Male Characters Research Articles

Resurrection of the parasitic isopod genus Cryptione Hansen, 1897 (Epicaridea: Bopyridae) and description of a new species of parasitic isopod (Epicaridea: Bopyridae) from the deep-sea shrimp Notostomus gibbosus (Caridea: Acanthephyridae) with an analysis of its phylogenetic position based on molecular data

A new species of pseudionine parasite is described from the deep-sea shrimp Notostomus gibbosus A. Milne-Edwards, 1881, collected in the Gulf of Mexico, the first record of a bopyrid parasitizing any member of the family Acanthephyridae Spence Bate, 1888. Morphological and molecular data are provided to support the inclusion of the new species and 12 other branchial ectoparasites of caridean shrimps in the genus Cryptione Hansen, 1897 that is resurrected herein. Cryptione is sister to the genus Pseudione sensu stricto, ectoparasites of axiid and callianassid shrimps as well as nephropid lobsters. The new species Cryptione grandis can be distinguished from its closest congeners including C. parviramus (Adkison, 1988) from the Gulf of Mexico by several female and male characters. The epicaridium larvae of C. grandis were examined with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), only the second description of this stage for any species in the genus. A table listing all species in Cryptione and taxonomic notes on some species are provided.

Gender, Ethnicity, and Religion in Gharbi M. Mustafa’s What Comes with the Dust Goes with the Wind

This study aims to bring to light various forms of oppression and enslavement of female Yazidis under the oppressive regime of ISIS depicted in Gharbi M. Mustafa’s novel What Comes with the Dust Goes with the Wind 2017. Through the lens of intersectional feminism, the experience of the protagonist of the novel, Nazo Heydo, who represents thousands of Yazidis, will be discussed and examined. Nazo was enslaved, traded, and abused physically and verbally by brutal ISIS militants. The paper analyses gender, ethnic, and religious related factors that caused the protagonist to go through her unfortunate experience as she was captivated by ISIS militants. Moreover, it explores the intersection and interaction of the previously mentioned factors in the genocide and enslavement of female Yazidis represented by the main character, Nazo. It is true that the novel depicts the harsh experiences of male characters, too, yet it is different from that of Nazo and all other female characters just because they were women. This paper aims to answer the following questions: 1. To what extent does the novel succeed in depicting women's oppression represented by Nazo? 2. How does the narrative address the impact of ethnicity on the genocide and enslavement of female Yazidis? 3. What is the role of religion in framing the atrocities of female Yazidis imposed upon them by ISIS militants in the novel?

The epicaridium larvae of Paragigantione species (Isopoda: Epicaridea: Bopyridae) have external yolk sacs: transfer of the genus to Pleurocryptellinae, description of two new species in the genus and a new species of hyperparasite (Isopoda: Epicaridea: Cabiropidae)

The epicaridean isopods previously known to have epicaridium larvae with posterior yolk sacs were species of Pleurocryptella Bonnier, 1900 and a new subfamily, Pleurocryptellinae, was recently erected for this genus. Epicaridium larvae bearing posterior yolk sacs are newly reported from two species of the genus Paragigantione Barnard, 1920 which is transferred from Pseudioninae to Pleurocryptelline on the basis of this and other shared characters of adult males and females with species of Pleurocryptella. Two new species of Paragigantione are described, one from the northeast Atlantic based on type material that was misidentified as belonging to the type species of the genus, P. papillosa Barnard, 1920 and a second from off New Zealand. One specimen of the New Zealand species had a cryptoniscus larva of a new species of hyperparasite of the genus Bourdonia Rybakov, 1990 in the marsupium while another had a species of Duplorbis (Rhizocephala); the former is described based on this material as well as a specimen from a specimen of Pseudione cf. fibriata Richardson, 1910 from New Zealand. Keys to species of Paragigantione for both males and females are provided.

Three new species of Tmesiphorini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae) from the Nanling Mountains, China

Three new tmesiphorine species from the Nanling Mountains, Raphitreus septuacarinatus sp. nov., Tmesiphorus huapingensis sp. nov., and Tmesiphorus maoermontis sp. nov., are described, with illustrations of the habitus and diagnostic features. All species can be readily separated from congeners by the unique male characters as well as structure of the aedeagus. A key to genera of Tmesiphorini from Nanling is provided.

Males are Toxic: A Masculine Critique of Ayad Akhtar’s Play The Who & The What

Hegemonic and toxic traits of masculinity are complex ideas that have affected personal relationships and social hierarchies for centuries. The play The Who & The What by Ayad Akhtar presents these traits through the male character Afzal, a Pakistani American citizen whose traditional culture and modern American lifestyle lead him to adopt these forms of masculinity. Therefore, the present study basically aims to focus on the impact of Afzal’s masculinity in Akhtar’s play The Who & The What over his daughters, Zarina and Mahwish, as well as Zarina’s husband, Eli. The Who & The What centers around Zarina, the female protagonist, who challenges her society by writing a novel entitled The Who & The What, exploring the personal life of the prophet Mohammed (BPUH). As the play moves, her father, Afzal, opposes her and anyone who crosses the limits set by their traditional Arab-Muslim culture. However, employing the notion of Hegemonic Masculinity by R. W. Connell and the Toxic Theory of Masculinity as proposed by Terry A. Kupers provides new lenses to analyze the text of the play. Thus, the present study found that Afzal’s actions reflect certain hegemonic and toxic assets such as authority, domination, control, superiority, and making decisions for others.

Gender stereotypes in the physical education textbook

Gender stereotypes in media, including books, can play an important role in the process of gender identity construction. The purpose of this study is to analyze gender representation in Elementary School Physical Education, Sports and Health textbooks. The analysis was conducted by tabulating images and looking at the appearance of gender characters in the text in the elementary physical education books from grade one to grade six. Visibility and Firstness refer to the number of times a male or female character appears first in an exercise. Gender stereotypes (such as female characters doing rope games, male characters playing big ball games) were counted. Based on this data, it can be seen that in classes 1,2,4,5 and 6 there are more male images than female, only in class 3 there are more female images than male. Furthermore, the results of Gender Stereotyping data show that males are more dominant in Floor Gymnastics, Water Sports, Physical Fitness Activities, Invasion Games, Net Games, Maintenance of Reproductive Hygiene, Pencak Silat Martial Arts, and Athletics. In contrast gymnastics materials and Rhythmic Gymnastics Activities are dominated by women. Such stereotypes are considered as one of the ways in which gender identity is influenced and constructed. They can limit individuals' choices in relation to their roles, interests and aspirations, as individuals tend to conform to what is perceived as the gender norm in society.

Beyond The Screen

This study examined communication between friends across generations in the most popular TV shows from the 1990s to 2022. The five highest grossing American TV shows and sitcoms were chosen and coded for friends’ self-disclosure, expression of empathy, perspective/advice, critique, appreciation, and complimenting. Demographic characteristics of the characters were also recorded. The results showed a significant increase in self-disclosure from the 1990s to late-2000s, but not for early-2000s; as well as an increase in male characters’ expressing empathy. Female characters increased in giving perspective in late-2000s and complimenting their friends in early- and late-2000s. However, female dyadic interactions remained to be the least frequent.

Pterin-Based Red Coloration Predicts the Outcome of Male-Male Competition in Guinan Toad-Headed Lizard.

Animal coloration offers a unique opportunity to explore the evolutionary mechanisms underlying phenotypic diversity. Conspicuous coloration caused by pigments plays a crucial role in social signaling across multiple species by conveying information about individual quality, social ranks, or reproductive condition. Nevertheless, most previous studies have focused predominantly on colors produced by the exogenous pigments-carotenoids. Pterins are another prevalent group of conspicuous pigments, which can be produced endogenously and have received comparatively little attention. Whether pterin-based colors represent reliable signals remains elusive. The remarkable red ventrolateral coloration exhibited by males of the Guinan toad-headed lizard (Phrynocephalus guinanensis) in the Mugetan Desert presents an ideal model for investigating pterin-based coloration. Through electron microscopy and metabolomic identification, we discovered three types of pterin pigments within xanthophores. Integrating a series of morphological measurements and behavioral experiments, we found that this red coloration was not correlated with body size, bite force, and testosterone level, nor did females show a preference bias toward it. However, the red intensity predicted male-male competition outcomes, with deeper red males being more likely to emerge as winners. Our results indicated that the pterin-based coloration could convey information about male quality, suggesting its potential role in honest signaling, given the vital importance of pterin metabolism in physiological processes. This study provides a novel case into the understanding of pterin-based colors in animals.

Representation of Women and Class in Shakespeare’s <i>Othello</i>

Shakespeare’s plays reflect his society by imitating events that shaped the socio-economic, historical and political development of the Elizabethan era. This study examines the representation of women and class in the tragic play; Othello. Shakespeare juxtaposes male and female characters to understand their roles seeking to understand the complexities that shapes gender and class in society. He lived in a patriarchal society where women were subjugated, relegated, and oppressed. They were only good as daughters or wives; Shakespeare in some of his plays creates strong female characters that exhibit a new perspective in the representation of women who break away from the norm by their actions or inactions in Elizabethan England. The theory used for the analysis is New Historicism which seeks to reveal and challenge the depiction of women and class during the reign of Queen Elizabeth the first. New historicism is a practice of interpreting texts in their historical context or concerning the time and place in which they were written according to Greenblatt. Women and class have often been misrepresented in Shakespeare’s time but in his play Othello, they are found to break down the shackles of patriarchy to make choices and stand by it.

The Wake of HCE in Shaun the Postman: Duality, Sameness and Universality in James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake

James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake constitutes one of the highest artistic expressions of modernist literature in the English language. The novel’s departure from realist conventions and its intricate language invite challenging interpretations, fostering an exploration of the narrative in terms of an imitation or reimagination of reality. The distinctive nature of the protagonist’s family, embodying real and metaphorical elements, suggests a potential fusion among the different members. In this regard, this paper focuses on the interpretation of the main male characters – father and sons – as both diverse entities and a unified presence simultaneously, and on the potential rebirth of HCE into Shaun, revealing this fatherly-filial connection especially in the concluding chapters. Central to this exploration is the examination of the concept of “duality”, shedding light on the amalgamation and reimagining of characters into these separate and unified identities. The interplay of characters, particularly the twins, is interpreted as facets of a singular entity, portraying HCE embodying both and affiliating with various characters representing Shaun. Ultimately, the paper aims to unravel the complexities of HCE’s transformation into his son by dissecting the intricacies of duality, sameness and universality throughout the novel.

7581 Periodic Administration of Quercetin and Dasatinib Alleviates Skeletal Fragility in the INS2AKITA Mouse Model of Type 1 Diabetes

Abstract Disclosure: R. Dresner-Pollak: Consulting Fee; Self; Opko Biologics LTD.. Speaker; Self; Medison Pharma. N. Lishinsky: None. I. Gurt: None. J. Stokar: None. V. Temkin: None. P. Shivam: None. G. Zatarah: None. J. Milgram: None. R. Shahar: None. Skeletal fragility is a recognized complication of type 1 diabetes (T1D). The risk of hip and non-vertebral fractures is significantly higher in people living with T1D compared to age- and sex-matched non-diabetic controls and those living with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Hip fracture risk is up to six-fold higher in T1D patients; hip fractures occur 10-15 years earlier and the outcome is poorer compared to non-diabetics. Alterations in bone quality are considered major contributors to T1D-related skeletal fragility. As people with T1D live longer, there is a growing need to discover new therapeutics to reduce fracture risk. TID is associated with accelerated biological aging. Cellular senescence is a fundamental mechanism of aging. Senescent cells stop dividing, are resistant to apoptosis and acquire a distinct phenotype that includes secretome changes termed “senescence-associated secretory phenotype” (SASP). Clearing senescent cells with senolytics is recognized as a promising therapeutic approach for multiple conditions in mice and humans We explored the ability of senolytics dasatinib (D), a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, and quercetin (Q), a flavanol, present in fruit and vegetables, drug combination, to alleviate femur fragility in mice with T1D. Ins2Akita mice show a sexual dimorphic effect of the mutant Ins2 allele causing severe hyperglycemia in males. We treated Ins2Akita male and female mice and C57BL/6 wild type (WT) male mice with D + Q administered once monthly for four months beginning at age 3 months. 3-month-old Ins2Akita male mice had higher blood levels of the SASPs components HMGB1, PAI-1, MMP12, and increased gene expression of p53 and senescence effectors p16, p15 and SASPs Il1b, Mmp3, Mmp9, Mmp13, Serpineb2 at the femur diaphysis and in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, respectively compared to age-matched WT male mice. In vitro, exposure to glucose levels equivalent to those observed in blood in Ins2Akita male mice induced cellular senescence in IDG-SW3 osteocyte-like cells including a 4-5-fold increase in gene expression of p16INK4a, p21Cip[1], p53, double percentage of SA-β-gal+ cells and P21 protein level. Ingenuity pathway analysis of differentially expressed proteins revealed enrichment for the senescence pathway (Z=1.213; P=1.11E-05). D+Q administration did not affect bone microarchitecture at the spine (L2), distal femur metaphysis and diaphysis assessed by µCT. D+Q administration significantly increased femur resistance to fracture assessed by the 3-point-bending test by increasing whole femur work-to-fracture, the ultimate parameter of bone resistance to failure, and post-yield displacement, an index of matrix composition, organization, and bone quality in Ins2Akita males. No effect was observed in Ins2Akita females or WT male mice, indicating that the intervention is specific for T1D. Senolyitcs D+Q show promise in improving bone health in T1D. Presentation: 6/1/2024

Thwarting the Tyranny of Fathers: Women in Nicole Krauss’s Great House and the Creative Transmission of Traumatic Memory

With Great House (2010), Nicole Krauss offers a choral novel that interweaves the lives of several characters loosely connected by a huge, wooden desk that one of them relentlessly chases around the world. A possible symbol of the memory of the Second World War Jewish genocide transmitted to younger generations, the desk powerfully materializes transmission in its potentially traumatic, obsessional, and violent dimensions. This essay deals with the way first- and second-generation women, in the novel, develop ingenious, creative but also uncompromising responses to the inescapable duty of remembrance. While the dominating male characters freeze memory in timeless, petrified representations, these female writers expose its terrible necessity while hiding nothing of the damages memory causes to witnesses and descendants. They claim a right of inventory and use the desk as an echo-chamber reflecting both the suffering voices of children and the dark presence of defaulting fathers and failing mothers, thus allowing for a new generation to be born with a more bearable heritage.

The prevalence of abnormal semen parameters in male partners of women with anovulatory polycystic ovarian syndrome: a retrospective case-control study.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the leading cause of anovulatory infertility, often requiring ovarian stimulation in affected women attempting to conceive. Male partner semen quality and shared lifestyle factors can significantly impact reproductive outcomes. However, current international guidelines lack evidence-based recommendations on the necessity and timing of semen analysis for the fertility management of anovulatory PCOS women. In a retrospective case-control study, semen analysis results of male partners of 187 anovulatory PCOS women scheduled for ovarian stimulation were analyzed and compared to a control group of 76 male partners of women with bilateral tubal occlusion. The prevalence of semen analysis results with at least one parameter classified as "borderline" and "pathological" among male partners of women with PCOS eligible to undergo ovarian stimulation was 51.3% and 22.5%, compared to 44.7% and 13.2% in the control group, respectively (p = 0.027). In the PCOS group, male body mass index (odds ratio, OR 1.478, p < 0.001), and smoking status (OR 6.228, p < 0.001) were significant predictors of pathological sperm test results, while no association was observed with any female characteristics (p > 0.05). The high frequency of pathological sperm analysis results provides lacking epidemiological data on semen quality in this population, emphasizing the critical need for early male fertility evaluation prior to ovarian stimulation in PCOS women. Moreover, our findings indicate that the risk prediction for abnormal semen quality cannot be based on the female's data.

A-043 A Fast, Novel and Analytically Sensitive Clinical Research Method for the Analysis of Free Testosterone using UPLC-MS/MS

Abstract Background The aim of this work was to develop an analytically sensitive, rapid clinical research method for the analysis of free testosterone in serum using a small sample volume. Laboratories have found this difficult, partly due to the inherent low concentrations (less than 3% of total testosterone is free), technical challenges and variability in results have been noted with equilibrium dialysis, which is considered the gold standard. Methods Testosterone certified reference material (Merck, UK) was used to create calibrators in 52.75 mM HEPES buffer adjusted to pH 7.4 to mimic the ionic environment of serum. Precision was evaluated using in-house QC materials prepared in serum (Golden West Biologicals, USA and BioIVT, UK). 200 µL serum was incubated at 37°C with 400 µL pH-adjusted 52.75 mM HEPES buffer for 2 hours, mixing at 800 r.p.m. with Rapid Equilibrium Analysis (RED) inserts and plates (Thermo Scientific™, UK). Testosterone-13C3 (Merck, UK) was spiked into resultant diasylate, then liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) was used to concentrate and clean the sample. The ACQUITY™ UPLC™ I-Class System with the Waters™ ACQUITY UPLC BEH C18, 1.7µm, 2.1 x 100 mm Column using a water/methanol/ammonium fluoride gradient and the Waters Xevo™ TQ Absolute Mass Spectrometer were used for quantification. An accelerated protocol for equilibrium dialysis, using a 2-hour incubation and fast mixing step was used (4 hours or longer is more typical historically) though it is essential to control the pH of the dialysis buffer and, particularly, the temperature of the chamber. Results No significant carryover or matrix effects were demonstrated with linearity from 0.5-650 pg/mL. Addition of high concentrations of endogenous substances (albumin, bilirubin, creatinine, cholesterol, triglycerides and uric acid) did not affect quantification. Analytical sensitivity investigations indicated the analytical sensitivity would allow precise quantification (≤20%CV and ≤15% bias) at 0.50 pg/mL. Coefficients of variation (CV) for total precision and repeatability on 5 analytical runs for low, mid and high QCs at approximately 2.79, 8.80 and 134 pg/mL respectively were all ≤ 8.4% (n=25). Accuracy was assessed by analyzing 45 male external quality assurance samples (NEQAS, UK) ranging in concentration from 50.1-268.6 pg/mL and the Bland-Altman agreement showed a small negative bias of -7.6% compared with the all-laboratory trimmed mean (ALTM), though excellent agreement overall. When LC-MS/MS determined concentrations were processed against Vermeulen equation determined concentrations (total testosterone and SHBG concentrations were provided by the scheme, a concentration of 45 g/L albumin was assumed), again good agreement was shown by the Bland-Altman bias of -7.7%. Conclusions A novel clinical research method using a fast equilibrium dialysis procedure with LLE and LC-MS/MS analysis with only 200 µL of serum has been demonstrated for clinical research use. Sub pg/mL analytical sensitivity, excellent linearity and precision, with minimal matrix effects and a strong agreement with an EQA scheme were established.

Do sperm factors influence embryonic aneuploidy? Long live the oocyte.

What is the impact of male age- and sperm-related factors on embryonic aneuploidy? Using a 3-fold analysis framework encompassing patient-level, embryo-level, and matching analysis, we found no clinically significant interactions between male age and sperm quality with embryo ploidy. While the effect of maternal age on embryo chromosomal aneuploidy is well-established, the impact of male age and sperm quality on ploidy is less well-defined. This retrospective cohort study analyzed autologous preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) and frozen embryo transfer cycles from December 2014 to June 2021. The study involved 11087 cycles from 8484 patients, with a total of 35797 embryos. The aneuploidy rate, calculated as the ratio of aneuploid blastocysts to the total number of blastocysts biopsied in a single treatment cycle, was evaluated. In the embryo-level analysis, the main outcome measure was the ploidy state of the embryos. The study employed a multifaceted analytical approach that included a patient-level analysis using generalized linear mixed models, an embryo-level analysis focusing on chromosomal ploidy, and a propensity score matching analysis contrasting groups with distinct ploidy rates (0% and 100%). There were no interventions as this was an observational study of PGT-A cycles. No clinically relevant factors influencing ploidy rate related to male and sperm quality were revealed. In contrast, female age (coefficient = -0.053), BMI (coefficient = 0.003), prior ART cycle (coefficient = -0.066), and number of oocytes retrieved (coefficient = -0.018) were identified at the patient level. Embryo analysis identified age (coefficient = -0.1244) and ICSI usage (coefficient = -0.0129) as significant factors. Despite these, no significant interactions between male and female assessed factors on the ploidy rate emerged. Propensity score matching between maximal (100% vs 0%) euploid rates did not reveal significant differences of influence by male age and sperm quality. The focus on patients having blastocyst biopsy for PGT-A may not reflect the broader IVF population. Other semen quality parameters like DNA fragmentation were not included. Exclusion of embryo mosaicism from the analysis could affect aneuploidy rate interpretations. There may also be unmeasured influences like lifestyle or environmental factors. Male age and sperm quality parameters were consistent across both maximal and minimal ploidy rate comparisons. No significant clinical characteristics related to the factors assessed for the male-influenced blastocyst ploidy status, confirming the dominancy of the oocyte and female age. The study was not funded. There are no competing interests. N/A.

THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF TURKISH SHORT FILMS RELEASED ON MUBI

49 Turkish short films published on the MUBI platform were analysed and it was determined that the majority of them were in the fiction genre (78%) and a few were in the documentary genre (22%). In the analysed films, the problem of gender equality in the directing position was observed and it was revealed that the majority of the directors were male. In terms of language use, it was determined that Turkish was dominant (59.18%) and some films did not contain any dialogue (22.45%). In the gender distribution of the main characters, it was observed that female and male characters were used with similar frequency. It was observed that the majority of the films were shot in the Marmara Region and the geographical diversity of Turkey was reflected in the cinema. In the thematic analysis, social and psychological problems came to the forefront, and it was determined that social issues such as migration and women's rights were intensively handled (58.16%) and psychological themes such as melancholy and loneliness (18.36%). In conclusion, it has been observed that Turkish short films published on MUBI bring together various aspects of Turkish cinema with the audience through their language diversity, gender representation, geographical distribution and rich thematic content.

Investigating the Effects of COVID-19 on Sperm in Male Smokers: A Prospective Integrated Proteomic and Metabolomic Study

Notable variations in semen parameters among non-smoking males have been documented post-COVID-19 pandemic. The role of smoking as a significant contributing factor to male infertility has been substantiated. Does the combined effect of smoking and SARS-CoV-2 infection impact male reproductive function? A prospective descriptive cohort study was performed using data from 90 smoking and 90 non-smoking males before and after coronavirus infection in a single center over a period of 3 months. Semen samples were collected before and within 15 days after COVID-19 infection, ensuring no more than three months elapsed between the two collections. The semen parameters evaluated included volume, concentration, progressive motility, normal morphology, and DNA fragmentation rate. Proteomic and metabolomic studies were further used to explore the differences between groups. Both non-smokers and smokers exhibited a marked reduction in sperm concentration, progressive motility, and normal morphology rate. Additionally, an increase in sperm DNA fragmentation index was noted for non-smokers and smokers. In the non-smoking group, dysregulation proteins including SEMG1, SEMG2 and DNAH5, and metabolites including L-glutamine, cis-9-Palmitoleic acid and Linoleamide were observed. In smokers, dysregulation proteins including SMCP, ROPN1B and IZUMO4, alongside metabolites including carnitine, gamma-Glutamylglutamic acid, and hypoxanthine were found. Comparative analysis between smoking and non-smoking patients post-COVID-19 also revealed significant differences in semen concentration, morphology and sperm DNA fragmentation rate. Dysregulated proteins including HSPA5, HSPA2 and PGK2, and metabolites such as acetylcarnitine, oxaloacetate and nicotinate were associated with impaired sperm function. Our study demonstrates that the virus also significantly compromises sperm quality in smoking males, who experience more pronounced declines post-infection compared to their non-smoking counterparts. This research underscores the necessity for comprehensive fertility assessments for smoking males after recovering from COVID-19.

The Insiders and the Outsiders in Short Fiction: Is the Behaviour of Women and Men Determined by Living in and Living Out?

The study discusses traditional gender roles and the resulting behavior in the selected works of short fiction. These gender roles dictate that men must work outside to provide for their families while women are compelled to remain inside the house, taking care of children and doing household chores. These roles are accompanied by different stereotypical traits: Men are thought to have positive traits like rationality and bravery while women are said to possess negative traits like sentimentality and cowardice. As writers are also part of society, so we can expect to see the same gendered thinking in their creation. This research takes up five short stories and looks at the behavioral traits of male and female characters and the connection of these traits with the fact that males are outsiders and females are insiders.

The Dichotomy within Masculinity in Fadia Faqir's The Cry of the Dove: A Self-Orientalist Approach

The representation of masculinity is a prevalent theme in literary studies that critique Orientalist discourse within Western literature. This exploration often highlights the dichotomy inherent in the portrayal of masculinity, contrasting the representations of Western and Eastern men in Orientalist texts. In her article "Re-Orientalism: The Perpetration and Development of Orientalism by Orientals," Lisa Lau (2009) introduces the concepts of 're-Orientalism' and 'self-Orientalism,' arguing that Orientalist depictions are not only perpetuated in Western narratives but are also internalized within Eastern literary productions. Lau posits that writers from Eastern backgrounds frequently do not wholly reject these Orientalist narratives; instead, they engage with and occasionally affirm them, thereby reinforcing a binary opposition between the East and West in their works. Despite the relevance of this theory, the contributions of Anglophone Arab authors, such as Fadia Faqir, have not been thoroughly analyzed through the lens of Self-Orientalism. Consequently, this study seeks to investigate the representation of masculinity in Faqir's The Cry of the Dove (2007) within the framework of Self-Orientalism, with a focus on determining whether Faqir challenges or internalizes Orientalist stereotypes. This theoretical perspective suggests that Anglophone authors tend to internalize Orientalist stereotypes, constructing a dichotomy that attributes negative characteristics to Eastern individuals while ascribing positive traits to their Western counterparts. Through a detailed examination of male characters in the novel, this study reveals that Faqir internalizes these Orientalist representations, thereby establishing a contrasting portrayal of masculinity: Arab and Muslim men are depicted as lustful, cruel, and hypocritical, in stark contrast to their Western counterparts, who are characterized as respectful, tender, and virtuous.

Masculinities in Chinese boys’ love stories: female imaginations, market forces and state influence

ABSTRACT This study investigates the imagined utopia of Chinese masculinity to uncover contemporary ideals of Chinese manhood and prototypes of gender relationships. To this end, the study involves in-depth interviews with 25 danmei creators and online questionnaires collected from danmei communities in mainland China. This study contributes to previous scholarly discussions by delineating danmei’s fandom and danmei’s literary formulae. The created masculinities in danmei reflect rising female creators’ subjectivities. Nevertheless, danmei’s political implications in China are limited and cannot be generalized as a move to overthrow the patriarchy or oversimplified as a step towards a feminist movement. Among the different archetypes of relationships, the pairing of two strong male characters enjoys the most popularity, which attests to women’s projection of independent subjectivity and rising neoliberal sensibilities in China. However, these emergent masculinities, initiated by female creators, persist in negotiations with the market and the state. The danmei industry in China, although subject to stringent surveillance, continues to flourish through underground avenues such as piracy and overseas purchasing agents.