Masculinity

Masculinity, in The Night Diary, is the lens through which Papa views his son, Amil, and the point of contention between the two characters throughout the novel. Though Nisha muses that perhaps Papa stopped loving Amil when he stopped being cute, or when he ran away from home, the reader quickly realizes that Papa’s strict parenting style applies only to Amil and not to Nisha, indicating a difference in the way he treats his children which stems from more than just his frustration with Amil’s bad behavior.

Papa views masculinity in a singular way which is traditionally associated with the male, leading role in a family: he thinks masculinity involves physical strength, bravery, the ability to suppress or control one’s emotions, the ability to protect one’s family members, etc. From early on in the book, Papa expects Nisha to be smart, to...