The Essay "Allowing Teenage Boys to Love Their Friends" by Jan Hoffman exposes the danger of teens trying to live up to common stereotypes. From a young age, it is expected that teenage boys be tough young men that never show pain. In the essay, the reader is exposed to a situation where a young boy and his friend "cutting up a treasured childhood rag doll", and the boy's mom gets very angry at the two boys. The boy who's mom yelled at him never goes to play with the other boy again, and he never makes another close friend again until he is an adult. Even in adulthood, he hates remembering that last day with his friend. The essay goes on to show how the lack of meaningful connections with close friends leaves a giant void in both teenage boys and young men's lives. This Essay has really deepened one's understanding of how if boys are trying to live up to the "tough guy" stereotype, it can be very damaging for them as they have nobody to share their feelings with. If teenage boys were not so worried about how a few people would judge them for opening up, they would be living a more complete life.
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