Question

How might "War Girls" have been interpreted as threatening to the political power structures of the day?

Answer 1

The book "War Girls" might have threatened political power structures by challenging traditional gender roles and advocating for women's military service. It pressured opponents of female service to reconsider their position as anti-patriotic, while supporters emphasized women's service as a patriotic act that did not infringe on men's roles but rather supported the war effort.

Step-by-step explanation:

The book "War Girls" may have been perceived as a threat to the political power structures of the era due to its challenge to traditional gender roles. Female service members were often displayed in popular culture as ill-suited for military roles, through cartoons and stereotypes that suggested their incompatibility with service. However, advocates of women's military service reframed this participation as an act of patriotism, often putting those who opposed it on the defensive. By showcasing their service as a continuation of their roles in supporting the family and the nation, and by advocating for equal military status and benefits, women's advocates challenged the notion that the military—and by extension, certain aspects of society—should be exclusively male domains.

During World War II, this tension between traditional gender roles and emerging new roles for women manifested in various ways. Women in the military disrupted the conventional idea that men were the sole protectors, potentially altering society's view on masculinity and traditional gender roles. Advocates for women's military service, like Ohio congresswoman Frances Bolton, assured that women would assist and not compete with men, while still championing for benefits and full military status. Furthermore, Eleanor Roosevelt, another proponent of women's military service, supported initiatives for female enlistment which ultimately worked against entrenched opposition.

Answer 2

The poem featured women taking places that were occupied by men and showing that these women had no flaws or fear in those places, in addition to maintaining their previous responsibilities. This encouraged women to reject the social and political roles that were given to them, which could completely disorganize the political power that was dominated and maintained by men.

Step-by-step explanation:

The poem "war Girls" was written by Jessie Pope and emphasized the courage and success of women in the labor market when men went to war. The poet shows how women did the work of men with mastery and without abandoning the domestic responsibilities that they had.

In the poem we can see the line "No longer caged and penned up" which states that women lived trapped in social and political roles that were forced on them, but now, with work, women have freed themselves and could reject those roles, since the work empowered them to face any political, social and economic reprisals. This empowerment threatened the entire political structure created, which could be seen as a problem for the political power of the time that was dominated by men.