trust in a display of power and dominance.
The writer states that Trump’s supporters feel their masculinity is threatened in today’s society (ll. 60-67).…
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Argumentation
Most of James Hamblin’s article is characterized by direct argumentation, as the writer generally expresses his views in a straightforward and clear manner. He gives explicit arguments from the start of the article: “Not smiling doesn’t hurt Trump’s image (…) because tough men seldom smile.” (ll. 8-9)
The writer considers Trump to be a caricature of the stereotypical man. To prove his point, he gives a straightforward description of Trump: “He shouts and bullies and berates people. He speaks mostly in superlatives and mentions himself in most sentences. He plays golf and has a head full of hair, as men are supposed to. ”(ll. 12-15)
Also, James Hamblin reminds readers of Trump’s controversial actions and remarks: “…
