For the men of the military in World War I, they confided and bonded with each other, building many intimate relationships (Encyclopedia). Although this comradeship is common and very much encouraged for the men will fight better as a team, homosexuality among men is very much frowned upon. In this time there was a thin line between friendship among men and a relationship among men, the latter being very taboo and unacceptable in European society of world war 1. And due to the nature of war, these men will be emotionally, mentally, and physically hurt, emasculating them of the tough warrior image. In this essay, I will examine the emasculation of men due to war and views homosexuality during war time and how it is portrayed in literature, namely Pat Barker’s Regeneration.
Even before world war 1 started, homosexual acts between men were ridiculed in society. However, when war started, social and political response to homosexuality became…show more content… The British trenches did not have the most favorable and ideal of conditions as the trenches in Kensington Gardens dug as an exhibition for the home front (fussel). In actuality, the British trenches were “ wet, cold, smelly” and filled with water and live animals such as mice (fussel). In such a drab and contrasting environment than what the men were familiar with, they relied on each other for entertainment, comfort, care, and emotional support since much of the time the men were idle waiting for their call to action in the trenches. In this environment, the intimate bonds formed by the men were “acceptable,” especially in the form of comradeship (encyclopedia). These men have never been closer to anyone physically and mentally since war experience unites those that fought and excludes those that did not (library). Because of this close relationship, some men’s comradeship became more than just that; it evolved to deep love between