Machismo

The Curse of Lono is marked by displays of excessive masculinity, particularly on the part of the protagonist. Hunter is aggressive. He occasionally seeks to provoke other males with verbal abuse and sometimes resorts physical violence, such as shoving a lit cigarette into a man's face or, without provocation, kicking another man in the groin. This violence climaxes at sea, when Hunter bludgeons a marlin to death with a Samoan war club.

True to the masculine stereotype, Hunter is driven to risk-taking behavior. He drinks heavily, takes strong drugs, and drives fast cars. He also spends a great deal of money on firecrackers which he then uses to create "bombs." This risk-taking attitude is reflected, to a greater or lesser degree, by most males in The Curse of Lono. The only male character with no interest in risk-taking is Hunter's friend Ralph, whom Hunter depicts as whiny and...