The historical content of "La voz dormida" by Dulce Chacon gives us unique insight into the formation of male subjectivities during the ideological and physical struggle that followed the establishment of Franco's regime. The second part of the novel which centers around the figure of the "maquis," allows us to investigate the construction of a particular brand of masculinity. An in-depth analysis of the male protagonist of Chacon's novel reveals a deconstruction of the stereotypical male defined by the term "hegemonic masculinity." Traditional attributes of masculinity such as leadership, inner strength, physical power, and altruism towards women, are represented in this novel as ideologically and culturally imposed, and they come at a price. Male subjects in "La voz dormida" are afflicted by external and internal tensions and contradictions; however, conflicting forces not only contribute to shape men's identities, they also instill in them an impulse towards agency and resistance.