Houston, Houston, Do You Read by James Tiptree - 1533 Words

In James Tiptree Jr’s short science fiction story â€Å"Houston, Houston, Do You Read?†, three men aboard their spaceship accidentally travel into a future solely inhabited by women. From their various interactions with the women on board the Gloria spacecraft, the men quickly discover that they have no place in this futuristic environment and are denied access back to Earth. While this rejection appears tyrannical on the women’s part, it is justifiable as the utopian nature of the female society thrives on the lack of a male population. Specifically, the women’s self-sustainability, along with the dominant behaviour and inherent aggression of a man’s masculinity justifies their denial of the men’s access to Earth. Ever since the extinction†¦show more content†¦This submission manifests from Davis’s captain status over his comrades. As the man who garnishes a higher status than his counterparts, he is a type of masculine role-model for both Bud and Lorimer. In terms of status, they are not as manly as Davis and therefore submit to his lead. As no clear dominant figure is present on Earth, Davis will strive to establish himself as the leader of the female population because he is accustomed to being a leader among those inferior to his manliness – including women alike. His dominance would ravage the simple nature of the women’s political system, bringing an end to the collective nature of the population. To defend against this threat, the women are justifiable in denying the men’s access to Earth, as a man’s masculinity pushes him to dominate those with a lower status when provided the opportunity. This claim is further justified by the tensions betwe en the men’s social relations. Among his colleagues, Lorimer is the least manly. He is the â€Å"beta bile† of the bunch, and he despises his status shown by his inner thoughts: â€Å"You shitheads, I’ll show you. I am not a girl† (167). An analysis of Lorimer’s thoughts entails that Bud and Davis will try to dominate anyone who does not comply with their alpha male images. Despite being a man in many ways, Lorimer ultimately occupies a feminine image because anything other than a conventional man is unmanly.