Chihiro sustains her difficult encounters not through supremacy or conquering her enemies, but through empathy and kindness. In Western media and films, a hegemonic masculine ideal is often “the only solution to plot problems,” leaving violence as the path to success (Pyke,1996). Kimmel stated that "in a society that 'traditionally grants control to men,' experiencing feelings such as empathy and compassion can be interpreted as weakness towards a male figure." (Kimmel, Rothenberg, 1998). Therefore, men are not often depicted with these qualities, giving Chihiro superior qualities compared to the male protagonist and offering alternative perspectives on how conflicts should be handled. In the article “Class-Based Masculinities” Karen Pyke talks about how men of lower and higher status assume notions of masculinity through “physical force or structural violence” (1996). Miyazaki offers an analysis of both practices of masculinity through different characters and the commitments they make, as well as his critique of ecological deprivation and the loss of Japanese tradition.