The Mutation of the Model Man: 1936-1945

Authors

Andrea Rassmussen, Brigham Young University

Keywords

Masculinity, Cornet, World War II, Ideal Man

Abstract

Masculinity, or the ideal male model, differed significantly in the war years from the late 1930s. This evolution can be seen through articles in Coronet, in which the majority of stories had male heroes whose physical characteristics, personalities, and social graces all changed as the war started and progressed. The ideal man shifted from the Successful Businessman of the 30s to the Individualistic Team Player of the 40s. I chose these names because they encapsulate the contradiction that made up the model man of the war years. No more was the ideal a cutthroat businessman concerned with nothing except succeeding, as prior to 1930. And he was not the 1930s man who was only concerned about being a part of a successful company, regardless of personal recognition. Instead, he was a combination of the two, perfectly suited to the needs of the war. The Individualistic Team Player was concerned about success because he was loyal to the team, in this case America, but was unwilling to conform to established patterns of behavior just to please his superiors.

Recommended Citation

Rassmussen, Andrea (2000) "The Mutation of the Model Man: 1936-1945," The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing: Vol. 29: Iss. 1, Article 6.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/thetean/vol29/iss1/6