Mrs. Caruso
AP English Language and Composition
Grant HS College Prep Magnet
Unit #2: Analyzing the Myth of Gender in America
Analysis: Michael Kimmel’s “Bros Before Hos: The Guy Code”
- Complete a “Rhetorical Processing Sheet” for Kimmel’s essay and a F.A.T.t sentence that expresses the thesis of the piece.
- Answer the following critical thinking questions about the text:
- What are the “rules” associated with the Guy Code, according to Kimmel? To what extent do these rules reflect your own understanding of what it means to be a man? Do you agree, disagree, or qualify with Kimmel’s assertion that “the Guy Code fits as comfortably as a straightjacket”?
- Outline the psychology of the Guy Code: How do boys become men, according to Kimmel, and how does their development affect their emotional lives and relationships with others?
- What are some of the extreme behaviors that shape the dynamics of Guyland? In order to achieve masculinity, what characteristics do men believe have to be suppressed?
- Kimmel writes that “masculinity is coerced and policed relentlessly by other guys.” Do you believe that such a “gender police” exists? What are the repercussions of such a rigid system?
- Do you think the culture of silence for acts of violence or cruelty exists and is rampant in our society? Do you see a man's decision to be silent be considered an act of cowardice? Explain.
- In a short essay of at least one complete typed page, react to Kimmel’s thesis (that you expertly outlined in your F.A.T.t. sentence). Do you agree, challenge, or qualify with his assertions? Fully explain in a short essay of no fewer than four complete sentences.
Mrs. Caruso
AP English Language and Composition
Grant HS College Prep Magnet
Unit #2: Analyzing the Myth of Gender in America
Analysis: Michael Kimmel’s “Bros Before Hos: The Guy Code”
- Complete a “Rhetorical Processing Sheet” for Kimmel’s essay and a F.A.T.t sentence that expresses the thesis of the piece.
- Answer the following critical thinking questions about the text:
- What are the “rules” associated with the Guy Code, according to Kimmel? To what extent do these rules reflect your own understanding of what it means to be a man? Do you agree, disagree, or qualify with Kimmel’s assertion that “the Guy Code fits as comfortably as a straightjacket” (51)?
- Outline the psychology of the Guy Code: How do boys become men, according to Kimmel, and how does their development affect their emotional lives and relationships with others?
- What are some of the extreme behaviors that shape the dynamics of Guyland? In order to achieve masculinity, what characteristics do men believe have to be suppressed?
- Kimmel writes that “masculinity is coerced and policed relentlessly by other guys.” Do you believe that such a “gender police” exists? What are the repercussions of such a rigid system?
- Do you think the culture of silence for acts of violence or cruelty exists and is rampant in our society? Do you see a man's decision to be silent be considered an act of cowardice? Explain.
- In a short essay of at least one complete typed page, react to Kimmel’s thesis (that you expertly outlined in your F.A.T.t. sentence). Do you agree, challenge, or qualify with his assertions? Fully explain in a short essay of no fewer than four complete sentences.