Guns and Masculinity in "Black Swan Green"
In the novel Black Swan Green, the protagonist, Ben/Benji, is shot in the eye with a BB gun while playing around with friends as a teenager. The BB projectile is in his eye to this day, although mostly concealed. The fact that Ben still has the BB in his eye might signify how the past (his childhood) still has an effect on his present adult life. It is a reminder of the scars of childhood can stay for long periods of time, and that everything that has happened to Ben in the past makes him who he is today.
Furthermore, the BB gun incident exposes the ambiguities of masculinity and what it means to be a man. Before the fight, Benji wants to wear goggles, which the other boys deride him for, calling him unmanly, saying “I’m not wearing any p****-ass goggles” (Whitehead 183). Benji ends up not wearing the goggles, showing that he values masculinity—or the perception of it—over his idea of safety. The goggles can be seen as against masculinity because they show that one is afraid of being hurt, and not wearing the goggles is to not be afraid of being hurt. Interestingly, if Benji had worn the goggles, he wouldn’t have a BB under his eye.
The incident with BB causes Ben to further shun guns, and he allude to the fact that guns have had a profoundly negative impact on some of his friends. Yet he is totally open to fighting in other ways; his father taught him to punch anyone who is racist towards him. The ideas of aggression and violence are integral to Ben's exploration of his masculinity, and the BB gun incident brings these issues to the surface.
I was thinking the same thing with the goggles! The fact he took of "p***y-ass" goggles was representative of him embracing toxic masculinity instead of his own safety. I also like how you analyzed the BB gun pellet that got stuck in his eye, and how it represents the scars of childhood. I would like to add onto that idea by saying that I believe BB gun fight as a whole was an allusion to the increasing gun violence of the time. Therefore, the lodged pellet could also represent the permanent damage gun violence causes.
ReplyDeleteNote: I think you meant Sag Harbor, not Black Swan Green
I also thought that it was very interesting that he's completely willing to fight to defend himself/ get retribution for a wrong (so not inherently against violence) but against guns ( at first only slightly, but later very much so). This repulsion is very much in contrast to his friends who are excited by the guns, and continue to own and use them later in life. I like that you connected this to Benji's different understanding of masculinity. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI think your view is very interesting and I definitely agree with your points. I also think that part of Benji's decision to remove his goggles was caused by his wish to fit in. As we saw throughout the book, Benji struggled fitting in at his school and even in Sag Harbor, it didn't always come naturally to him. Although I think your point is very true, I feel there is also another lens to view his decision through.
ReplyDelete