Class Year
2020
Document Type
Student Research Paper
Date of Creation
Spring 2020
Department 1
History
Abstract
This essay will explore the comics of Bill Mauldin published during World War Two and how masculinity in the infantry was portrayed. Current studies on masculinity in World War Two have focused on soldier’s accounts of the war as well as depictions of soldiers in propaganda. Some work on the effects of comics during the war has also been done but nothing as of yet has combined the two. This paper aims to look at how the comics of Bill Mauldin supported or rejected the model masculine archetype that was developed through propaganda and became a privileged figure in conceptualization of the war. Mauldin’s comics were unique in the depiction of his subject matter and raised criticism from superior officers during the war while generally receiving praise from the rank and file. This paper will also look at how Mauldin portrayed masculinity in his comics and how that fit with the dominant image of soldiers.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Heitmann, Aren G., "Manly Mud: Portrayal of Masculinity in Infantry Units in World War Two as Seen in the Comics of Bill Mauldin" (2020). Student Publications. 819.
https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/student_scholarship/819
Comments
Written as a Senior Capstone in History.