Portrayal of Role of Women in Society in Pat Barker's Regeneration

During the 1900s, many women were beginning to stand up for themselves and no longer wanted to be inferior to men. Prior to 1918, women were disrespected and under - valued in society. There was a change in attitudes towards women as the image of the "New Women" began to arise. They were becoming involved in various different jobs, having the ability to be better educated and get involved in politics. However, this view that the "New Women" was the only factor that contributed to women getting the vote is untrue. Women began their own campaigns in order to get the vote. This included

Siegfried Sassoon and Sarah Lumb in Pat Barker’s Regeneration (1991) exemplify the bravery of those fighting against gender norms during the First World War. Sassoon proves his bravery by writing to protest the war to his military superiors and the broader public. Sarah courageously goes against her society’s and her mother’s gender norms by taking on a more masculine role. Sarah is sexually independent in her relationship with Billy Prior by behaving as an equal as opposed to playing the passive feminine role. She does not wait for her mother’s approval of Prior, and is eager to enjoy the independence women’s war work offers. Sarah worked at a munition factory being paid for manual labor. She is not intimidated by those trying to control her, but instead courageously takes on a more masculine role. Sassoon also challenges gender expectations by writing about the emotional traumas of war, as well as by discreetly exploring his own sexuality, opening himself up to criticisms of feminine weakness. Though his unconventional acts led to accusations of mental illness, Sassoon courageously refuses the opportunity to retain his reputation for a more conventional masculinity and openly demonstrates his weakness and emotions to the public. Though Sassoon and Sarah are seemingly safe at home and even oppose the war, they both demonstrate a new kind of bravery by resisting gender norms in the face of social opposition in

Regeneration by Pat Barker The war in 'Regeneration' is explored 'back home'. Rather than portraying the war in terms of fighting on the frontline in the battlefields of France, Barker demonstrates the effects on the soldiers 'back home', both physically and mentally. The soldiers are those who have been injured, shell-shocked, or had a breakdown and are being treated with the intention of sending those who are able, back to France or at least resuming some kind of war duties. The war is explored, essentially in terms of the psychological effects of those who fought it.

Regeneration is a novel largely based upon the male experience of war , however Barker's use of predominantly confident and modern women represents the seismic effects the war had on the female population, while also exploring how the war was an emasculating experience for men. As the jingoistic illusions of what war was like were weakened by the harsh realities of war for the men who signed up to fight, they began taking on more maternal roles, whereas, some women transformed into independent strong-minded individuals, taking on traditional male roles such as working in munitions. Barker has chosen to focus strongly on the roles of women, as she wants to show how they experienced

Before 1918, women were considered to be very much within their own sphere of influence separate from men. Throughout the 19th century women had slowly been gaining voting privileges, but only in areas considered to be within their spheres such as the vote for school boards, the vote for poor law boards and the vote for county councils. Traditionally many historians have argued that the main reason for the enfranchisement of women in 1918 was their work during world war one. This view is being disputed on multiple levels; some argue that the war itself called for a rearrangement of the whole electoral system. Alternatively other historians argue that the work of the women's suffrage workers such as the suffragist's and the suffragettes,

While women finally gained the right to vote in both Britain and the United States after World War I, it was not without a long and often violent struggle.

World War I is one of the most tragic and glorious war’s there has been, with the exception of World War II. World War I was the first time when various nations joined together to defeat another set of nations, it symbolizes the beginning of international relations, communication and unity between countries. Kimberly Jensen’s book, Mobilizing Minerva: American Women in the First World War, illustrates the challenges women had to do face to help win the war for the Allies and how suffrage was not only at home.

World War I also provided women with the means to finally achieve suffrage. Groups such as the National American Woman Suffrage Association, led by Carrie Chapman Catt, enthusiastically joined the war effort, thereby intertwining patriotism and women’s rights. After the House of Representatives passed the women’s suffrage amendment in January 1918, President Wilson told the nation, “We have made partners of the women in this war. Shall we admit them only to a partnership of suffering and sacrifice and toil and not to a partnership of privilege and right?” (James and Wells, 67-68). True political equality did not result from the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment—very few female candidates were elected in the 1920s—but, in the words of Allen, “the winning of the suffrage had its effect. It consolidated woman’s position as man’s equal” (96).

it all. Much in the same way as being mute is to prior when he arrives

Women's Suffrage During World War One World War 1 in 1914 brought all the campaigning for women's suffrage to a standstill. The campaigners believed that serving their country was of mroe importance than coercively trying to win the vote for women, and pursuading the Government. Mrs Fawcett, the representative of the N.U.W.S.S, said this,'Women, your country needs you. Let's show ourselves worthy of citizenship, whether our claim is to be recognised or not'.

When the First World War began in 1914, there was much discussion regarding the proper gender roles for British men and women. For men, the course of action seemed clear that they should enlist and fight. Yet, many men struggled under the pressure of warfare. For women, it was unclear how they should be involved in the war effort. Many men wanted the women to keep their traditional gender roles of taking care of the household. However, the lack of male workers on the home front required women to take on different work roles. The women received a great deal of praise and positive attention for their work as nurses, munitions workers, and military auxiliaries. However, men were critical

It was uncertain to what extent did women’s participation in WWI changed the attitude and position of women in post-war Europe. One thing assured is that women’s wartime efforts were recognized in the years after WWI. In recognition of women’s support during the war, Canada, the United States, Britain, and a number of European countries extended suffrage to women. It seems that the turbulence and the despair of World War I had caused a re-examination of many of the treasured values in many western societies, including gender expectations.

The theme emasculation appears several times throughout the novel Regeneration in variety of forms. Barker’s exploration of emasculation in the novel challenges traditional notions of manliness, showing war as a possible “feminine” experience. Pat Barker is bringing to attention that the atrocities suffered at war are making the soldiers unmanly as they’re facing shell shock and trauma. There are many situations in the novel where emasculation is expressed, where there is loss of power, masculinity, deprive of the male role and identity has taken place.

Emmeline Pankhurst is a strong activist for women’s right to vote. She was a British activist who wanted to have women’s voices heard and taken seriously. Pankhurst has taken steps to reach her goal, of having women to vote, by forming a union called Women’s Social and Political Union. In creating this it has gathered women all over who have the same mindset as her. This has helped Pankhurst with some sort of military tactics to be carried out. The tactics started off as nonviolent movement and became a violent movement. The Women’s Social and Political Union had put in place techniques such as parliamentary petitions, marches, hunger strikes,

This investigation assesses the question: To what extent did the First World War lead to the accomplishment of the women’s suffrage movement of Britain in 1928?