Easy Rider
"The spectacle of their mobility can provoke fear and rage for some specators within the film; yet it often seems to elict admiration from those they pass by or fleetingly meet." (Laderman, pg 72).
As this quote suggests, Wyatt and Billy are far from the norm in American culture at the time. As outsiders and wanderers, they "provoke fear" or "admiration" from those they pass because they have rejected the standard American life to take to the road. This fear can be seen throughout the movie, such as in the beginning with the inn keeper turning them away, or the small town men who shoot them at the end. It is because of this alienation from society that they are not able to "find America" as they set out to do. Since those who are considered normal in the traditional American sense reject them, they are left to spend time with the outcasts of society. In being with these people, they discover an America which is without the traditional people and ideas which would be expected. White masculinities certainly play a part in the film, particularly in their portrayal of women. These women are shown to be only interested in being with the men, and have no true character development of their own.