Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman

The violence in Where Men Win Glory occurs in different contexts and countries, but Krakauer always draws comparisons between them, often bringing the discussion back to different cultures’ overlapping masculine ideals. Growing up, Tillman’s masculinity is nurtured by his father, who admires aggressiveness and bravery. The brutal fight that almost ruins Tillman’s future is a byproduct of these values, although it also spurs Tillman to mature.

Krakauer highlights the parallels between the masculinity values of Afghanistan’s Pashtun ethnic group and those of the United States. Tillman’s All-American roots spur him to join the National Football League, where his intensity and aggressiveness is greatly rewarded and encouraged. Young men living in the desperate, isolated environment of post-Soviet-occupied Afghanistan are similarly rewarded for their aggressiveness and intensity. Both cases lead to violence, but the reasons for the actual war are still suspect, both to Krakauer and to Tillman himself.

Both on the football field and on the battlefield, Tillman’s estimation of himself as a man is related to his ability to dole out violence to others. It is worth noting that football and war are two of the only environments where it is socially acceptable in American culture to behave in a violent manner, and Tillman eagerly embraces both. This does not mean that Tillman is a misanthropic individual who delights in hurting others. Rather, he is the product of both his father’s well-meaning yet narrow ideas about masculinity and an American culture that associates masculinity with violence, as long as the violence is contained within a certain acceptable context. Moreover, Tillman’s journal reflects a dramatic arc of growth away from these simplistic yet pervasive masculine ideals and toward a more enlightened identity that better suits his nonconformist views.