A Sisterhood of Suffering and Service : Women and Girls of Canada and Newfoundland During the First World War

As the body of First World War literature continues to grow, women's experiences of this period remain largely obscure, particularly those of Canadian and Newfoundland women. A Sisterhood of Suffering and Service explores this obscurity and begins to redress it. This innovative collection discusses women's activities in the workforce, overseas, within the domestic realm, and in literary representations to show that women were not bystanders who were quietly knitting for the duration; rather, they actively participated in wartime society, served their country in a variety of ways, made sacrifices, and were deeply affected by the vagaries of war. Incorporating the experiences of Newfoundland with those of Canada, and looking at girls as well as women, the volume enriches our knowledge of an important era in Canadian nation building and takes a step towards writing women into the historical narratives of the First World War. Cover 1 Contents 6 Acknowledgments 8 Introduction: Transformation in a Time of War? 12 Part 1: Mobilizing Women 36 1 “In Defense of the Empire” The Six Nations of the Grand River and the Great War 40 2 The Unquiet Knitters of Newfoundland: From Mothers of the Regiment to Mothers of the Nation 62 3 Freshettes, Farmerettes, and Feminine Fortitude at the University of Toronto during the First World War 86 Part 2: Women’s Work? 110 4 Gendering Patriotism: Canadian Volunteer Nurses as the Female “Soldiers” of the Great War 114 5 “Such Sights One Will Never Forget”: Newfoundland Women and Overseas Nursing in the First World War 137 6 Patriotic, Not Permanent: Attitudes about Women’s Making Bombs and Being Bankers 159 Part 3: Family Matters 182 7 An Honour and a Burden: Canadian Girls and th e Great War 184 8 Supporting Soldiers’ Wives and Families in the Great War: What Was Transformed? 206 9 Marks of Grief: Black Attire, Medals, and Service Flags 230 Part 4: Creative Responses 252 10 Verses in the Darkness: A Newfoundland Poet Responds to the First World War 256 11 “’Twas You, Mother, Made Me a Man”: The Motherhood Motif in the Poetry of the First World War 281 12 “Mother, Lover, Nurse”: The Reassertion of Conventional Gender Norms in Representations of Disability in Canadian Novels of the First World War 304 Conclusion 326 Selected Bibliography 334 Contributors 341 Index 344 As the body of First World War literature continues to grow, women's experiences of this period remain largely obscure. This innovative collection addresses the invisibility of women in this literature, particularly with regard to Canadian and Newfoundland history. Drawing upon a multidisciplinary spectrum of recent work � studies on mobilizing women, paid and volunteer employment at home and overseas, grief, childhood, family life, and literary representations �� this book brings Canadian and Newfoundland women and girls into the history of the First World War and marks their place in the narrative of national transformation. A Sisterhood of Suffering and Service actively engages in redressing that absence and in exploring why the retelling of women's stories meets such resistance. Drawing upon a multidisciplinary spectrum of recent work -- studies on mobilizing women, paid and volunteer employment at home and overseas, grief, childhood, family life, and literary representations -- this collection brings Canadian and Newfoundland women and girls into the history of the First World War and marks their place in the narrative of national transformation "The First World War demanded sacrifice from all levels of society, and the degree to which citizens at home were expected to "do their bit" was made explicit in national propaganda. Women and girls in Canada and Newfoundland were indelibly affected by, and were integral parts of, their countries' war efforts. Yet their varied responses and myriad activities are not recognized in our memory of the war Recognizing women's active and emotional responses to the First World War is a crucial step towards understanding how that war shaped Newfoundland and Canada both during and after the conflict. This volume is therefore essential reading for anyone interested in the history of women, the First World War, Newfoundland, or Canada."--Pub. desc This multidisciplinary collection fills a gap in First World War scholarship, revealing the diversity and richness of women’s and girls’ wartime experiences in Canada and Newfoundland.