Propaganda Visual Analysis: We Can Do It

Improved Essays
The Effects of Visual Analysis
During the Second World War, the United States faced a shortage of labor as many men went to war. Prior to the war, most of the women could not be employed because of the adverse effects of the great depression. During the war, there was a need to ensure that women accepted to work in the industries to enhance the growth and development of the U.S economy. Propaganda visual images, such as “We Can Do It” were used to appeal to the women’s emotions. The image showed an image of a woman, who looked determined and ready to perform duties that were previously perceived to be a preserve of men. The following discussion will focus on the visual analysis of the mentioned visual image.
The image shows a woman who is wearing a male muscle shirt. She has folded the shirt to make it short-sleeved and show her muscles. The women are also has also clenched her fist ready for war. She has a serious face that tells the audience that she is ready for war. Wearing male clothes, may signify a balance of power between men and women (Endres, 87). It is vital to note that the image was designed at a time where men were perceived to be superior to women on many fronts. The image shows defiance to the societal beliefs and perception about women. Rosie
…show more content…
The look shows that the lady is ready to face the challenge on the way. It just similar to the looks of opponents in a boxing match. A solemn face will psychologically have an effect on the opponent, which may help one gain a competitive edge during the bout. The look tells women that whatever they are getting into is a serious business. One needs to be prepared to fight despite the challenges. For instance, women still face sexual harassment and inequality in the working environment (Weatherford, 76). Women need to be prepared to protect their rights in the work place, by working hard and improving the quality of their

Related Documents

  • Superior Essays

    Queen Of Fashion Summary

    • 1168 Words
    • 5 Pages

    All of these fashion details are of importance because it points to the shift and change in gender roles during World War II. Rather than having women watch the war from the sidelines, they instead became a part of the war and made contributions, mainly in industrial and factory work. Furthermore, because Rosie is dressed in ways similar to how men would dress when they would work, it indicates that women were starting to perform tasks that were originally considered as being men’s work only. Thus, it was the fashion and apparel in the image of Rosie that expressed the message of how a new role for women was being formed in society during World War II. This, in a sense, correlates to Marie Antoinette, when she began to ride horses.…

    • 1168 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Women's Role In Ww2

    • 1386 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The Women in War Jobs campaign, featuring Rosie the Riveter, is considered the most successful in American history. The campaign attracted over two million women using advertisements on the radio, in newspapers, movies, and songs. Magazines featured their articles on different versions of Rosie the Riveter to persuade women to work during the war (Clauss 9). One version by Norman Rockwell depicts Rosie as a muscular woman with a riveter and a lunch box, illustrating the complete opposite of prewar femininity (Hoyt 2). Women started to work because they felt that they were helping to contribute to their loved ones on the warfront.…

    • 1386 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Before the 1940’s, women in the workplace was uncommon and frowned upon; women were to be housewives and specifically designated to the home, until the start of WWII. Rosie the Riveter is a cultural icon has forever shaped and changed the role of women in society. During WWII Rosie represented the women that helped in shipyards while the men of the country were out fighting in the war; this still being a time where it’s uncommon for a woman to even be in the workplace. This has given society a new shape for femininity, independent, hard-working women. Women have always been placed in a “public sphere,” meaning that they were not expected to pursue the same interests that a man would.…

    • 1025 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In contrast her pale yellowish face against red blood shot eyes gives us an impression of a women with health issues. The texture of her face seems smooth but sagging with wrinkles. Her hair is ruffled but fine and soft. Her clothes are traditional but thick and warm. Her shoes are practical with a small heel and she is wearing thick brown stocking for warmth.…

    • 883 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Rosie No. 1

    • 1101 Words
    • 5 Pages

    As Beyoncé would say, “The most alluring thing a woman can have is confidence.” The poem, Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou and the painting, Rosie No.1 painted by Tim Okamura are two texts that effectively reflect the theme of inner strength and confidence in women and as such, should be included in the third instalment of the “Visions” series of textbooks. The poem, Phenomenal Woman is from Phenomenal Woman: Four Poem Celebrating Women which is a book Maya Angelou published in 1995. The 2014 illustration, Rosie No.1 is an oil painting of a figurative, strong African American woman. Phenomenal Woman and Rosie No.1 should be juxtaposed together because they both represent the inner strength of women and replicate confidence in women to add a deeper understanding.…

    • 1101 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Women After Ww2

    • 1207 Words
    • 5 Pages

    So they fought have equal wages and remove long hours of work (F. Miller). Watching at women skills made all companies to look at them equally when hiring them. Rosie the Riveter and almost all women “became the symbol of patriotic women who were doing what they could to help in the war effort” (Henry). Women got recognize to be capable of doing the so called men 's jobs because women worked hard to achieve equality on jobs even after knowing that their “new activities were expected to last only for the duration” (May 24) of the war.…

    • 1207 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Guerilla Girls also represent the intersection of guerrilla marketing techniques and the central ideologies of feminism: an appeal to the masses without sacrificing the message of a need for gender and racial equality in the artistic world. However, the appeal of the Guerrilla Girl’s propaganda is not the same as the appeal of Howard Chandler Christy’s propaganda that he created in the late 1910s: Christy sought to use the women he illustrated as a means of getting a point across about the war effort whereas the Guerrilla Girls sought to use a ‘war for feminism’ to get a point across about women and their obvious lack of equality in the art world. The Guerrilla Girls had no other motivation than to promote the equal treatment of women specifically in the art world whereas Christy’s sole motivation in creating his propaganda posters for the United States government was to promote the idea of the masculine war hero through the lens of a woman playing dress…

    • 1616 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    It represented the glamour that was starting to form around the idea of working. Women working in factories were not seen as low class, but rather as patriots during their duty (Levy, 28). While working, Rosies noticed changes happening within themselves. They felt stronger, both physically and mentally, and began to gain confidence as a result of their evident hard work (Zauzmer). Even when men would bully them in an attempt to break their spirits, women ignored them completely (Barr 24).…

    • 1712 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Women's Roles During WWII

    • 583 Words
    • 3 Pages

    American women played very important roles during the second World War. While some women supported the war on the homefront, others made there ways overseas. Befroe the War Prior to contrary belief, World War II was not the first time large nubers of women worked outside of their homes.…

    • 583 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Casablanca Movie Essay

    • 995 Words
    • 4 Pages

    For women, fashion is a display of national character and patriotism and was used as a tool for resistance. At the beginning of the war, women were not seen as foot soldiers of the resistance. These German soldier they weren’t used to seeing women as peers on the battlefield. These women could inconspicuously transport information, leaflets, and anything the resistance needed, much easier than her male counterpart could. Normally women in movies are represented as heroines and motivators for the hero, like in Casablanca, Ilsa is often a motivator for many of Rick’s actions.…

    • 995 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Women's Roles During Ww2

    • 1453 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The government used manipulative campaign poster to recruit women and influence society’s views of women’s importance in the war. The poster’s images idealized women suggesting that their femininity would still be intact regardless of if they were in the military, offices, or shipyards. They wanted to persuade women and men that working would not reduce a woman’s attractiveness and would now have a wave confidence engulfing them. Of all the images of working women during World War II, “Rosie the Riveter”, dressed in overalls and a head tie along with the slogan “we can do it”, was the most symbolic of womanhood. Rosie was a representation of the strength and patriotism of women.…

    • 1453 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Women's Roles Before Ww2

    • 894 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In the 20th century, it was customary for women to simply get married, be “good” wives and homemakers who listened to their husbands. This was the common description of women’s roles before the war. However, during and after World War II (WWII), women’s roles took a notable and dramatic turn for the best. Women were able to work more due to the absence of men; completing jobs that once excluded them and were eventually enabled to work in several prestigious areas/professions. During and after the war, women’s desires to work were no longer being suppressed.…

    • 894 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    I Can Too: The Effects of WWI on the American History of Women and Their Workplace In the beginning, the roles were clearly defined by the current society. Women have been controlled by men since the 1800’s, first by one’s father, brother’s, and then eventually one’s husband. With the sole purpose of having children and maintaining the household.…

    • 808 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Discrimination Of Women

    • 2282 Words
    • 10 Pages

    As the war raged on, times got tougher and more help was needed with the war effort. As a result, propaganda was used towards women for help with the war effort. One particular icon was rosie the riveter. This well known poster poses an image of a muscular young women flexing her bicep and saying, “we can do it!” This idea was new to the women of the 1920s.…

    • 2282 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Women And Equality In The Workplace Gender Equality is the most common issue which has come across at the workplace in which women are treated inferior than the other men employees. It has been noticed than women are being paid less than men, and there is a male-dominant crowd in the workplaces. For no reason women are set apart when they are equally intelligent as men. It is very casual that women are also capable of doing a particular job as men. Gender discrimination in workplaces are fallacious assumptions and must be stopped because women are just as productive as a male employee is in doing an allotted task.…

    • 853 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays