‘Something which every boy can learn’: accessible knightly masculinities in children’s Arthuriana, 1903–11
‘Something which every boy can learn’: accessible knightly masculinities in children’s Arthuriana, 1903–11
This chapter explores the ways in which British and American adaptations of Thomas Malory’s Morte Darthur for child readers during the early twentieth century sought to redefine chivalric masculinity for a modern age, following the Victorian medieval revival. Focusing on works by Henry Gilbert and Howard Pyle, it examines how these texts retained the imaginative framework of the ‘soldier hero’ in their attempt to appeal to adventurous boy readers, Hunger and cannibalism but redefined this figure in moral terms. They promote a romanticised ‘gentleman’ whose courtesy, duty and dedication were drawn from the chivalric model but whose bravery and endurance went beyond the battlefield. In doing so, however, they also hint at irreconcilable tensions between an idealised medievalism and the increasing complexities of modern gender identity.
Keywords: Arthurian, medievalism, children’s literature, masculinity, military, Malory, chivalry, heroism, imperialism
Manchester Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter.
Please, subscribe or login to access full text content.
If you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian.
To troubleshoot, please check our FAQs, and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us.
