with women. He talks of women as though they are succubi, and pose a threat to his personal power. With Ripper being the character that sets the entire thing in motion, it becomes clear that this story is about male toxicity, and its relationship to patriarchal structures. As a seasoned, life-long military man, Ripper has absorbed a great deal of Cold War propaganda, as well as the indoctrination of male-dominated warfare. Having been fed a steady diet of messages about how white men are the heroes, and everyone else – including women and the Russians – are a threat to the power and status held by white men, Ripper finally decides to go rogue, and take action of his own. He is both the product and the tool of patriarchy.

He unleashes a series of unavoidable events that lead directly to that fina...

Please subscribe to keep reading.