The Naked Citadel reveals a life, hidden behind the walls of a Men's world. This essay is a revelation of the relations between men as men, as humans and as fighters. These are the three major aspects of the life behind the walls of the Citadel, the manly world. Susan Faludi paints a beautiful picture of this world and the interrelations within its boundaries by putting a woman in the center of her story. Another major aspect of the essay is the tradition as a social value and as a limit. The essay gives an excellent example of how, sometimes, especially in the past centuries, traditions shaped people's life and narrowed the scope of people's dreams. It also shows how difficult it is to change traditions.
The Citadel is a public military college established in 1822. It is a high-ranking institution with well-established traditions. All of the cadets are men, because army is, or used to be only men's universe, and not just men's universe, but the strongest and most brave men's universe. The academy is an institution in which men looking to serve their country and be given a top rate education seek interest.
It is a place where young man are taught how to act and communicate like man, how to be prepared to the real world and face difficulties-"To bravely face difficulties, not to complain, and not to give up" are some of the rules in Citadel's code. In the Citadel a boy is remolded "into the whole man" with his identity "stripped". A place where young men go to grow and develop into a man while not being in fear of exposing any "unmanly" like characteristics to the rest of society.
Within the society a man is expected to think, act and live in a masculine manner. Showing emotions or sensitivity is considered taboo among the males. In the Citadel a man can act in a manner in which the threat of breaking the public norms is not eminent. The secrecy behind the walls of the academy is something taken very seriously by the cadets, and has never been jeopardized until 1994.