How does frayn explore masculine identities in 'Spies'?

Hi ive got to write an essay on How does frayn explore masculine identities in Spies?
I know what im writing and understand the question but its knowing what bits to put in it!

Can anyone help?!!!!!
:confused:

Reply 1

Yellowmarshmellow

Ermm this might be a bit vague because it was over a year since i studied the book but i guess if you talk about Keith being in control, intelligent etc and taking after his father.. talk about thier scary eyebrow looks lol/ Stephen being inferior to Keith and feeling that he should follow everything he does but then being alot mentally stronger at the end/ Uncle peter being portrayed as a hero and then the contrast at the end when he's a broken man (tramp etc) hope this helps....

Reply 2

lily_of_the_valley

Ooh that's a difficult question, i've never come across one like that before. Like Yellowmarshmellow said, look at the male characters and analyse them to see how they are presented. So there's Keith's father and Keith: you could explore the idea of how son's look up to their fathers which is why Keith copies his dad in so many things. Then there's uncle Peter as the war hero who's really a deserter, showing how the masculine ideal of the time (soldier) wasn't as strong as it was supposed. Then there's Stephen's dad, the supposedly uninteresting one but who actually turns out to be the real german spy. I realise not much of this makes sense, but just try and look really closely at the characters.