What is it to be a Rosie?

I remember during one of our classes that someone had brought up the iconic World War II image of Rosie The Riveter.  The image is culturally significant in American history since it marks a time where Women were heavily encouraged to participate in jobs or any positions left vacant due to Men leaving for abroad to participate in the global war effort. It was during this point in time when Women were seen stepping outside their assumed gender roles in society and becoming an almost equal contributor to that of men.

 Rosie is a character usually visualized wearing a pair of blue overalls, work gloves, with her hair tied down with a red bandana. She is famously remembered from a cartoon poster created by Howard Miller during the 1940’s (Kimble, 2006). It is in Miller’s representation where she is striking a pose where she is making an arm muscle, saying the phrase, “We Can Do It!” She is seen in this representation also wearing lipstick and mascara, but such details are minor compared the to unwavering gaze and powerful pose she displays.

Rosie is often viewed as the embodiment of Women shedding their former status and aspects and transforming into something fiercer, tougher, and more evidently less feminine and dainty in respect to the role of Women at the time. Around the time of the 1980’s this poster and character had been rediscovered and was then adopted over time to serve as another symbol for the Women’s movement for equal rights (Kimble, 2006). Rosie is important not just because she displays the power and potential that Women have within themselves, but also because she is also a beneficial role model that children can look up to and would want to be a Rosie themselves.

However there is a rather conflicting past aspect to Miller’s famous poster. This famous cartoon poster is usually believed by many to have been created by the U.S. government as a campaign to get Women in the work force. The poster was actually produced for the electrical company, Westinghouse. It was fully meant to stay internally within the company, and was meant to not encourage Women to join the work force, but to increase work productivity for those Women already employed to work harder (Bird, 1998). A journal article that takes an in-depth look at the iconic Rosie representations goes on to say,

“His [Miller] prints strongly suggest the women’s loyalty to feminine domesticity and presentation of self that are not even close to what modern thinkers would consider feminist. (Kimble, 2006)”

            Most recently while searching through Google I did find a very interesting representation of Rosie The Riveter. This particular image, created by artist Will Murai, shows Rosie with much more feminine features on display. Here, Rosie can be seen with much longer and less restricted hair. She is playing with the red bandana that is usually seen holding the hair back. Instead of blue overalls or a jumper, she is wearing a regular blue button down shirt, which is more half way open so that a side view of her breasts can be seen, though her arms in the way obscure them.  The sleeves of the shirt that she is wearing also cover her arm muscles. Her facial features are also much more feminine; more lipstick and mascara can be seen compared to Miller’s drawing. Above the young woman is the same iconic phrase from the original drawing that Murai’s work is based on, “We Can Do It!” Her smile and gaze is another big contrast to the serious and stoic impression from Miller’s Rosie.

Link to more of Will Murai's work: http://www.willmurai.com/

            If Murai’s work is an example of a Rosie of the 21^st century, it presents the question, what does it mean to be a strong woman? Again, judging by Murai’s work, a modern day Rosie embraces the aspects and characteristics of femininity. She is proud of her body, her mindset, and the perception she portrays. This is all conveyed in this Rosie’s body language; her relaxed posture, the playing with the hair, the satisfying smile that she gives, along with the gaze in her eyes. Yet despite all this, the classic slogan still applies, in bold white print. The message has not been diluted by any means, for this Rosie remains as resolute and confident as her 1940’s counterpart. If anything I feel that Maurai’s Rosie better represents what feminist strive for.

             The question of whether femininity and feminism can coexist with one another I feel boils down to gender roles. Being feminine is usually associated with being caring, soft-spoken, and gentle. Those traits while positive, are also seen by society as being weak and submissive. The traits that are the opposite of feminine, such as being direct and vocal are seen as being masculine. These ideas however are social constructed ones and not actual limitations imposed on each gender. The truth of the matter is that anyone can be the person they desire to be, no matter how masculine or feminine a person ends up being (Bem, 1974).

To have that capacity of choice within your grasp like any other person is ultimately what is fought for. Everything else is utterly irrelevant. When we actually can cast aside the false significance of how girly or manly so-so is and just be ourselves, then our horizons expand and new possibilities await us. 

Bird, William L.; Rubenstein, Harry R. (1998). Design for Victory: World War II posters on the American home front. Princeton Architectural Press. p. 78. ISBN 1-56898-140-6.

Bem, S. L. (1974). The measurement of psychological androgyny. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 42 <http://www.edmondschools.net/Portals/3/docs/Terri_McGill/READ-MascFem.pdf>

Kimble, James J., and Lester C. Olson. "Visual Rhetoric Representing Rosie The Riveter: Myth And Misconception In J. Howard Miller's "We Can Do It!" Poster." Rhetoric & Public Affairs 9.4 (2006): 533-569. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 14 Apr. 2013.