Analysis Of Paul Weber's 'The Rumour'

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contemporary life. Paul Weber’s “the Rumour"(figure.3.115) shows a snake wrecking its way through a building. As in Aesop's Fables, Weber also used animals illustrated disturbing human characteristics. The snake signifying falsity has large pointed ears of an eavesdropper. The devastating effects of rumour are shown. The rumour spreads like wildfire was shown in the cartoon ‘Die latrinenparole lauft…’ (figure3.119) from Germany. It shows how a "latrine rumour" passed onto one person at 2 p.m. would rapidly spread, so by 3:30 p.m. thousands of people would have heard the scandalous story. In a similar representation from Britain (figure.3.104) an anti-rumour cartoon shows a rumour emanating from a telephone booth passing on to huge number …show more content…

In posters from Britain too 'the enemy’ is completely given a miss. In these posters from Germany such as ‘Deutscher sei stolz und schweige!’(figure.3. 135 German be proud and silent!), ‘Vorsicht bei Gesprächen! Kampf ist Tat! - Reden Verrat!’ (Figure.3.137 Caution in conversations! Fight is action- Talking treason) ‘Vorsicht! Schweigepflicht!’ (Figure.3.138 Caution Confidentiality!), ‘Schweig!’(3.141 Silence), ‘Schweige! DU BRINGS MICH IN GEFAHR’ (figure.3.143 'Silence! You Bring Me In Danger), ‘Spione Verraeter Saboteure’ (figure.3.145 Spies traitor saboteurs) and ‘Schweigen!!! Nict schwaetzen der Feind hoert mit!!’ (Figure.3.144 Silence!!! Do not talk the enemy hears) ‘the enemy’ is not shown in the image. A deliberate absence of ‘the enemy’ (figure.3.16-3.22) is done in many posters from Britain too except where Hitler was shown. These posters gave out codes to be followed such as to abstain from imprudent talks by being tough and rude towards rumourmongers. People were advised not to probe service friends about imperative information, to never discuss secret matters with anybody and to keep a check on their tongue. The ‘Keep it under your hat’ series (figure.3.79-3.84) and the He/She/They talked…This happened series’ (figure.3.42-46) can be taken as a case in point. Sometimes, the enemy was also represented metaphorically as a huge ear. …show more content…

The slogan was a version of the campaign, ‘Be Like Dad, Keep Mum'. The campaign started for the awareness of all service personnel’s and this image was particularly targeted at officers' messes and other places of congregation. It was documented that besides public house talk, injudicious dialogues with strangers, and ‘careless talk’ with friends and kin’s, the major problem was identified in the end. The campaign was to be directed based on the concept of ‘Cherchez la femme', as a reminiscent to the fact that service personnel were more likely to disclose secrets when in the company of a beautiful woman. The idea was not to reveal secrets when accompanied with a charming woman as beauty concealed brains. The poster (figure.3.71) shows an alluring woman surrounded by three captivated officers, from the Army, Navy and RAF. Other posters from the same campaign (figure.3.72, 3.73, 3.74) depicted glamorous women with British RAF member and infantryman cautioning service men to keep tight-lipped. In the poster series, ‘Tell NOBODY not even HER CARELESS TALK COSTS LIVES’ (figure.3.75, 3.76) women are portrayed in the same light and service men were asked not to trust anybody including

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