Masculinity in Crisis in Churchill’sCloud Nineand Highway’sDry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing

Abstract

This dissertation on Churchill’sCloud Nineand Highway’sDry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasingexposes the traditional notions of masculinity on the verge of crisis.The crisis of masculinityimplies the breakdown of heterosexism and the decline of men’s power,authorityand conventional masculine roles.The male characters, in both plays, involve in household activities and homosexuality, lose economic power, and fail to perform conventional masculine roles. Female characters, on the other hand, take previously male functions and enter into the mainstream of life outside the home and become more rational, and psychologically and intellectually confident and competent. The protected status of male masculinity was considered single, unified and coherent gender identity constructed from a range of socio-cultural possibilities. Because of the recent emergence ofnew gender and sexual identity, and alternative masculinities the notions of white hegemonic masculinity is subvertedand new gender, racial, sexual and ethnic identity is constructed.