American History Rosie the Riveter Essay - 1225 Words

‘Rosie the Riveter’ is the name of a fictional character which was created to represent and symbolize the millions of real women who were encouraged by the North American government to join the work force in factories, munition plants and shipyards during World War II, while most men were called to duty to serve in the army during the war. After the 1st World War, the United States enjoyed a time of cultural and economic prosperity through the 1920’s, which ended with the Great Depression in 1929. By the time the 2nd World War came around, the US was still recovering from the extended damage of the Great Depression. Women gained notoriety during the depression as they were seen as the â€Å"pillar† of every family, staying home and raising†¦show more content†¦It was also performed by various artists and one of the most famous versions is one by the Four Vagabonds. The song’s lyrics pretty much described the part that the government was hoping women would play during wartime: Shes a part of the assembly line, shes making history, working for victory, Rosie the Riveter. There are also many advertising posters. One of the most recognizable pieces of work is one by J. Howard Miller, showing a classic image of a woman wearing a red and white bandanna and a blue shirt (almost recreating the â€Å"Old Glory†) who is shown looking directly at the viewer while flexing her bicep with the slogan We Can Do It!†. There is another poster that is probably not as famous and widespread as Miller’s (due to copyright ownership) but equally, if not more important: the poster by the Saturday Evening Post cover artist, Norman Rockwell. Rockwell’s ‘Rosie’, which appeared on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post in the 29th of May, 1943, was inspired by a real woman by the name of Mary Doyle. It shows a muscular feminine figure in front of an American flag, on her lunch break, sitting on a stump, riveter gun on her lap, factory goggles pushed up on her forehead and wearing dirty overalls. She looks confident, strong and comfortable in this environment, doing this job freely and willingly to support the US war effort. The illustration resembles a Michelangelo’s painting fromShow MoreRelatedRosie The Riveter Was The Preeminent Icon For The Women s Rights Movement1654 Words   |  7 Pages Rosie the Riveter was the preeminent icon for the Women’s Rights Movement. Rosie represented the idea of women working during World War Two, and she was originally created as a government campaign. Previous to the 1940s, women were often identified as the housekeepers that would take care of the chi ldren while men would do the work that  ¨really mattered ¨9th. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, men abandoned their jobs for the war effort and left a hole in the workforce that women were required toRead MoreWho Was Rosie the Riveter1298 Words   |  5 PagesEven though Rosie the Riveter is an image frequently synonymous with the contemporary women’s movement, she was not designed to promote social change or improve the role of women in the workplace during World War II. In reality, she was promoted as the ideal female worker and was patriotic, confident, capable, and beautiful in a large propaganda campaign by the United States government. Since the war caused many men to answer the call to serve in the military, both at home and abroad, the UnitedRead MoreEssay American Women of World War II1120 Words   |  5 Pagesincapable of doing a man’s job. 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Joe, the white and brave American male soldier, was firmly the symbol of American freedom and patriotism during WWII. Meanwhile, women were encouraged to be nurses, mothers, and some were paraded around as tokens of â€Å"equality† like Rosie the Riveter and â€Å"Marinettes.† Now, the second World War has been pointed to as a turning point in womens rights. However, few Americans recognized the achievements of women and most even discouraged them. Because the many contributions of women during WWIIRead MoreROSIE THE RIVETER AND HER CONTRIBUTION TO WWII Essay1825 Words   |  8 Pagesof women in American history has evolved a great deal over the past few centuries. In less than a hundred years, the role of women has moved from housewife to highly paid corporate executive to political leader. As events in history have shaped the present world, one can find hidden in such moments, pivotal points that catapult destiny into an unforeseen direction. This paper will examine one such pivotal moment, fashioned from the fictitious character known as ‘Rosie the Riveter’ who representedRead MoreWorld War II Propaganda Poster: We Can Do It542 Words   |  2 Pagesâ€Å"We Can Do It!† featuring Rosie the Riveter, women were able to prove that they had the same abilities as men and began a revolution in the U.S. workforce. The poster was first introduced to the public by J. Howard Miller in 1942 for an ad agency that was commissioned by the Westinghouse Power Company. The poster was one of many other commissioned posters to aim at boosting morale amongst both women and men employees. This project was also aimed to convey the American ideology of hard work, patriotism