Good Man

A crux of Geter’s argument in “Good Man” is that the ways that men are socialized into masculinity are harmful both to women and to the men themselves. Geter intentionally phrases his lines to point to the larger effects of social expectations. By pushing his audience to see that the world at large causes men to perform a toxic version of masculinity, Geter convinces readers and listeners alike that a good man is an oxymoron.

The introductory stanza helps reveal what the ideal “good man” is supposed to be, through the lens of Geter’s sister: a “prince” who is “worthy,” loyal, and heterosexual. The glorification of wealth, stability, and straightness is bound up in cultural expectations about who is valuable: Men who meet these patriarchal expectations are, to Geter’s sister, “good,” versus all of the other men she knows. The remainder of the poem works to undo this narrative through Geter’s many-layered argument about the negative aspects of performing taught masculinity.

In order to present a number of subtle arguments about socially taught manhood, Geter weaves several threads of lyrical metaphors together to paint his picture.