Revised Essay of Progression 2 - Due 11/2

Gibran Sheikh

Professor Macklin

English 115

2 November 2012

Modern Chivalry: A Decline to the Gentleman’s Code

            Modern chivalry, the code of male ethics, is one of the abstract concepts in life that some males abide to; and for those clueless as to what modern chivalry is, it is a simple male gesture of courteousness. Modern day society claims it no longer has use for a man’s chivalry and that the concept has ultimately diminished, but in reality, chivalry is an idea that is still presented through modern day media and communication. That is, chivalry may not be as dead as society claims it to be. Presently the concept of chivalry has noticeably disappeared in society because it has been claimed to be “dead”; however, there are many images, modern world factors, and media in general that bring chivalry back from the dead, because they all appeal to it in ways uncertain to others.

            In a blog post by a blogger known as “Precious Pat”, there is an image that displays the decline in chivalry (the creator is unknown and will simply be referred to as “the creator”). It depicts a couple, the man in the couple has his gaze fixed on another woman passing by, while the woman in the couple has a thought bubble; in it she thinks about a princely gentleman with a rose for her at her window. Whether the couple is married, or has children is questionable, but either way the image brings up the concept of chivalry. Messages that the creator of the image wanted to depict are possibly that men aren’t how they used to be and the knights in shining armor simply aren’t there anymore, both relating to chivalry. The creator of the image has certain appeals to the terms that oppose chivalry, and also towards how chivalry is applied into different settings, broadening the concept, and making it more common.

Taking a look at history, in the Encyclopedia Britannica, it is stated that chivalry was the class that deemed a young man a knight. From there the term chivalry changed its definition to what most people in society understand it as today: courtesy (Encyclopedia Britannica). Going back to the image described, it is a princely gentleman whom the woman in the couple dreams of. In this case the male in the couple lacks chivalry, as he is not a gentleman in the eyes of his girlfriend. Modern chivalry, courteousness, seems to be a crucial element in the image, as it is a factor amongst others which radiates from it, and in the case the chivalric decline, it really contradicts it. This image seems to claim that chivalry that sparks a meaningful relationship. In the image’s relation to society, if chivalry had been forsaken, in turn true gentlemen would also be forsaken. As a result the image not only appeals to chivalry as a historical viewpoint that is compatible with modern society, but it also reintroduces chivalry as a lacking, but positive factor, in an unhappy relationship.

The creator of the image also seems to relate to how the image may depict a man that is defined by having something other than chivalry. A term that has since been manipulated by the internet and the mass media that may be what the creator depicts is the term “swag”. In the 2012 modern day society, it is evident through media that men may choose to live with the so-called swag. Men with nothing but swag, as internet slang defines it, are men who display disrespect, inconsideration of others, and absolute discourtesy. Of course there were original definitions of the term swag; however, modern day media and communication have drastically changed the diction meaning of the word, also giving it a negative connotation. In the image, the man seems to display swag, and therefore his girlfriend or wife appears sad, unhappy, and wishing she had someone else to be with. It is in this image that people can see the appeals towards the comeback of chivalry in the modern world.

The creator of the image also relates it to how chivalry plays a strong part in keeping a marriage, the union of two select individuals. Chivalry can appear as a positive additive in a marriage because not only does a man show respect to his wife, but the two learn to communicate better and learn to care for each other. In some cases there is, amongst other things, an absence in chivalry in some marriages. In this case there is a divorce, a split between the union of two individuals. The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) states a divorce rate that is half as high as the marriage rate in the United States. With that statistic, it appears difficult for men and women both to find someone to their liking. Referring back to the image described, the man and woman may be on road to divorce, which in turn presents chivalry as something that would halt that divorce. Marriage and divorce could definitely be a side-factor to chivalry, which brings chivalry up to a new level of audience, like married couples.

In the image, there also seems to be a lack of dependence on the male, something the creator may have touched upon as well. Dependence on men is also a factor of chivalry, which seems to be another part that the image touches upon. Dependence on men can mean anything from being a father or working to support a family. For example, the United States Census Bureau claims that there is an increase in the number of stay-at-home fathers, nearly double that of what it used to be in the past decade. That being said, it is apparent that some men today aren’t the ones in the workplace; however, men are the ones taking care of the children, another important job. It used to be that the men bring home the bacon, the women cook the bacon, and the children eat the bacon; but this idea doesn’t seem to pertain to some families in the modern day society. It seems that in a modern society, dependence on man has changed and therefore possibly chivalry has changed as well. In other words, the man may lack chivalry because he may be unsupportive to his family and wife no matter what job he has. These small aspects of the image are what direct chivalry to the modern world, correlating it with modern day society.

            Another factor of chivalry that is brought up by the image is how the man seems to also lack courteousness; something important to chivalry used in many different places, on many occasions. Taking courteousness to the dining room, it was formerly proper that when men and women dined, women would be served first, and men last, giving the idea that the man was ultimately responsible for the bill. Presently, however, we see that while some restaurants may still follow this basis of servitude, others may choose to serve men and women in matters they choose, and in the end anyone may be responsible for the bill, or they may “go Dutch”. Here is see a reason as to how society may see a downfall in chivalry; however, society must acknowledge the fact that certain situations may not call for chivalry. This doesn’t necessarily mean chivalry has died out; it just simply wasn’t a factor involved. Either way, chivalry is still being a concept discussed therefore it truly has not died out.

            Modern chivalry is a concept that seems to be falling away from modern day society. It is an abstract concept derived by “gentlemen” to serve as a basis for the male code of life. Not all men go by it, but those who do are those who warm the hearts of others; however, it is notable that modern day society has seen a decline and overall “death” in chivalry. It is up to modern day society to look more deeply into certain pieces of media to really realize that chivalry is not such a “dying” concept after all. Society should not be so certain to claim that the abstract concept of chivalry has become obsolete; it has just begun to impact the world.

Works Cited

"2010 Census." 2010Census.gov. U.S. Census Bureau, n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2012. <http://2010.census.gov/2010census/>.

"Chivalry." Britannica.com. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2012. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/113409/chivalry>.

"Marriage and Divorce." Www.cdc.gov. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 29 Mar. 2012. Web. 18 Oct. 2012. <http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/divorce.htm>.

"Modern Chivalry." ChivalryNow.net. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2012. <http://www.chivalrynow.net/articles/chivalry.htm>.

Williams, Alex. "Just Wait Until Your Mother Gets Home." Nytimes.com. The New York Times, 12 Aug. 2012. Web. 18 Oct. 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/12/fashion/dads-are-taking-over-as-full-time-parents.html?pagewanted=all>.Works Cited

Pat, Precious. "The Diary of a Divine Diva: Is Chivalry DEAD? And If So, Whose FAULT Is It?" The Diary of a Divine Diva. Blogger, n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2012. <http://www.thediaryofadivinediva.com/2010/11/is-chivalry-dead-and-if-so-whose-fault.html>.