War and gender
Literary examination of war's effects on gender—masculinity in combat, women's displaced roles, gender dynamics during warfare, challenges to conventional gender expectations. War and gender reveals how warfare intersects with social structures.
Real World
The mass conscription of WW1 sent millions of men to the front while women like Vera Brittain — whose memoir 'Testament of Youth' is a set text — took up nursing and public roles, fundamentally destabilising pre-war gender boundaries.
Exam Focus
Avoid generalising about 'gender roles' — specify whether the text reinforces, challenges, or complicates masculine or feminine ideals, using textual evidence.
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