Exhibit:
Source: The Little Lame Prince 1909 Rand McNally.
Goodness can come from unexpected sources. Despite the prince's physical disability, this moment contrasts with his earlier isolation and emphasizes the idea that there is empathy in the world.
This scene contrasts with traditional Victorian norms in the sense of masculinity as a form of nurturing over dominance, a person rooted in care and empathy over physical superiority. The black man's act of kindness pushes the idea of empathy with disability, a man who seeks to uplift through kindness rather than dominate.
The man's skin colour is an important aspect of his kindness and rejection of toxic masculinity. His black skin makes him a target of discrimination and differential treatment, the same sort of treatment disabled men face, suggesting that the empathy of this man comes from a sense of solidarity.
Dolor's path to self-discovery and finding his masculinity is marked by resilience and the willingness to accept help. His disability prevents him from being the conventional, able-bodied masculine hero. Still, through the guidelines of compassionate figures like the man above, he learns that leadership and true masculinity are not simply defined by their physical form but by their emotional capacity to be kind, caring, and passionate.