Graduation Year

2024

Date of Submission

12-2024

Document Type

Campus Only Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Literature

Reader 1

Nicholas Warner

Reader 2

Jonathan Lethem

Rights Information

© 2024 Caelan S Reeves

Abstract

This thesis compares social constructions of masculinity during the Cold War in two arenas: government, with the mass firings of thousands of accused homosexuals during the Lavender Scare, and entertainment, with the construction of John Wayne as an icon of American masculinity in his films and personal life, as well as their intersections as Wayne’s image is leveraged as a political signifier. Through analysis of journalism, film, and government records from the Hoey investigation into homosexuals in government, this thesis identifies the contradictory nature of pressures to appear as a real man and condemnations of those who appear to be “performing” as real men. Using Judith Butler’s understanding of gendered identities as constructed through ritual performed acts, this thesis highlights the ritualized and performative nature of many of the acts undertaken by men during this era in order to be understood as “real men,” as well the social punishment that followed an unsuccessful performance. Finally, this thesis argues that attempts to deconstruct the image of Wayne and other conservative figures rely on, and as such reaffirm, conservative understandings of what constitutes masculinity, and identifies Butler’s analysis as a means of producing more productive critiques of Wayne’s image.

This thesis is restricted to the Claremont Colleges current faculty, students, and staff.

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