Undressing the Maid

Gender, Sexuality, and the Body in the Construction of the Finnish Nation

• Author(s): Johanna Valenius,
• Publisher: Finnish Literature Society, Finland
• Pages: 222
• ISBN_10: 9517465939
  ISBN_13: 9789517465939
  
• Language: en
• Categories: History / Europe / General , History / Europe / Nordic Countries , Political Science / Political Ideologies / Nationalism & Patriotism , Social Science / Anthropology / Cultural & Social , Social Science / Gender Studies ,

Description:... This study analyses how the imaginary Finnish Maid (Suomi-neito) was used to construct the Finnish nation at the turn of the 20th century. It focuses on gender, femininity and masculinity, sexuality and body as well as on the images of virginity, bridehood and sexual violence. The study argues that Finnish male intellectuals saw the Finnish nation as their female beloved, a potential bride, but that they did not get her and the Finnish Maid remained an eternal virgin. In addition, the Finnish Maid was seen as being raped by the Russians. The materials analysed in this study consist of caricatures, poems and national monuments.