Constructed Masculinity in the Limbu Culture of Nepal in Upendra Subba’s Laato Pahaad [Dumb Hill]

Upendra Subba’s Laato Pahaad, an anthology of stories, depicts the lifestyle of the Limbu community, reflecting its traditional customs that reinforce dominant male norms. In the selected stories “Dangerous Rooster”, “An Old Nasapaate”, “Mansinghk’s Chaite Dashain”, and “Handane’s Marriage,” male characters ascertain their masculinity as in Limbu culture; males are obligated to exhibit manliness.Limbu culture endorses the masculine image of an individual, so, being encouraged by the practices that inspire the males to construct the masculine image, the characters of these stories showcase so-called masculine attributes such as aggression, authority, and industriousness. This study seeks to examine how the enforcement of dominant male norms affects individuals’ lives. It explores the complications that conventional masculine roles create for the characters and aims to evaluate the motives behind their adherence to these traditional gender roles. R.W. Connell’s and Michael Kimmel’s concepts of male identity serve as the framework for analyzing the effects of dominant male norms on the characters. These scholars assert that male identity is a socially shaped concept, continuously expressed through apattern of observed, absorbed, and reiterated signals. The study concludes that male characters in theselected texts uphold their dominant male norms by adhering to traditional societal expectations.