Great War Prostheses in American Literature and Culture

by Aaron Shaheen

Drawing on rehabilitation publications, novels by both famous and obscure American writers, and even the prosthetic masks of a classically trained sculptor, Great War Prostheses in American Literature and Culture addresses the ways in which prosthetic devices were designed, promoted, and depicted in America in the years during and after the First World War.

The war's mechanized weaponry ushered in an entirely new relationship between organic bodies and the technology that could both cause, and attempt to remedy, hideous injuries. Such a relationship was also evident in the realm of prosthetic development, which by the second decade of the twentieth century promoted the belief that a prosthesis should be a spiritual extension of the person who possessed it. This spiritualized vision of prostheses proved particularly resonant in American postwar culture. Relying on some of the most recent developments in literary and disability studies, the book's six chapters explain how a prosthesis's spiritual promise was largely dependent on its ability to nullify an injury and help an amputee renew or even improve upon his prewar life. But if it proved too cumbersome, obtrusive, or painful, the device had the long-lasting power to efface or distort his 'spirit' or personality.

262 pages, Hardcover

Published September 7, 2020

Reviews

[Robert Donahoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure what I expected from this book, but what I got was an a rush of historical information and an exploration of largely unfamiliar texts--not to mention much foot for thought about disability and the machines and devices our culture has developed to ameliorate or hide them--often both. It mixes detailed scholarship with philosophic contemplation and cultural analysis. For anyone interested in World War I and its effects on (largely) American soldiers, this is an excellent read. For disability studies scholars, it is a must.