Claire Tylee : The Great War and Women's consciousness

[Marilyne]

I stumbled upon this reference while reading up on Vera Brittain and her time in Etaples, and was wondering if anybody read the book:

Claire M. TYLEE: The Great War and Women's Consciousness: Images of Militarism and Womanhood in Women's Writings, Macmillan Publishers, 1990

 

it was referenced ina very interesting article by Magali Domain: "Le séjour de Vera Brittain au camp d'Etaples", in Société de littérature du Nord, 2014/2 N°64

 

any review would be nice…

 

Thanks.

 

M;,

 

 

[ilkley remembers]

Haven't read the book but seen it cited often enough in academic writings about WW1. I suppose she comes under the heading of 'Cultural Historian and brings a feminist view to WW1 fiction. I have read an article which she wrote in  The Womens Studies Quarterly in 1995 called 'The Great War in Modern Memory; What is being repressed?' which critiques the Paul Fussell book of the same name and rightly accuses him of having a far too narrow definition of culture which excludes works by women and ethnic minority writers. Can't imagine that she would be overly enthusiastic about Vera Brittain who largely reinforces the male Victorian ideal of women as subservient and more suited to caring roles.

 

There are some more recent historians of WW1 who have addressed the complex role of women during the war and notions of gender and masculinity. These include Jessica Meyer at Leeds University, Joanna Bourke and Ana Carden-Coyne at Manchester University: Centre for Cultural History of War. Accessing their writings, however, can be a problem as they are often in academic journals or included in highly expensive monographs. 

[seaJane]

2 hours ago, ilkley remembers said:

Can't imagine that she would be overly enthusiastic about Vera Brittain who largely reinforces the male Victorian ideal of women as subservient and more suited to caring roles.

 

I don't think that's an argument that will run, given that Vera Brittain gained a place at Somerville College in a period when women's access to Oxford and Cambridge was still very limited.

[seaJane]

Marilyn, there's a list of chapter headings here with the option to preview: https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9781349204540. I see May Wedderburn Cannan's name against the chapter after Vera Brittain.

 

 

Edited 23 April , 2020 by seaJane
correction

[Marilyne]

11 hours ago, ilkley remembers said:

which critiques the Paul Fussell book of the same name and rightly accuses him of having a far too narrow definition of culture which excludes works by women and ethnic minority writers.

 

THAT certainly seems interesting… Fussell's book was the biggest dissappointment in my WWI-reading endeavours!

Thanks SeaJane for the website, I'll check it out!

 

M.

[ilkley remembers]

12 hours ago, ilkley remembers said:

Can't imagine that she would be overly enthusiastic about Vera Brittain who largely reinforces the male Victorian ideal of women as subservient and more suited to caring roles.

 

In retrospect rather clumsily said on my part and not quite the meaning I intended. i need a better editor

 

9 hours ago, seaJane said:

I don't think that's an argument that will run, given that Vera Brittain gained a place at Somerville College in a period when women's access to Oxford and Cambridge was still very limited.

 

Yes admission to Somerville was an achievement albeit, an opportunity almost exclusively open to those from privileged backgrounds and beyond the reach of the vast majority of women. A status quo that remained for decades after her attendance.

 

1 hour ago, Marilyne said:

THAT certainly seems interesting… Fussell's book was the biggest dissappointment in my WWI-reading endeavours!

Thanks SeaJane for the website, I'll check it out!

 

 

Read it again last night on JStor which, if you aren't already aware, is offering 100 free articles a month during the current crisis. 

[Marilyne]

34 minutes ago, ilkley remembers said:

Read it again last night on JStor which, if you aren't already aware, is offering 100 free articles a month during the current crisis. 

 

How generous… I think I'll take them up on their offer…

 

M.