Extra Credit Blog #5 WWII Poster

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The World War 2 poster I chose to analyze was this one presenting three women and a caption that reads “Soldiers without guns.” Looking at this poster it is directed towards women as it suggests that they do not need to take combat roles to do their part for the war effort. I think the message that this poster is conveying is that women who do their part in the war effort whether it be in the defense industries or as a clerical worker in the army, that these women are strong and doing a vital service to country like men serving in the military. The use of the word “soldier” certainly is meant to empower woman to join the war effort. While it does show one woman which appears to be a clerical worker she is sitting down while the two-woman standing are obviously in the defense industries. So, by having these two defense industry women standing it highlights that women are going to be in roles that wouldn’t necessarily be a place of employment for women in peacetime. So, this poster is straying away from the gender expectations of the time by empowering women to view themselves as soldiers and that they will most likely be in jobs that would have been a “man’s” job. But I feel that the caption, “soldiers without guns” does imply gender roles as it suggests that women can’t go off and fight and use weapons, that that’s the “man’s job.” It implies that a woman should not be allowed to use a gun that her help will be by supporting through building war supplies or clerical work. This poster has little words, but the image of the women is what empowers the viewer especially female viewers to feel empowered and join the war effort. All three women are staring off into the distance with determined faces, ready for the challenges that lie ahead. The women appear to show no emotions of worry but appear strong, resilient like soldiers ready to serve their country.