Ĭould it be that these male characters, so different in their expressions of what it means to be a man, are reacting to a similar set of experiences and values? Surprisingly, the answer is yes, and by understanding how expressions of gender can be so complex, authors can write far more realistic men than they might ever have suspected. Compare either to the kind, imaginative Haroun of Haroun and the Sea of Stories, Patrick Bateman of the appropriately named American Psycho, or secretive, heartbroken Patrick from The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Darcy with the scummy, womanizing Sam Spade of The Maltese Falcon.
Compare, for example, Pride and Prejudice’s uptight but upright Mr. I’ve written before about how difficult it can be to write outside your gender, but in fact it’s difficult to get a grip on any character’s personal experience and expression of their gender. Far be it from me to question the dark lord (again), but if you’re going to try and write a convincing male character then there might be a bit more to it. What is a man? If you believe Dracula in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, the answer is ‘a miserable little pile of secrets’.