Gender, Masculinity, And Sex Are The Driving Forces Of Lev...

Power, Masculinity, and Sex are the driving forces in Lev’s character development. Some argue that war is a key factor in the evolution of Lev’s character but I argue that sex is primary reason. We see how naive Lev is when it comes to sex and â€Å"manhood† with the challenges that are presented before him throughout the novel. We see growth and development in Lev when he confronts the obstacles of sex and masculinity to see what they really can be. We also see the realities of what sex really is when Lev interacts with Kolya. But as the story unfolds, we observe that these three factors are highly influential in the power one character exerts over another. Initially we see Lev as a 17 year old boy who has no place on the battlefield and an†¦show more content†¦The Kirov? That’s the one that went down last night? I’m so sorry, sweet boy† (Benioff, 73). The fact that Sonya is talking to Kolya about Lev is belittling to him because she’s treating him like a child that can’t speak up for himself. When Sonya calls him a â€Å"boy† it shows that she doesn’t think much of him. This is an important facet of his character development as it reminds the reader how little people think of Lev and provides a sense of shock when we do interpret him as a threat. Sex is used as a driving force of power and assertion in subtle and explicit ways. Kolya uses sex as a tactic of manipulation on his sexual conquests as he likes to call them. When he refers to his past partners as â€Å"conquests† he’s portraying himself as overtly masculine man, positioning himself as the alpha male, particularly over Lev. â€Å"Lev, Sonya Ivanovna. One of my early conquests and still a dear friend† (Benioff, 71). He described his approach to women as a form of â€Å"calculated neglect† which is rooted in the idea of manipulation. He offers this concept to Lev as a way to get his foot in the door of â€Å"manhood† and complete his highly sought after sexual conquest. Throughout their journey we see Lev develop feelings of envy and jealousy as he observes Kolya interact with women while he s off to the side. â€Å"I wanted to be the one who could transport a pretty girl away from the siege with my cock. Instead I was lying on the floor of a stranger’s apartment next to aShow MoreRelatedStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pagesand permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise. To obtain permission(s) to use material from this work, please submit a written request to Pearson Education, Inc., Permissions Department, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458, or you may fax your request to 201-236-3290. Many of the designations by manufacturers