'Death and the Maiden': Purity and Self-Sacrifice in the Image of the First World War Nurse

Time: 12:15 p.m.

Place: 2U Conference Room, Room 2019, Claire Fagin Hall

University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing

The First World War was one of the most horrific conflicts of modern times. Vast numbers of largely-inexperienced volunteer-soldiers were exposed to its highly destructive weaponry with devastating consequences. The trauma they experienced was both physical and emotional. Descriptions of First World War field hospitals have likened these institutions to butcher’s shops and charnel-houses. Into these scenarios came trained and volunteer nurses - pristine in their white dresses and flowing veils - projecting an image of unsullied and invincible purity. This paper will examine the myths and realities that lay behind this untouchable image of the First World War nurse and will consider the ways in which nurses engaged with the horrors of war, and with its physical and emotional consequences. It will focus on the conflict that was created by their efforts to present themselves as pure, fearless and morally incorruptible, as they faced the grim realities of their experiences. Finally, it will consider the self-sacrificing nature of nurses’ behaviours in staging these performances and will examine the consequences of these efforts of ‘self-containment’. Christine Hallett, PhD, is Senior Lecturer and Director of the UK Centre for the History of Nursing and Midwifery, The School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, University of Manchester, Manchester, England.