It was really interesting to read a theoretical essay on male stereotypes as opposed to the commonly discussed female stereotypes in literature. Reading this essay, it explains how men are just as entrapped by patriarchal, societal, and historical stereotypes as women are.

Despite the focus of this text, however, I was slightly confused reading it because no matter what route this text took, it always linked back to femininity and women being inferior. It was interesting, though, to read examples of how however men try to oppose the stereotype of maleness, it always leads to being regarded as feminine and therefore emasculated. For example: if men loved a woman it was called 'womanly love' and they were emasculated, if men didn't want to take a wife it was seen as odd and effeminate, if men didn't portray their superiority and power over women they were emasculated, and if you lived comfortably and didn't have a hard life you were feminised and emasculated.

But even in such an enlightening essay, there is still the ever-present blame towards women. Women were blamed for a man's impotence and sterility, for example, and officials blamed specifically witches and their craft.