A Quiet Crisis: Representing Masculinity and Mental Health in Normal People

Abstract

This thesis investigates the representation of masculinity and mental health in the television miniseries Normal People (Hulu, 2020), focusing on how these themes are constructed through the character of Connell Waldron. In recent years, increasing public and academic attention to men’s mental health and shifting gender ideals have highlighted the urgent need for more nuanced media portrayals of male vulnerability. Despite this, television studies scholars still underexplore the interaction between mental health and masculinity. This thesis addresses this gap by examining how Normal People contributes to evolving representations of masculinity and mental health. The study is guided by the central research question: How does Connell’s portrayal in Normal People explore masculinity and mental health? To answer this, the series is analyzed through Richard Dyer’s method of textual analysis, focusing on how formal elements, such as mise-en-scène, camera movement and framing, and sound, construct meaning. This is complemented by a narrative and dialogue analysis to better capture how meaning is constructed through character development and story progression. The thesis is guided by a feminist framework, incorporating Raewyn Connell’s concept of hegemonic masculinity, Eric Anderson’s Inclusive Masculinity Theory, and mental health and masculinity representation on television. The findings demonstrate that Normal People presents Connell’s masculinity as in crisis and transition. His emotional struggles are closely tied to internalized masculine ideals that equate vulnerability with weakness. Yet, the series also allows for moments of emotional openness and care, offering a more inclusive model of masculinity. By portraying Connell’s mental health crisis with formal sensitivity and narrative depth, Normal People challenges the stigma surrounding male emotional expression and highlights the psychological costs of traditional gender ideals. This thesis contributes to feminist media studies and television scholarship by foregrounding how serial television can function as a site of negotiation where dominant discourses on gender and mental health are not only reflected but also reimagined.