By the time “whiteness”, “manliness” and “civilization” united and became the popular, standard link in the society, the war of humanity was triggered. Bringing the echo of such dark time to modern life, Gail Bederman released her work "Manliness and Civilization: A Cultural History of Gender And Race In the United States, 1880-1917". The book investigates the connection between civilization and manliness in Victorian Era and Progressive Era, which was the “turn-of-century”, through the important, historical events and the life events of four main Americans: G. Stanley Hall, Theodore Roosevelt, Ida B. Wells, and Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Back at that time, fighting for who we are was the battle that could hardly go out with the win. The difference of colors might remind people that many of us were born “losers”: “between 1980 and 1917 as white middle-class men actively worked to reinforce male power, their race became a factor which was crucial to their gender” (4).
In 1910, the public went outraged. The first reason was that Jim Jeffries, the “White Hope”, was defeated; and the man who won that historical battle was Jack Johnson, “the first African American world heavyweight boxing champion”. This victory, Bederman claimed, strengthened the masculinity of the African American, which challenged the notion of the whole “civilized”, "white" community (42). The notion of "manhood" did not consist of only "masculinity" but also of the “sexual self-restraint, a powerful will, a strong character”. Last but not least, the brighter skin a man had, the more possibilities he got the social recognition of being "manly" (18). In order to change the narrow view of "manhood", Johnson tried his best to be “too good”. He became a successful self-made man and dressed his wives in furs, jewels and “paraded them in front of the press” (18). However, his wish would never come true when “the horrified residents took steps to prevent him” (8). In Johnson’s case, the contradictions and inconsistencies were shaped purposely (24).
Another remarkable event in Bederman's book was the 1893 Columbian Exposition. This tribute was to appreciate the glorification of civilization by representing the “highest scientific, artistic, and technological achievements- Manufactures, Mines, Agriculture, Art, Administrations, Machinery, and Electricity” (31). Its aim was showing the world how right human civilization had been put on the track. However, it turned out not to be close to the humane perfection. In other words, the 1893 Columbian Exposition would have been more grateful to all human history if the borderline of racist and sexist had been hidden more carefully. According to Gail Bederman, “all were presented as the domain of civilized white men” (31). The women’s position, however, was not highlighted for this theme of “civilization”. Obviously, this position would be higher than any colored citizen. After “the seven huge buildings framing the Court of Honor”, there came the women’s work. Although the Lady Managers worked tirelessly to qualify women’s civilization to men’s, they finally had to end up understanding the message that “white women’s place in civilization might be marginal, but at least it was moral and safe” (36). Hence, the Columbian Exposition in 1893 is the milestone that creates “an illusion of white male supremacy”.
In order to support her view, Bederman presented Ida B. Wells’s work, pointed out the privileges in genders and races. By the time lynching was common, Ida B. Wells made an overturn on what society had defined as “civilization” and “manliness”. She brilliantly threatened white Northerners by stating that lynching was extremely harmful to “both American civilization and American manhood” (46). In response, the white Southerners claimed that lynching is a form of punishment for the African American and that they were in fact “patriarchs, avengers, righteous protectors” of the society (47). It was always tough at the beginning. After the hard battle, Wells's effort to put “the white man’s civilization on trial” was responded positively. This is when the discourses of manliness and civilization took place. Finally, the white men had no other choice but making the argument that the combination of savagery and civilization made an ideal man.
In conclusion, Gail Bederman successfully provided readers with closer views on the link between manliness and civilization from 1880 to 1917. Throughout history, the “manliness” and “civilization” identities were turned into messy concepts. From the work, we could see that Gail Bederman was trying to prove that because of the selfishness of the privileges, people even conflicted themselves.
Eurus Thach
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