Boys of Unfortunate Circumstances : Problematic Masculinity in Give a Boy a Gun by Todd Strasser

Abstract: This essay argues that Give a Boy a Gun by Todd Strasser presents a story of men protecting their masculinity. In order to analyze the novel by Strasser contemporary documentation of the real life events have been used to examine if masculinity is to blame for the protagonists’ actions in the novel. In conclusion the men hide their weaknesses in the novel, creating a façade that when broken results in massive amounts of violence in order to protect their masculinity. Also the essay includes a didactic part which discusses how the novel Give a Boy a Gun may be used in the classroom.