ABSTRACT
Informed by Demetriou’s notion on hybridity, this chapter attempts to show that the twenty-first-century “Modern” heroes examined in this book are also embodiments of hybrid masculinity as they incorporate elements from counter-hegemonic masculinities. The adaptation of non-hegemonic elements does not necessarily mean the elimination of other hegemonic ones. Rather, their co-appearance portrays an image of a more realistic masculinity. The analysis of the romance novels provided in this chapter suggests that this lifelike depiction of the male protagonist does not seem to reduce his hegemonic status.
