The Great War inscribed itself on modern memory as a startling demonstration of the far-reaching social, political, and economic changes wrought by the Industrial Revolution. By abruptly accelerating industrial transformations of traditional structures and behaviors, the War contributed substantially to the emergence of a modern consciousness characterized by alienation, search for roots, anomie, and ecstasy. This course proposes that the traditions which the War challenged most visibly and profoundly were those associated with gender: modern technology and bureaucracy, expressing themselves in trench warfare and total-war mobilization, threw into question the traditional models of warrior-hero and homemaker-wife. We examine the complex and continually renegotiated responses to the gender question, from the Great War's aftermath to the present, in literature and commentary, visual art and film.
COURSE FORMAT: Seminar
Level: UG Credit: 1.00 Gen Ed Area & Dept: HA COL
Prerequisites: None
Last Updated on MAR-03-1998
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