Masculinity in Modern Europe

Questions for Theme 4: Manliness and Technological War

Braudy, chaps. 40-41

*1. What is old and what is new about World War I in terms of the relation of masculinity, war and the state? [ch. 40]

2. How did the realities of World War I undermine masculine ideals? [both chaps]

*3. How did ideas of masculinity affect WWI military strategy? [ch. 42]

Braudy, chaps. 42-43

*4. In a few sentences, and your own words, what was Braudy's explanation of the prevalence of shell shock during and after WWI?

5. How could technology help revitalize manhood in the modern age?

6. How did the Great War change literature?

*7. In what ways did people hope to restore masculinity after the war?

Braudy, chap. 44

8. What are two ways T. E. Lawrence a contradiction?

*9. Why was T. E. Lawrence so popular with the public?

*10. T. E. Lawrence clearly had psychological problems, but Braudy thinks he typified the problems of masculinity after WWI.  How so?

Forth, chap. 7 to p. 194 "Male Machine"

*11. Charles Lindbergh is mentioned again, as he was in Braudy. What sort of masculine achievement did he represent?

12. Machines and Factories made physical manliness less relevant. How could men try to compensate for this?

*13. How were cars and feudalism connected in the popular imagination?  What was the potential danger of cars to manliness?

14. What were two important ideas in the early twentieth century related to enhancing the health and performance of the male body?

Forth, ch. 7 from 194; Braudy, chap. 45

15. Forth argues that Nazi ideas of masculinity are not really very different from Europe in general. What are the common themes? What's the difference?

16. How did Nazis restore a sense of warrior manhood after technological war seemed to destroy it?  

*17. What is one way that anti-war movement could claim to restore true manliness? [Braudy]

*18. Compare Forth and Braudy's discussion of Nazis. Identify a key idea they share in common, and the most important difference in their presentations.

Braudy, chap.s. 52-53.

19. How did Westerns help to redefine and revitalize masculinity after the war?

*20. What sort of fears did a fictional character like Mike Hammer help to answer?

21. Why was the discussion of sexuality so important in Western culture after the war?

*22. In what ways did homosexuality become more acceptable after World War II, and in what ways less acceptable?

Poiger, "New Western Hero

*23.

*24.

Forth, Chap. 8

*25. Why are Europeans so interested in American culture after WWII?

*26. What is the contradiction of the metrosexual?

27. Why does G.I. Joe get bigger and bigger?  [Our first question asked again]