Rosie the Riveter
With her iconic blue shirt, flexed arm muscle, red bandanna, and "We Can Do it" slogan emblazoned above her head, Rosie the Riveter has been a
symbol of women's rights for decades. Originally created during World War II, the fictional character of Rosie the Riveter was based on several real-
life women who worked in industrial jobs around country. The idea behind creating Rosie the Riveter was to encourage women to work in factory
jobs while men fought in World War II. After World War II, the image of Rosie has gone on to mean much more.
the
The ad campaign with Rosie the Riveter was commissioned by the War Manpower Commission and the Office of War Information as part a
nationwide campaign to recruit women into the labor force. The campaign included images that featured Rosie through the popular media of
time: movies, newspapers, posters, photographs and articles. The image reached its full icon status when the popular artist Norman Rockwell
depicted Rosie the Riveter for the cover of The Saturday Evening Post. The image portrays a muscular woman wearing overalls, goggles, pins of honor
on her lapel, and rolled-up sleeves.
Though many of the women who joined the workforce during World War Il eventually returned home after the war, the image of Rosie the Riveter
Which two statements would the author of the passage most likely agree with?
The symbolic significance of the Rosie the Riveter image has evolved with the times.
The classic Rosie the Riveter image should mainly be used in educational settings.
Historical images are best interpreted in their original context and kept free of newer
interpretations.