Propaganda Posters Part 2

Did the poster sets you reviewed accomplish the goal of the American government during this time frame or was more effort needed?

The poster sets reviewed in class accomplished the goal of the American government during this time frame. The posters were able to include everyone in the war efforts, and persuaded men to join the army, women to become nurses or do other things like knit socks, children to change their food to mush to save the wheat for the soldiers, and people to buy liberty bonds and stamps. I believe that without the propaganda posters, Americans would not have been so responsive to the war and what the government was asking for. Many of the posters are what brought in people to enlist, specifically the "I want you for U. S Army" poster. 

This poster uses dark colors, with the background as a fire showing that no matter whats going on, the military will look out for the women and children. The sailors look distraught with whats going on, but the sailor that the eyes are drawn to is leaning forward, with his hand to his mouth as if to be telling the audience something. I think this poster helps play with the "buy liberty bonds" and "donate," and all the ploys the government is using to get money, because when widows and orphans are brought up, most people will feel bad and want to give money to the war efforts that are trying to help orphans and widows. 

The French kids are pleading for the help of America and other allies. By saying "Have you room in your heart for us," it pulls at peoples hearts making them seem selfish. The illustrator uses the demolished buildings in the background to show what the children lives are like, and then the two children in the front, one pleading, the other crying in his sisters lap, to show that the war is terrible where they live and that Americans should be able to help as much as they can because they don't have it nearly as bad. 

This poster uses a picture of a woman and her child. In the woman's face, the audience can see her bone structure and how tired she is because she is starving. The baby is pointing at the audience to show that it is their responsibility to not allow them to starve. Using the statistic of "2.5 million women and children now starving to death" ensures a sense of guilt in the people making them want to donate money. 

Using the image of Christ makes helping out in the war a religious thing. With the Bible quote, people would see that it is their religious duty to help out in the war efforts because it is what Christ would do. Also, the illustrator using a nurse in bright white helping a man in darker clothing to show that she is good and will help out no matter who. There are guys who are dark in the shadows to show the audience that if you don't help, you're not being very Christ- like and will just burn in the shadows.