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Erica Murphy
Dr. Spielvogel
CAS 137H
9 October 2015
J. Howard Millers Rosie the Riveter: An Untimely Appeal to the American Civic
Shes making history, working for victory, Rosie the Riveter. As the American
military worked for victory on the battlefields of World War II, American women worked
for victory in the nations factories, producing crucial supplies for the Allied war effort.
As part of the governments campaign to recruit women into the workforce, the
Westinghouse power company enlisted artist J. Howard Miller to design an advertisement
to strengthen the morale of its workers. Although it is now hailed as an American icon,
the poster spent only two weeks on the walls of Westinghouse factories before fading into
temporary oblivion. Compared to other pieces of popular culture from the World War II
era, the Westinghouse advertisement is anomalous in its depiction of the American
woman, challenging the values of its initial audience and prompting them to reject the
poster. However, the progression of American values has enabled a resurgence of
Millers image in modern society. The Westinghouse advertisement juxtaposes masculine
and feminine features in its portrayal of Rosie the Riveter to promote sacrifice for the
United States during and beyond the World War II era.
The artifacts imagery underscores the dichotomy between masculinity and
femininity in order to challenge the gender roles of American society. Miller depicts
Rosie in a blue-collar uniform with hair tied back, sleeves rolled up, and arms flexed.
Rosies glaring eyes and pursed lips render her a formidable character. By depicting a

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tough, masculinized woman, the Westinghouse ad is underscoring the power of American
women. The poster is calling upon women to recognize their strength a feature
generally associated with men and use it for the good of the nation. The rhetorical force
of the artifact emanates from its balancing of Rosies masculinity with soft, feminine
features: curled hair peaks out from her bandana, while arched brows, prominent cheek
bones, and full lips render her a beautiful character. Moreover, even the baggy uniform is
not able to conceal Rosies slim waist. The advertisement thus establishes Rosie as a
woman admirable to both men and women. Through its fusion of beauty and strength, the
image of Rosie glorifies workingwomen, encouraging Americans to sacrifice tradition
and adopt a new attitude toward the role of women. Nevertheless, due to deep-rooted
gender roles in American society, citizens were reluctant to embrace this revolutionary
depiction of the American woman.
The inherent nationalism in the artifact attempts to reconcile the tension between
the traditional feminine features, presented as God, and the opposing Devil of
masculinity. The posters audience, American citizens at the start of World War II,
expected women to embrace their femininity and their traditionally domestic role in
society. By depicting a beautiful woman in rugged, masculine attire, the advertisement
discomfits viewers. Through patriotic undertones, however, Miller encourages his
audience to surrender rigid gender expectations. The red-white-and-blue color scheme
creates harmony among the masculine and feminine features. Moreover, the We can do
it! word bubble employs the first person plural to underscore the unity of Americans,
dissolving the boundaries between women and men. The Westinghouse poster thus
exhorts viewers to prioritize the civic good over tradition.

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Despite the powerful rhetoric Miller employs, the We Can Do It! poster lacked
immediate effectiveness because it eschewed the prevalent ideals of the era.
Westinghouse displayed the advertisement for just two weeks in its factories. The
posters lack of influence illuminates a conflict between the values of American society
and those embraced by the poster. Millers blend of masculinity and femininity
disconcerted American citizens; steeped in tradition, they were loath to jettison longestablished gender roles. During the feminist movement of the 1970s and 1980s,
however, activists resurrected the Westinghouse poster as a representation of the strength
of women. This movement provided a more ideal kairos for the artifact compared to
World War II, as American societys grip on tradition had loosened since the 1940s.
Since the feminist movement, the popularity of Rosie the Riveter has surged, evincing the
convergence of American societys values with those of the poster.
In contrast to Westinghouses untimely endeavor, the War Manpower
Commission more successfully capitalized on the kairos of the era to recruit women into
the labor force. The War Manpower Commission employed Lawrence Wilbur to develop
its advertisement, which features the image of a woman flanked by the statement,
Longing wont bring him back soonerGet a war job! This poster features a
stereotypically beautiful woman. Perfectly curled hair, red lips, and red nail polish
underscore her femininity. No masculine features offset this femininity as they do in
portrayals of Rosie the Riveter, familiar to Wilburs audience. Rather, Wilbur extends her
femininity with manifestations of weakness. The womans flushed cheeks, lifeless eyes,
and limp hands, clutching love letters from her significant other, establish her as
emotionally vulnerable and dependent upon a man. Released in 1944, two years after the

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Westinghouse advertisements release and three years into World War II, Wilburs poster
exploited the American publics desperation for an end to the war. His image beckons
women to recognize their own vulnerability while severed from their lovers. With the
statement Longing wont bring him back soonerGet a war job! the advertisement
aims to manipulate female viewers in this vulnerable state. The statement implies that by
not working in the war industry, women are responsible for the absence of their men. As
a result, the poster infuses women with guilt for selfishly pining over their lovers rather
than taking appropriate action. While Miller rejected pervasive ideals in developing
Rosie, Wilbur developed his feature woman as a reflection of the times, yielding greater
success in the short-term yet an influence confined to its kairos.
Looking at the Westinghouse advertisement in light of the War Manpower
Commissions advertisement illuminates the formers appeal to the civic. In the latter
artifact, Wilbur presents war jobs as a personal necessity. Unlike Rosie the Riveter, the
woman Wilbur depicts depends upon a man for her wellbeing. The posters imagery, with
its dark tint and emphasis on fragility, evokes a sense of vulnerability in viewers.
Complemented by the posters tagline, this imagery pulls women toward work as a means
for bringing back their lovers and thereby safeguarding themselves. In contrast, the
Westinghouse advertisement presents working in industry as a responsibility owed to the
United States. The bright, red-white-and-blue color scheme, along with the We Can Do
It! slogan, suffuses the poster with patriotism. Miller thus instills in his audience a
perception of work as their civic duty. In the short-term, Wilburs appeal to emotions
elicited a stronger response from American women than Millers appeal to patriotism.
However, because of its focus on the civic good rather than self-indulgent allegiances, the

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Westinghouse poster developed an influence in American society that stretched beyond
the confines of its times.
J. Howard Millers revolutionary depiction of women was ahead of its times. Not
until the feminist movement of the 1960s and 1970s did Millers image develop into an
American icon of female strength and gender equality both of which Americans had
eschewed prior to this movement. In the past decade, Americans have come to embrace
Rosies blurring of the distinction between masculinity and femininity, correlating to the
growing acceptance of transgenderism in American society. The influence of
Westinghouses poster, unlike that of the War Manpower Commissions poster, is not
bound to the kairos in which it emerged. As a result, Millers image of Rosie the Riveter
has evolved into an eternal appeal to the American civic.