In “The Glass Roses” by Alden Nowlan, Stephen is working deep in the pulp woods with his father and numerous other “burly, red-faced men in wool work pants and checkered jackshirts” pg.1, which leaves Stephen to feel “despairingly of his own willowy fifteen-year-old body” Pg.1, as he cannot compare to these men who are grown when he is still a child. Stephen’s understanding of manhood is structured around the physical attributes of men, like their “humped backs” Pg.1, and “ox-like shoulders”, as well as the “easy strength” Pg.1 of the men he works with, all qualities he does not yet possess. He has inherited these ideas from his father, who embodies traditional ideals of masculinity, and expects his son to follow in his footsteps, leaving Stephen
