Assignment task:
In his book The Trials of Masculinity, Angus McLaren writes: "Masculinity was, at the turn of the century, obviously going through a period of deconstruction and reconstruction." Using this quotation as food for thought, rite a thesis-based essay that describes and discusses how and why masculinity was defined, destabilized, and redefined in Britain and the United States in this time period. Make sure also to describe and discuss efforts to enforce and re-impose masculinity.
1. Define the foundation of ideal Victorian masculinity that was threatened by the crisis of masculinity.
2. How was it threatened/what were causes of the crisis of masculinity.
3. What were solutions to the crisis of masculinity
4. How WWI was supposed to be a "solution" but ended up destabilizing masculinity further
Articles: The Trials of Masculinity, by Angus McLaren , "I took especial pleasure in masquerade costumes" by Kit Heyam, The Gender of Reform Politics" by Arnaldo Testi, World War One British Poets: Brooke, Owen, Sassoon, Rosenberg, and Others
Poem: In "Repression of War Experience," by Siegfried Sassoon