There is a specific stereotype or image associated with what a proper man should be and strive for. It is the image of the controlled, virile and ever-dominant worker that is constantly demanded by mainstream society. Reputation is an important factor that depends on how men behave and act as people. Throughout history and literature, a respectable reputation and prominent status are two of the goals for which men work. From the Puritan era, to the Victorian age, and into the 1920s, men are constantly trying to maintain their "manliness", as demonstrated especially by the efforts of John Proctor, Texas Ranger LaBouef, and Jay Gatsby. One method of forcing one's masculinity is to control women and others. John Proctor, from Arthur Miller's The Crucible, uses a domineering tone to further ensure his control over women like his wife when he says "look to your improvement before you go to judge your husband any further" (Miller 52). When his wife attempted to reason with Proctor, he immediately became defensive. He needed to regain control and stop Elizabeth from taking some of his power. Peter N. Stearns, a professor who served as dean of the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, states in Girls, Boys, and Emotions: Redefinitions and Historical Change, “the channeling of male anger” into “aggressive behaviors” (Stearns 37 ) was justified by tradition and custom. It was common for men to be aggressive towards others, especially women. Aggression was practically required, always commanding and never allowing anyone, especially a woman, to be superior. Proctor pressures a young girl, Mary Warren, to testify for him, when she disobeys him he immediately shouts "Mary, God damn all liars... middle of paper... and you can!" (Fitzgerald 110). He describes his fatal flaw, he died for Daisy, a woman who would never love him the way he loved her. LaBouef is the one who redeems himself. Become the one true man, one of loyalty and honor. LaBouef saved Mattie and, in doing so, proved himself to be a true Texas Ranger and a true human being. Works Cited Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York, NY: Scribner, 1925. Print.McGill, Jr. William J. “The Crucible of History: Arthur Miller's John Proctor.” The New England Quarterly 54.2 (1981): 258-64. JSTOR. Network. April 3, 2014.Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. New York, NY: Penguin, 2003. Print.Portis, Charles. Real grit. City: Publisher, Year. Print.Stearns, Peter N. “Girls, Boys, and Emotions: Redefinitions and Historical Changes.” The Journal of American History 80.1 (1993): 36-74. JSTOR. Network. March 26. 2014.