The Representation of Man in Contemporary British Literature: The Case Study of Kingsley Amis's Lucky Jim

Abstract

The present study aims at analyzing the representation of men in contemporary British literature in the famous work Lucky Jim. The dissertation is sectioned into two chapters: the first is theoretical, which provides an overview of the meaning of masculinity in Britain and the changes that occurred within society concerning this concept after World War II. The second chapter is analytical and investigates the changes through the provided work Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis and the main characters Jim Dixon, his professor Ned Welch, and his son Bertrand Welch. Accordingly, it shows the mentality of each one of them and how they represent masculinity. The dissertation studies masculinity from social perspectives and it exploits several theories for Connell and other theorists, such as biological hegemonic masculinity, intersectionality, and social learning theory, to investigate the changes. Therefore, the current study exposes the following results: First, the traditional norms and traits of masculinity changed after World War II due to several reasons, among them the war, the media, life needs, and the types of jobs that were available at that time. Secondly, the novel Lucky Jim, represents masculinity through the actions of the main character Jim Dixon, who attempts to fit in with society and with people from the higher classes than his… while neglecting the traditional norms of masculinity. Thirdly, the literary British work justified the changes that happened to British masculinity after World War II by criticizing conventional concepts.