Introduction

Anna Soldner, 20, is a female with an interest in gender rights and issues. She didn’t have prior knowledge about Norah Vincent’s book or experiment, but chose to read Self-Made Man because she finds the subject fascinating and enjoys exploring the differences and similarities between men, women and all genders in between. Anna is a straight, white, able-bodied, middle class, young adult who is open to all orientations and genders and believes that open discussion is essential in deconstructing gender binaries, eradicating stigmas, and clarifying common misconceptions. In reading this book she will use her previous knowledge to reaffirm her beliefs, gain new perspective and ponder new ideas about male privilege, feminism, and gender identity.

Erik Maanum, 19, is a male reader of Norah Vincent’s book, Self-Made Man. He chose to read Self-Made Man after reading some book reviews on the internet. It was the good feedback of the book and the uniqueness of Vincent’s ethnography on gender identity that struck Erik’s interest the most. As a straight, white, middle class, male growing up in a sheltering community of people with similar backgrounds, Vincent's extreme actions sparked Erik's interest. His favorite part of the book is the fact that Vincent was able to overcome all insecurities and challenge so many beliefs on the touchy subject of gender. By reading this book, Erik hopes to learn more about himself and how gender affects identity.

Casey Mesner, 19, is a straight, white, middle class female from a small town in Wisconsin. She was interested in this book because she is a psychology major and gender is one of the main topics amongst many of her classes. Previously in both a psychology and a sociology class, she explored the different roles of each gender and how society, as well as the individual, views them. They also touched a little on the psychological impacts of certain experiences with both genders. Though she does not have any biases toward any gender, she likes to view things from different perspectives and propose arguments for both cases. In reading Self-Made Man she learned a lot about both genders and gained new insight which she will carry throughout her life.



Sarah Tyrrell, 18, is a first-time reader of author Norah Vincent. Sarah chose to read Self-Made Man because she is intrigued by the ideas of the American male subculture and enjoys delving into the controversial topics of gender and identity within that subculture. Coming from a small town in Northern Wisconsin with little diversity, Sarah was curious about the different viewpoints of the topics covered in the eight chapters of Self- Made Man. As a straight, white, female, the different circumstances Sarah read in the book were very eye-opening and enthralling.

Blurb

Every morning for a year and a half of her life, independent journalist and up-and-coming author Norah Vincent applied a five o’clock shadow, donned wired-rimmed glasses, and dressed in baggy men’s clothes posing as creative male alter-ego “Ned”. With her newfound identity Vincent immerses herself in the culture of the male world—frequenting strip clubs, joining a male bowling league, and temporarily living in a monastery—all while gaining keen insight and perspective on the rigid codes and rituals of gender identity. In the refreshingly honest and deeply inquisitive Self-Made Man: One Woman’s Journey into Manhood and Back Again, Vincent [will have readers] “taking a riveting and richly illuminating journey into some of their own deepest truths”(Bruce Bawer, author of While Europe Slept).

Chapter 8: Summarizer - Sarah Tyrrell

Chapter 8 consisted of Vincent summing up all her experiences and putting them together to show us what she learned. It also consisted of Vincent six-month stay in a mental hospital so she could recover from all her experiences and Ned and successfully beome Norah again. Vincent's time as Ned made the change back to womanhood so difficult because, as Ned, people's expectations changed, causing Norah/Ned to change along with them.

Chapters 7 and 8--Journal Prompt

Going into chapter seven, Vincent was confident about her next step in life as Ned. She decided to attend all male therapy groups which would ultimately lead to a retreat outing in the woods. In the beginning, Vincent assumes that this will be just like any other experience she had already endured; she had no idea that this experience would lead her into a passively suicidal state and cause visions of self-injury. The reader could assume that something more traumatic was going to happen in these last two chapters entitled “Self” and “Journey’s End”, respectively. Also, in chapter 1 Vincent states “I can say with relative surety that in the end I paid a higher emotional price for my circumstantial deceptions than any of my subjects did.” This quote straight out implies that the ending events Ned experienced were emotionally charged and unhealthy with that respect. I think the most important aspect of this that Vincent, indirectly implies, is that one can only fake and deceive society for so long; in the end, it will all catch up to and hurt you more then you could have ever hurt anyone else.

Chapters seven and eight sum up Vincent’s experiment with an in-depth reflection on manhood in modern day society. What she also includes are her conclusions; she reveals that she was prejudice towards men prior to the event and thought that her journey as a man would be liberating. Instead, it proved how conflicted and painful it can be. I found this to be an unexpected twist ending, as I was expecting more of an angry-feminist-smash-patriarchy-at-all-costs approach. Alternatively, she expresses sympathy towards males and hopes that men get the chance at a revolution in the same way women have. Norah Vincent truly reinforced my beliefs that feminism is about equal rights, not superiority of a one gender. She has done her small part in deconstructing gender binaries by attempting to eliminate stereotypes and preconceived notions by commanding a project that really resonates within readers—both males and females.

Throughout the last few chapters, Vincent hasn't really presented any new ideas in the book. She consistently mentions the differences in sexes, puts a lot of focus on sex itself, and always applies her experiences to how men fit into society. Vincent has showed us how men deal with feelings and how they many times feel victimized by society. This can help women and even men learn how to deal with each other in an easier fashion, like how to talk to one another and deal with men's feelings. Some of the actions in chapter seven to be a bit extreme, like the forced hugging and "rituals" the men went through. No one is denying the fact that men also have feelings, but some of the ways they chose to express them seemed slightly outrageous and unbelievable. The first paragraph of chapter seven was a great way to introduce the activities and experiences that happen within the chapter. By introducing Robert Bly right from the start, it allowed Vincent to refer back to him multiple times throughout the chapter and give multiple examples of his philosophies occurring within the group. We would have like to see Vincent address more about the journey into becoming a man. The journey into manhood is one of the key issues of a male’s life. She does briefly touch on this in the beginning of chapter seven, but the focus slowly trails away.

In the final chapter, Vincent includes a great amount of information on how living as a man changed her life. We believe that this information better suited the last chapter on “Self”. Including this information in chapter seven instead of chapter eight would have gave a better understanding about how males understand themselves in comparison to a female perspective. Including this information in chapter seven could have allowed Vincent to end the book on that chapter. This ending would have challenged the reader to tie all the information together and interpret the book in a manner in which they choose.

Chapter 8- Vocabulary Builder- Casey Mesner

Mealymouthed (pg 286): avoiding the use of direct and plain language, as from timidity, excessive delicacy, or hypocrisy; inclined to mince words; insincere, devious, or compromising.

Exonerate (pg 286): to relieve, as from an obligation, duty, or task.

Trite (pg 284): lacking in freshness or effectiveness because of constant use or excessive repetition; hackneyed; stale.

Catharsis (pg 278): psychotherapy that encourages or permits the discharge of pent-up, socially unacceptable affects.

Puerile (pg 278): childishly foolish; immature or trivial.

Baroquely (pg 277): extravagantly ornate, florid, and convoluted in character or style.

Effeminate (pg 276): (of a man or boy) having traits, tastes, habits, etc., traditionally considered feminine, as softness or delicacy.

Terseness (pg 275): neatly or effectively concise; brief and pithy, as language.

Curtailed (pg 275): to cut short; cut off a part of; abridge; reduce; diminish.

Screed (pg 274): a long discourse or essay, especially a diatribe.

Chapter 8 Discussion Leader - Erik Maanum

Norah brings up the topic of manhood in this final chapter. Do you believe men are held to the standards of manhood by society?

Yes, men are held to a social standard of manhood. This standard is the base of male identities. Guys are biologically programed to be competitive. This sense of manhood drives guys to compete and be the manliest man they can be. This is seen through the actions of those who oppress less manly men. Manhood is associated with dominance in the world of men.

Norah makes the comment in this chapter, that most guys are homophobic. Would you agree with her argument? Explain.

We believe most men are homophobic. Homophobia has multiple senses; some people interpret homophobia as fear of homosexuals, while others may see it as fear of being considered a homosexual. We believe not many men fear homosexuality around them. More men are homophobic in the sense that they fear being interpreted by others as a homosexual. This fear is associated with their manhood. Men believe if they are thought of as a homosexual, then they lose some of their credited “manliness”.

Why do you believe this gender experiment was so mentally taxying for Norah?

While the physical aspects were challenging for Norah, the mental aspects were much harsher. Norah explains that it took up six months to feel comfortable as a woman once again after her experiment. While living as a man, Norah completely changed her behavior, which caused people’s expectations of her to change. This behavioral change caused Norah to lose her sense of female identity. With a loss of identity follows a loss of self-worth.

How do you believe that this experiment would be different if it were conducted by a male living as a female alter-ego?

For a guy, it would be a lot harder to disguise as the opposite sex. It is tougher for a man to act as a woman in general. Men would not be able to get into the mindset of a woman to the extent to fool the outside world of their gender. They wouldn’t be able to adapt to the female lifestyle. Like Norah said, “The girls can borrow from the boys”. She means females have the capabilities to have stereotypical male characteristics. Females can wear guy’s cloths and be accepted, while men wearing women’s cloths would not. We believe that the experiment would be much more challenging for a guy, and would most likely fail at some point.

Chapter 8 Graphic Organizer--Anna Soldner

Chapter eight concludes Vincent’s journey as Ned as she culminates her experience and summarizes her discoveries. She ultimately came to the realization that being a man was more difficult than she originally thought. Admittedly, she entered the experiment with prejudice towards men and their inherent male privilege, but learned that manhood came along with rigid, stifled emotions, suffocating rules, “unrealistic, limiting, infuriating, and depressing” expectations. For these reasons she leaves the project with a disconcerting lump in her throat—that a lot of men are in pain and face unresolved issues and consequently gains a newfound appreciation, love and pride for being a woman. The chart demonstrates the advantages and disadvantages of society’s modern notion of “manhood” as expressed in the chapter. According to Vincent, the right side clearly outweighs the left, showing how society has implicitly crippled men and caused them to carry a lot of emotional baggage and stress.