ENGL 175 Images of US Women and Girls During WWII

During World War II, American women and girls were called upon to support the war effort in the workforce, the military, and their homes in a myriad of new ways and found themselves caught in an uncomfortable dichotomy. While encouraged to take on responsibilities previously considered gender inappropriate, they were simultaneously expected to fulfill traditional pre-war feminine roles and to revert to only those roles once the war was over. This course examines this pivotal time for American women and girls via a variety of sources, including memoirs, films, trade magazines, plant newspapers, women’s magazines, comic books, and paper dolls.