Custom «We Can Do It» Essay Paper Sample

During the World War II, United States citizens used propagandas and gender empowerment campaigns in order for the country to win the battle. Some of the propagandas were from the anti-Germans military officials and powerful icons who aimed at empowering military men who participated in the battle. An iconic feminist, Rosie the Riveter, launched campaigns which targeted women in order that they feel encouraged to enter into the work force as well as convincing their husbands to join the military in the war. Government bodies were also not left behind the move since they participated in the making of propagandas which targeted women especially the housewives and unemployed.

Women heroines appeared in many propaganda posters ion the country representing women who had encouraged their husbands to join the military during the World War II. In addition, the main purpose was also to encourage women to join the work force whereby they were to replace men who joined the military. The government had a plan of recruiting women in the weapon manufacturing plants which produced armory products for the military men (Norton,p.23).

However, Rosie the Riveter is considered to be the most famous cultural icon in the United States which represented women who were working in the manufacturing plants, which produced weapons and war equipment supplies during the World War II. "The term was obtained from a 1942 song which had the same name written by John Jacob Loeb and Redd Evans which portrayed Rosie as a hardworking ammunition assembly line worker in the United States"(Dittmar,p.87).

Referring to the propaganda image "we can do it", Rosie the Riveter is represented as a physically powerful woman who can dare what men do. This image represent the World War II period as a period during which women were afraid of enrolling into physically demanding jobs like assembly line jobs in the ammunition factories. The main intended audience was women who were encouraged to enroll into these physically demanding jobs. However, the image also intended to convince husbands that their wives are physically capable of daring jobs which were ideologically meant for men.

By applying Fowle's fifteen appeals of advertising, we find that the image "we can do it" had a successive impact on the public. The first appeal, need for sex, was applied by propagandists since they used the figure of a beautiful woman which persuaded men into complied by allowing their wives to enroll into ammunition workforce as they joined the military men in the war.

More also, second appeal is the need for affiliation. The image made men to thinking that their failure to allow women join the workforce would make them loose their wives. However, men were afraid of loosing their wives thus they complied. The third appeal is the need to nurture. Women are always refereed to as the mothers of a nation. In this case, women were persuaded to use their physical energy so as to nurture their country which was involved into the war.

In addition, the fourth appeal is the need for guidance. The propagandists applied this concept in the image which made women see themselves as physically empowered mother figures. Men were also not left behind since they had no option rather than to let their wives do their roles as mothers of a nation who were to play the role of offering guidance to the army men. However, the fifth appeal, need to aggress, was also applied. The image was intended to satisfy women by promoting gender equality which was acquired during the war time (Anthony,p.32).

Moreover, the sixth appeal which is the need to achieve was also applied. Americans needed victory in the war thus propagandists had this urge in their minds when they were developing the image. Women enrolled in large numbers in the ammunition assembly line workforce so that the United States would win the battle. The seventh appeal, the need to dominate was also applied. Americans needed to emerge victorious in the war which would have made them dominance superpower of the world (William,p.65).

Furthermore, propagandists also applied the eighth appeal, need for prominence, in the image. Since Americans needed to be admired and respected by other citizens of other countries, they complied in the effort of winning the war which they achieved when women got involved in the war activities. Also, the ninth appeal, need for attention was also applied. This is because, Americans new that if they won the battle other, citizens from other countries, would have noticed them and respect them.

The tenth appeal, need for autonomy, was also put into application. Americans needed their country to become a superpower which they only could have earned by wining the battle. This made them to comply effectively by allowing gender equality in the military activities. Also, the eleventh appeal was also applied which is then need to escape. The war was furious and the only way defeat was to be escaped was to allow women to get into the war activities which they did (Sorapure,p.32).

The twelfth appeal, need to feel safe, was also applied. Americans safety was guaranteed if they won the battle thus they had to comply by letting women getting involved into the war activities as well as convincing men to join the military men. Also, the thirteenth appeal, need for aesthetic sensations, was also applied whereby Americans wanted to feel creative which they could have obtained by winning the battle. More also, the fourteenth appeal, need to satisfy curiosity, was applied whereby Americans were curious about the war and their curiosity was to be satisfied by wining the battle. Finally, the fifteenth appeal, psychological needs, was also applied since Americans were psychologically uncomfortable when the battle proceeded and they had to win so as to have psychological peace(Sorapure,p.32).

Furthermore, the three Aristotle's modes of persuasion were also applied by propagandists in the development of the image. The first mode, ethos, which refers to the appealing character of the speaker, was applied. The propagandist used ethos to appeal to the audience ethics in which women were denied equal rights as men. However, the image was made to look as a breakthrough by women against the barrier of gender equality which they complied well with.

However, the second Aristotle's mode of persuasion, pathos, which appeals to the audience emotions, was also applied. Propagandists were well aware of the plight of women in the society whereby men dominated in the military workforce thus the image was a campaign against gender inequality in the military workforce. More also, the war experience was unpleasant to the Americans since they were desperate of winning the battle thus propagandists had to come up with an image which could relieve Americans of these experiences by guaranteeing them victory in the battle(Duke,p.98).

Furthermore, the third Aristotle's mode of persuasion, logos, which is used by the speaker to describe the facts and supportive figures to the argument, was also applied. The propagandists used the image of a women to support their argument, we can do it, if women's participation in the war welcomed by men. They were well aware that gender equality was lacking in the society thus they used it as supportive point to their argument (Duke,p.98).

More also, the societal conditions supported then image. This is mainly because women were suppressed by men in the working environment whereby gender role determined which jobs that women could have carried out. Also, economic conditions also favored the image in influencing the Americans. More men had joined the military men thus many households were left under the care of women who did not have permanent jobs to rely on thus image was a relief to some women who were economically disadvantaged.

Political conditions in the country also favored the image in influencing the Americans as well. The political pressure was at the time concentrated on the proceeds of the World War II. However, there was no political pressure to hinder the success of the image in influencing the Americans rather the image was politically supported. Politically, the image was intended for a good political reason which was to help the United States to achieve victory in the war thus it could not have been hindered by any political pressure.

Moreover, the image had a positive impact to the cultural practices of Americans. First of all, the image helped to eliminate the ideology which supported that military workforce was men's job rather not for both men and women. This was of benefit to the Americans since women were encouraged to enroll in the jobs which they were earlier afraid of enrolling into and since then they have been contributing highly to the economic growth of the country.

Secondly, Americans gave equal opportunities to both men and women since women realized their full potential in the military workforce. In the military workforce, women were always encouraged not to give room to the gender inequality. However, they well responded to the move and from then they have been participating in all activates that men are involved in the United States. This has been a social and economic advantage to the Americans.