Maaike Meijer

Maaike Meijer

Desperate Heroes - The depiction of Masculinity in Literature and Film

After decades of writing about the representation of women in cultural history, Maaike Meijer decided to give literature, films and series by male creators about male protagonists another chance. And what she found there surprised her: the field is teeming with narratives that take as their subject an outspoken anti-hero, at odds with the prevailing social image of masculinity. Such stories are usually interpreted as being about the human condition. In this book, Meijer considers them as a reflection on the male condition, and finds in them the key to new windows on masculinity.