Masculinity, Class and Social Identity in David Szalay's Novel, Flesh

Abstract

David Szalay’s Flesh explores the complex formation of individual identity through the interconnected dimensions of masculinity, class, and social identity. The novel traces the life of István from adolescence to adulthood, depicting his movement across different geographical, social, economic, and institutional environments. This paper examines how István’s masculine identity develops through bodily experience, sexuality, physical strength, violence, military service, employment, marriage, fatherhood, and emotional instability. It further analyses his changing class position, from a modest life in Hungary to migrant labour and professional employment in London, followed by economic prosperity and entry into elite social circles, before his eventual return to a simpler life in Hungary. The study argues that Flesh presents identity as a fluid, cumulative, embodied, and relational process in which social mobility and external transformation do not necessarily result in psychological transformation. Ultimately, the novel demonstrates how past experiences continue to shape the individual even as social circumstances, class positions, relationships, and masculine roles undergo significant change.