Winger

In the largely peer-driven world of Pine Mountain, where adults play limited roles in the lives of the students, Ryan Dean is exposed to a toxic culture that defines masculinity as repressing “weak” emotions like sadness, vulnerability, fear, or empathy. One way this emotional repression is expressed is through the act of crying—or the consequences of openly crying. Because crying expresses and displays a “weak” emotion, it is incompatible with the code of toxic masculinity, and Ryan Dean self-corrects away from crying openly. At the beginning of the story Ryan Dean is upset about his first day back on campus but allows himself only a few emotional tears about his experience before making himself stop: “I got hold of myself and stopped feeling so stupid and useless” (80). Certain characters in the story uphold the toxic masculinity code—including Casey, Nick, and Chas—while others, most notably Joey, reject some or all of its rules. Meanwhile, the lack of adult guidance and supervision maintains the masculine norms that are established by the students.

This code is upheld on the rugby team, as exemplified by Ryan Dean’s surprise over Joey’s public emotion after the stabbing attempt. Ryan Dean says, “I never saw anyone on the team cry before” (213). In keeping with Joey’s role as a disruptor of the toxic masculinity, he expresses emotion in a way that surprises Ryan Dean and calls attention to the way that Ryan Dean speaks about girls and women in objectifying terms. Joey demonstrates that it’s possible to express emotion as a man, while possessing traditionally masculine qualities such as athletic abilities—in this case, Ryan Dean admires Joey’s rugby skills. Joey also participates in fistfights, a typically masculine expression of emotions like anger, resentment, and insecurity. In this way, he is a liminal figure that partially expresses traditional masculinity but also transcends its emotional restrictions.

Joey is also a fitting disruptor of the toxic masculine model because it is traditionally rooted in a heterosexual orientation at odds with Joey’s identity as a gay person. All of the other male characters, gay or straight, exhibit insecurity with being associated with the label of “gay.” The various male characters’ romantic and sexual relationships with their female classmates are held up as examples of successfully conforming to the masculine code. Moreover, almost all male characters use language to describe girls and women that rely on their objectification to a straight male gaze, like “hot” and “sexy”. Ryan Dean’s older dormmates use gay slurs to humiliate and intimidate him, and to attempt to make Joey feel bad about his sexual orientation. Casey’s profound insecurity about his own closeted gay identity leads him to both lash out at Joey and romantically pursue him, suggesting that he experiences both a “push” toward his sexuality and a “pull” away it. These conflicting and confusing emotions have no place in the traditional culture of toxic masculinity used to establish social standing at Pine Mountain. Casey’s inability to reconcile and understand his emotions lead to a frustration that ultimately erupts in violence against Joey, resulting in Joey’s death.

The masculine code proves inadequate to help Casey adapt to and embrace his changing identity, yet it persists in spite of this failure and tragically claims Joey as a victim. Although Joey helps Ryan Dean expand his understanding of masculine identity, by the end of the book Ryan Dean is still hesitant to express “weak” emotions to others. As he processes Joey’s death, he allows himself to cry only in select settings—notably with Annie’s mom, a nurturing maternal figure—but not in front of any of his peers or Annie’s dad. He has not yet learned to question the masculine code completely or openly. However, Ryan Dean reflects late in the book that relationships are about love at their core, not sex, implying that he is coming to a more nuanced understanding of his role in romantic relationships as a young man.  

Smith’s presentation of this theme is in keeping with the larger ongoing conversation about masculinity in early 21st century American culture. For example, the “Me Too” movement, which first came to prominence around 2017—although it was first named by activist Tarana Burke in 2006—is an example of questioning and attempting to dismantle toxic masculinity. The movement raises awareness of sexual misconduct committed by public figures, largely male, and supports the efforts to attain justice for their victims. By introducing the theme of toxic masculinity to Winger, Smith connects his story to the larger cultural movements of his time and examines how an individual character—Ryan Dean—might be affected by the masculine culture to which he is exposed.