WWI Poster Analysis

1. Propaganda is a method used by the government to get people to do or think something through the use of ads, signs, posters, etc.

2. Propaganda (as defined by dictionary.com): information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, institution, nation, etc.

3. Set #1

4-6.  On the first poster, the reader's eyes are immediately drawn to the words "WAKE UP, AMERICA!" at the top of the page. After that, the audience notices the woman asleep in a chair wearing a hat and dress with the pattern of the American flag on them. Finally, the viewer notices the words at the bottom "CIVILIZATION CALLS EVERY MAN WOMAN AND CHILD!" The author of this poster is targeting everyone in America (including women and children) to do their patriotic duty instead of "slacking off" like the woman on the poster.
        In the second poster, the audience first sees the giant gorilla wearing a German helmet, carrying a woman in distress, and wielding a club with the word "kultur" on it (meaning "culture" in German). Then the reader notices the words "DESTROY THIS MAD BRUTE" and "ENLIST, US ARMY". The author of this poster was reaching out to young, American men to join the army and "save the young maidens" who are being "held captive" by the monstrous Germans.
        In the third and final poster, the viewer first notices the giant "Hun" (meant to represent the barbaric Germans) looking across the ocean from the pile of rubble it created from the countries it's "destroyed". Next the audience's eyes are drawn to the words "Beat back the HUN with LIBERTY BONDS". The author of this poster wanted to convince all American citizens to buy liberty bonds to "defend their country" from the Germans.

7. I think that propaganda was a smart idea: using people's emotional response to a picture and/or phrase to convince or coerce them into doing something. I also think that it can be good when it's used for the right reasons, but can also be an "abuse of power" so-to-speak if used for the wrong reasons.

8. The federal government felt it necessary to invest in producing propaganda posters during WWI, because if they didn't remind everyone that there was a war going on across the ocean, the people in America would be able to just pretend it wasn't happening. So the government needed to create and circulate propaganda to remind the Americans and encourage them to participate.