"I will only become myself": Hegemonic and Ecological Masculinities in John Williams's Butcher's Crossing
Abstract
In this thesis, I argue that Butcher’s Crossing (1960) presents a counter-hegemonic narrative for the American male as embodied by the protagonist Will Andrews and his path towards an ecological masculine identity. Scholars have previously focused on the characters McDonald and Miller and how they are representations of different social, economic, and cultural factors that shaped 19th century America. What this thesis focuses on, however, is how Andrews abandons ideals affiliated with hegemonic masculinity in favor of an ideal where nature and man are equal. To demonstrate this, this thesis offers a theoretically informed critical analysis on Andrews’s interactions between McDonald and Miller to show how hegemonic masculinities are both constructed, contested, and resisted. Crucially, this approach shows that Andrews embodies an ecological masculinity that is able to free itself from the inherent power structures of male domination of nature. As such, this thesis shows how Andrews’s narrative provides a model of manhood where men and nature are seen as equals instead of opposing forces.