How does Barker present the theme of masculinity in Regeneration?
Barker presents the theme of masculinity and what it means to be emasculated in many different ways throughout the novel. The ideas are successfully conveyed through character interaction and in particular the way in which the men communicate with Rivers.
Ideas about masculinity are presented through disempowerment. Barker creates situations in which the men have in a sense, lost their power. This is done through the characters being ‘silenced’ by their injuries and losing their dominance or power to control the situations around them. This is evident when Sassoon talks to Graves of a young soldier who had “a neat little hole…between his legs”. Barker’s use of the word “neat” suggests that the soldier suffered injuries that may have been less gory than the other men. However “neat” also depicts an image that something perfect has just been taken a way in a flash which makes it almost unnoticeable. The lack of privacy in the hospital suggests that being treated for such a ‘private’ injury would have made the young soldier embarrassed and powerless. Barker links emasculation to how powerful the men are feeling. The idea of a man losing his power contradicts the war, as enlisting was seen as the manly thing and it made a man feel powerful and heroic.
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Anderson is a character who is introduced through a patient session with Rivers. The experience of nightmares has lead him to undermine his masculinity. Anderson explains that he was tied up in female corsets which were “fastened” and “tied” around his arms. Barkers use of language suggests that there is no escape for Anderson, who is desperately looking for a way out of the “loony bin. As dreams are an uncontrollable way of projecting our thoughts and feelings, it is clear that being at Craiglockhart, which Anderson describes as a “fairly emasculating experience”, has made him question his masculinity. Due to his fear of blood, he is no longer able to continue his work or provide for his wife and children, which is typically seen as the traditional mans role. Barker’s use of the word “emasculating” demonstrates that there is an agony that Anderson suffers, which is common among the men, of losing his masculinity. The corset is a powerful tool used by Barker to explain the way Anderson is feeling as it is a symbolism for feminism and an item worn to control women. Barker suggests that Anderson is feeling “imprisoned” at Craiglockhart, this suggests that he feels as though the hospital degrades his status as a man.
Barker explores many controversies around sexuality and what the right kind of love is among the men. These ideas are closely linked to Rivers’ own personal theories and Sassoon’s attitude toward his own sexuality. Sassoon talks of his sexual identity firstly through ‘The Intermediate Sex’ book he had read. He claimed it had “saved” his life and confirmed he wasn’t a “freak”. Sassoon’s agony over this is understandable as at the time it was illegal to be homosexual. Sassoon expresses the desire of things “getting better” for homosexuals later in the novel. Although Rivers is tolerable of homosexuality due to his unconventional theories, which he describes as “excavating the ground he stood on” he disagrees with Sassoon and feels as though the war has reversed such progress and refers to homosexual love as “the other kind”. Barker uses Rivers to show a man who is battling his traditional upbringing with his more liberal medical approach. The word “excavating” makes it clear that River’s wasn’t standing on solid ground, he was stood upon something that was rapidly changing.
The struggle to stay dominant when unable to do so is shown through Willard and his wife. Willard is a character who refuses to believe that his paralysis is connected to anything emotional, and refuses to admit this as in his mind it is “cowardice”, instead he continues to believe that his condition is ‘real’. As a strong and muscular character Barker establishes that this is what Willard bases his masculinity on and is depicted by Barker as the masculine ideal. However this manly role is challenged when Willard’s wife struggles to push him up the hill in his wheelchair, leaving him to feel “stranded” and “impotent”. Barker’s use of language here emphasises Willard’s lack of power and his inability to be in control. The word “stranded” suggests that Willard cannot be helped and denying his condition has left him feeling alone and in a place where he can not be saved, not even by his wife or Rivers. Willard being “impotent” is a direct description of his lack of strength and power. This refers to his mental, physical and emotional state of mind- “impotent” also refers to a male animal species being unable to engage in sexual intercourse, a big part of masculinity. This relates to Willard as he believes he is paralysed from the waist down, therefore diminishing his masculinity.
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Barker suggests that the men felt that dealing with their masculinity issues through talking about their feelings made them vulnerable and less of a man. This is evident in Prior’s character- who is first introduced as being unable to speak. Prior, uses hypnosis and aggression to retain his masculinity. In chapter 6 he insists to Rivers that he did not think “talking [helped]”- he goes on to say that he didn’t “agree with the treatment” and felt he was more suited to “hypnosis”. At the time, many soldiers were sceptical of the new experimental methods; this explains why many patients held distrust for Rivers and his methods. As talking was an act associated with females its no surprise that the men were reluctant. Prior knows that talking to Rivers will “churn things up and [make] them seem more real.” Barker uses this to suggest that Prior- like many men at the time- was scared to consciously remember the horrors of the front. The use of “real” suggests that up until now Prior has made it a choice to block these events from his memory. Rivers observes the ‘play of emotions on Prior’s face’ after the hypnosis. Prior starts to cry and begins ‘butting [Rivers] in the chest. This aggression is used in order to preserve Priors true masculinity and a restraint against allowing himself to get close to Rivers. Rivers recognises this as Prior’s way of ‘asking for physical contact’.
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Regeneration is a novel that leaves the reader questioning what it really meant to be a man during World War One. War was seen as an act of bravery and heroism which in turn was supposed to make a man feel powerful and respected. However Barker challenges these views by forcing the characters to put aside their traditional gender role- this is evident even in Rivers. Barker presents how strongly the men are defined by their masuclinity and power to dominate and control throughout the text. Barker’s message suggests that war was glorified and once it was over many men could no longer conform to their traditional gender roles.
