In today's society, one's gender is not necessarily a representation of one's sex, so playing one's desired gender is extremely crucial. The idea of ​​“performing” is very compelling as one must routinely perform a series of acts intended to define a woman or man. Interestingly enough and clearly, the “acts” attributed to identify a woman and her femininity vary from those acts that identify a man and his manhood. Currently, men are always expected to perform and confirm their masculinity. Men who seek to prove themselves are sometimes forced to act at the expense of others and their feelings. Other men feel the need to simply control others to prove their manhood to society. In a novel called Children of Heroes by Lyonel Trouillot, violent behaviors feature significantly, forcing some characters to be submissive and repressed while the aggressor acts by emphasizing his position in the dominant gender group. Trouillot tells the story of a Haitian family and its problems with the head of the family named Corazón. Because of his exposure to abuse and demasculinization, Corazón, by nature, felt desperately that as a man he must somehow reestablish his masculinity by exercising violence against his wife and children. Corazón's relationship with her boss and her mother Mam Yvonne, as well as the failure to realize her dreams, became the roots of Corazón's desperation. His wife Joséphine and his son Colin are characters that Corazón uses to express, enhance and redeem his masculinity. As a boy, Corazón had big dreams: to become a boxer, fight opponents and achieve fame. However, "his father who had preferred to die rather than help him realize his dream" (Trouillot 144) and... in the middle of the paper... despite his personal shame. Corazón showed no feelings or mercy towards Joséphine or Colin simply because they were “weak” from her point of view, making them perfect victims. These victims increased Corazón's self-esteem, strengthened his control and power, and ultimately made him feel virile again. Works Cited Trouillot, Lyonel and Linda Coverdale. Children of Heroes. Lincoln: University of Nebraska, 2008. Print.Schrock, Douglas, and Michael Schwalbe. "Men, masculinity and acts of virility". Annual Review of Sociology (2009): 284. Academic research completed. Network. 08 December. 2010. .