Feeling Men: Masculinity, Sexuality, and Emotion in the Contemporary Romance

Abstract

This thesis examines the masculinity of the male protagonists, the heroes, in the romance novels Tribute by Nora Roberts and Match Me if You Can by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. The two heroes from these novels are seen as representations of the two main prototypes of romance heroes. Through close reading and a comparison and contrast of the two heroes, I show that romance heroes conform to many aspects of conventional masculinity, including professional success, physical appearance and sexuality. However, my argument is equally that when it comes to emotionality, romance heroes defy gender expectations, and this is an important element to their attractiveness. Although they differ from each other, both of the romance heroes I study conform to hegemonic masculinity by being successful, self-made men, within the limits of the contemporary male beauty standard, and sexually potent. Conversely, they both diverge from conventional masculinity when it comes to emotionality. Although in different ways, both exhibit a distinctly feminine style of emotional expression. Significantly, neither hero is punished for his feminine display of emotion, but rather are rewarded for it. In fact, the success of the romantic relationships depicted in these novels depends on the hero s ability to express his emotions in a feminine manner.