Assignment task:
Rosie the Riveter
Lyrics All the day long, Whether rain or shine, She's a part of the assembly line. She's making history, Working for victory, Rosie the Riveter. Keeps a sharp lookout for sabotage, Sitting up there on the fuselage. That little girl will do more than a male will do. Rosie's got a boyfriend, Charlie. Charlie, he's a Marine. Rosie is protecting Charlie, Working overtime on the riveting machine. When they gave her a production "E," She was as proud as she could be. There's something true about, Red, white, and blue about, Rosie the Riveter. Redd Evans and John Jacob Loeb, "Rosie the Riveter," (New York: Paramount Music Corp., 1942).
Questions:
What were some of the experiences of the women interviewed in this film that stood out to you? Consider gender, race, beliefs about their capabilities, union activity, and labor segregation. How did the propaganda films make connections between domestic labor and women's job skills in the industrial workplace? Why did the films make this connection? Finally, how was patriotism used to dictate women's behavior?