Rosie The Riveter Impact

Blood, sweat, tears - results of the devastating war that changed many factors. Although, those factors had a negative outcomes on society, there were some positive impacts that helped on the development of visual arts. One important impact was Rosie the Riveter, feminist icon during world war ll.

The world war 2 for the United States kicked into effect in 1941 and went on for about four years. It all started when Japan decided to take action and bomb Pearl Harbor. This resulted in over 2,000 people losing their lives as well planes and ships used for war being demolished. This was a time period where women really had to step up and take on additional responsibilities apart from the ones that they have already had. Not only were the women

wives and mothers but they were also daughters and school girls which really magnified the fact that help was desperately needed. Because all of the men had to leave and serve, a lot of their jobs were left unoccupied which gave women the opportunity to step up and take their place.

Some new responsibilities that were taken over were becoming telephone operators, drivers, engineers, mechanics, and other jobs in the factories or shipyards. This is the birth of the widely known icon, Rosie the Riveter. Rosie was first introduced in a song in 1942 by Redd Evans and John Jacob Leob. The most familiar line from the song was "that little frail girl can do more than a man can do" (u-s-history.com). The real life version of the icon was Rose Will Monroe who was discovered by Walter pigeon, Hollywood star, while visiting the ford motor company assembly plant. Upon his discovery of Rose, she was lead in a government film that promotes war. Following that, a teen aged telephone operator, Geraldine Hoff, then posed for a painting that was going to be created an artist by the name of Norman Rockwell. On May 29, 1943, Geraldine saw herself in the Saturday evening post as propaganda. The picture featured a woman with a red polka dotted bandana tied in her head, pulling the sleeves of her jean jacket. With a stern face, she appears to be tough saying "we can do it". A little time after, articles

in the press read another real life form of Rosie who went by the name of Rose hicker. She resided in New York working at the eastern aircraft company. Little did they both know, they would soon be a voice for all women, representing all women's hard work contributed toward the war and loved by America.

The purpose of implementing Rosie the riveter was to encourage women, boosting their confidence in going beyond their normal duties in helping for war.

It was never intended to promote women taking over men's jobs as well as continuing to do so when men return. However, the power was in women's hands at the time and more women were taking on jobs of the men. When they returned, women didn't have the desire to step down from the jobs that they have already partaken in. Instead of letting the men return to working, they continued to do the jobs that were started. This result worried government and women were forced to leave the jobs that they currently upheld to return back their responsibilities that they had before hand, "society's norms". Although, many left their work, the level of working women never decreased back down to the amount back before the war

started.

While the workforce for women continued to increase, more rights were given to them as well. Within the great things happening, there were some negative results that arose. Currently in effect was the women's rights movement which was the drive to establish rights for all women legally, educationally, economically, vocationally and socially. They no longer wanted discrimination based upon gender and desired equal opportunities that were given to men as well as getting rid of the opinion that men were superior over women or able to do more. It was doing great during the roaring twenties, a point in time when people were against prohibition forbidding the manufacture and selling of alcohol, but was stopped due to Great Depression. Because there was a recession in economy and a decline in business activity, women were seen as women taking the jobs from men due to the sudden decrease in job availability. It came to the point where some governments restricted the allowance of spouse employment. This perspective began to change as world war approached initiating the start of women's rights, feminism.

Today, Rosie the riveter still has an impact on society. The 19th amendment was created, allowing women the right to vote. Rosie contributed to the change of the stereotypical opinions that people had towards women. Before, it was all about the men being capable of many things while women were not. Today, however, women aren't seen that way and working is a more of a cultural norm. Of course there are still some people who have a dated mindset but it's not like it was back during the world was 2 when all of this was in effect. Women also have and work towards higher level jobs that back then would have been a job only for the men. In addition to working there, they obtain leadership roles taking on management, director, officer, or even owner positions. Though she was relevant back in 1940s, she still remains to be widely known today and will be strongly remembered in the future as years pass by.