This article investigates the gendered expressions of emotions in regard to experienced material hardship and professional aspirations in the memoirs of a Lutheran clergyman in 18th-century Finland, Johan Frosterus (1720-1809). In his narrative, Frosterus links the material hardship of his parents during the Great Northern War with the material difficulties he himself experienced during his young adulthood. In retrospect, he underlines the lack of books and appropriate clothing that stood in the way of his aspirations to establish himself socially and professionally as a clergyman, eligible both for a clerical position and marriage. Patronage and the emotional and material help through family members, especially Frosterus' mother, are discussed as central parts of this process. The narrative describes both the emotions linked to the lack of these objects and the social relationships surrounding these status symbols, offering valuable insights into how materiality and emotions interact with constructions of masculinity -and in particular, clerical masculinity -in early modern life writing.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.