Dismembering the Male: Men's Bodies, Britain and the Great War

That femininity was 'disrupted, constructed and reconstructed' during the Great War of 1914-18 is a subject currently preoccupying many historians, but what happened to masculinity during these same catastrophic years? Using the evidence supplied by letters, diaries and oral histories of members of the armed forces and of civilians as well as a large number of fascinating illustrations, Dismembering the Male explores the impact on the male body of the 'war to end all wars'.Each chapter deals with a different facet of the war and masculinity in depth. Joanna Bourke concludes that those who were dismembered or disabled by the war were not viewed as passive or weak, like so many of their civilian counterparts were, but were the focus of much Governmental and public sentiment. Those suffering from disease were viewed differently, often finding themselves accused of malingering.Dismembering the Male also examines the way in which the War affected men socially. The absence of women encouraged male intimacy, but differences of class or religion, ethnicity or even regiment acted as barriers between men, and the trauma of battle and the constant threat of death did not encourage closeness. The dead male body, which during the war became the property of the state, is also discussed.Joanna Bourke argues convincingly that military experiences led to a greater sharing of gender identities between men of different classes and ages. Post-war debates on what constitutes masculinity were fuelled by the actions of men's movements. She concludes that, ultimately, attempts to reconstruct a new type of masculinity failed as the threat of another war, and with it the sacrifice of a new generation of men, intensified.