Discussion Questions
February 8, 2000
- What does Creel tell us about the war at home? What
would have been the impact of Creel's efforts on the American public?
- Why is York such a hero? (ie aside from the obvious
heroism, what does he represent for America?) What is America
celebrating with the York incident? Does the level of attention that
he received surprise you? If so, why?
- Why does America need a York? What does the incident
tell us about America at the time and about America's involvement in the
war?
- What does Hull tell us of America's perception of itself,
and of the world generally, at the beginning of WWII? Why is America
in the war according to Hull?
- In looking carefully at the posters for this week, what are
the messages contained in the posters about America and/or the enemy?
In doing so be certain to note how the message is presented (ie image
and/or language used) and assess its effectiveness.
The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter
- What is the image presented in the "official"
views (ie government films, etc.) concerning the participation of
women in the war effort?
- What are the "messages" being sent to women
during the war? What are the messages being sent to the rest of
society?
- How is discrimination against women apparent, and how is it
justified? How, and to what extent, did the war effort mask
exploitation?
- What are the discrepancies between the "official"
images and messages presented, and the reality of the participants'
experiences?
- What does the movie tell us about the issue of race in
America during WWII?
- Overall, how would you assess the impact of the war on
women?