Entitled: How Male Privilege Hurts Women

by Kate Manne

Recommended Age: older YA readers (16+)

Lexile: unknown

Content Warning(s): graphic descriptions about sexual abuse/assault, gender-based violence, rape; and mentions of trauma

---

Book Summary

"In this bold and stylish critique, Cornell philosopher Kate Manne offers a radical new framework for understanding misogyny. Ranging widely across the culture, from Harvey Weinstein and the Brett Kavanaugh hearings to “Cat Person” and the political misfortunes of Elizabeth Warren, Manne’s book shows how privileged men’s sense of entitlement—to sex, yes, but more insidiously to admiration, care, bodily autonomy, knowledge, and power—is a pervasive social problem with often devastating consequences.

In clear, lucid prose, Manne argues that male entitlement can explain a wide array of phenomena, from mansplaining and the undertreatment of women’s pain to mass shootings by incels and the seemingly intractable notion that women are “unelectable.” Moreover, Manne implicates each of us in toxic masculinity: It’s not just a product of a few bad actors; it’s something we all perpetuate, conditioned as we are by the social and cultural mores of our time. The only way to combat it, she says, is to expose the flaws in our default modes of thought while enabling women to take up space, say their piece, and muster resistance to the entitled attitudes of the men around them.

With wit and intellectual fierceness, Manne sheds new light on gender and power and offers a vision of a world in which women are just as entitled as men to our collective care and concern."

My Thoughts

Back in March, I stumbled across Entitled at a school book fair. I was surrounded by hundreds of books spread out all around me—a complete book lover’s dream! But this one stood out. As soon as I picked it up, I was intrigued by the subject and knew that I wanted to give it a try, even if it was probably too academic for me.

Thankfully, Manne’s writing is clear and approachable. While the book delved into high-level, thoroughly researched analysis, it was readable, partly because it was concise, coming in below 200 pages. The book’s structure is essentially like each chapter is a separate essay that focuses on a specific aspect of male privilege in the U.S.

However, while the book is more readable than you’d expect, that doesn't mean it's a light or escapist read—you do have to put your brain to it if you want to engage with the content. I, for one, found it pretty rewarding and truly feel like I’m more well-versed in my knowledge about a topic I feel so strongly about, but didn’t know much about before reading this book.

In Entitled, Manne focuses on male entitlement and systemic sexism, exploring topics like sexual assault, reproductive rights, medical neglect, and society’s expectations of gender roles. While the book does take a clear feminist stance, I don’t think Manne is considerably unreasonable in her evaluations. She presents each argument with clarity and evidence, citing relevant research that contextualises each issue in modern-day America. I always think it’s worthwhile to read perspectives that challenge your own to help you form a more informed opinion.

I first started reading Entitled at the start of June and got about four chapters into it. Those first few days, I would read my “fun” book, and then, right before I would sleep, I’d read a chapter of this. But somewhere in the middle, I had forgotten about it. I then picked it up again at the start of August, motivated by the ever-present “currently-reading” status on Goodreads. I wanted to add it to my yearly challenge, which I was so behind on. Even when it was tough to get through this—partly because some of the stories mentioned were so infuriating and upsetting that I had to force myself not to stop halfway through—I’m glad I finished it.

All in all, Entitled is a powerful book that should be read by anyone interested in gender justice. It’s not an easy read, but it’s fully worthwhile and will stay with you long after you read the last page.

*Please note that this book is intended for at least a very mature teen audience, as it does go into detail about sexual abuse, assault, neglect, and other sensitive topics mentioned above.