The Tender Bar

Moehringer writes that “[m]anhood is mimesis. To be a man, a boy must see a man” (39). Explain how the author tried to seek out father figures, both real and imaginary, and how doing so impacted his personal development.

One of Moehringer’s main themes is his desire to provide for his mother, even when he was a child. Using evidence from the text, explain why Moehringer thought he should play the role of provider in his family and how this desire informed his childhood and adulthood.

Moehringer recounts the patriarchal violence in his grandmother’s family history, as well as the psychological abuse his mother endured from both her father and her husband. Discuss the domestic abuse in Moehringer’s family and his mother’s and grandmother’s efforts to ensure that Moehringer discontinued this family pattern.