Rosie the Riveter: World War II’s Liberated Poster Girl
The Story Of Rosie The Riveter
By E. E. Kane
Rosie the Riveter was one of the most widely known personas of the 1940s. With her sleeves rolled up, hair in a kerchief, and a determined set to her jaw and eyes, Rosie had it all: beauty, sex appeal, and attitude. But Rosie the Riveter was not a real person. She was an advertising campaign, and eventually, an icon of a small percentage of women who stepped in to fill men’s traditional roles in factories during World War II. The Ad Council, at the government’s request, created Rosie the Riveter to persuade women to go to work, not as secretaries or nurses, but in factories. When more fighter jets and artillery were needed, car manufacturers were asked to turn their buildings into munitions factories for producing the weapons of war. However, the men who could build them were in short supply. How could the war be won without weapons? Women were the answer, but first they had to be convinced.Rosie the Riveter and her can-do attitude has become a feminist icon, but in the 1940s women did not have a chip on their shoulder. Most mothers preferred to stay home with their children. It was considered vulgar for a woman to take on a man’s work. Back then, women were generally viewed as weak creatures, highly prone to fainting at any hint of alarm or crudeness.Prior to World War II, women were limited in their choices of work. Those occupations deemed “suitable” for women were few and selective: secretaries, librarians, teachers, and nurses. No doubt there were many talented women who chaffed against the confines of society. Along came World War II, ushering in their big opportunity to prove themselves.
my two cents:
While I am not a rabid feminist, I woud like to think I have a can-do attitude…so thanks Rosie, thanks a lot!
source: lifescript.com
