No Face by Junot Diaz

Melicia Bharioo

EN 102

Prof: Corona

Response to question 1:

What is the idea of masculinity presented in the story? Does "No Face", the character, fulfill the idea of masculinity? Describe what in the story would lead you to the answers you provided for this question. 

According to Junot Diaz short story "No Face",  Diaz relates the story in a very masculinity way making the story a powerful and strong with the character named No Face as being the masculine figure. He had to face life the "hard" way. This relates to Diaz influence of masculinity.  For example , the author narrates the story at the beginning with a boy putting on his mask and "he grinds his fist into his palm", this tells me that he is ready to face everyone and everything with no fear, but with strength and power like a man. As I was reading along, I was able to relate that the story is based on masculinity. No Face didn't keep himself hidden from anyone, the people from the town knew him well and the reason he is called "no face". They knew the story as to why he couldn't have a face like everyone else. 

No Face as being the character in this story fits the perfect figure of masculinity because he is very much alone with no help, and his family is very poor. He has to face reality and life like a man instead of being afraid to be seen around anyone. There were several evidence stated in the story of No Face being the one to fulfill the idea of masculinity. For instance, he was ambushed by a few boys, where one of them sat on him. With the character just saying "strength" the boy just flew off of him. Also, no face believe he is "invisible"  where no one can touch him. He feel he is powerful and have the ability to do whatever he says. Another evidence from the text mentioned a sign of masculinity is when No Face bitten his tongue until it was swollen, but doesn't do anything about it just telling himself to be a man in order to go back to sleep. I find this story to be strong and powerful but yet emotional. Masculinity has been shown throughout the story pin pointing actions and words by the character. Junot Diaz tells a story about an abnormal character who wishes to be normal like everyone and struggles through in his life. As the character seeks to undergo surgery on his face, he looses hope that one day he will be normal. I can relate to this because situations like this happen today in our society where many individual who face these situation have nothing left in them but hope and strength.