Josie The Riveter Analysis

From being Rosie the Riveter, an integral part of the United States victory in World War II to women who should “do their duty” by returning to their homes, where they could serve their husbands and “repopulate the ranks” (Women 's History in the U.S. | National Woman 's Party). This was the social setting for women after the war, one that did not sit well with the feminist movement. The revolutionary women in this discriminatory time fought for their right to express their sexuality without hypocritical judgement from others, the right to choose their own destiny for their own lives, the right to self and to discover who they are as an individual and not as a gender and not how to be a perfect housewife as they were taught but how to be themselves.

This is clear from a passage located in the beginning of the story, “Their father was away at work most of the time and when he came home he wanted supper and he read the newspaper at supper and after supper he went to bed” (Oates 452). Part of the gender role for the wife was having supper ready when the father returned from work. Next, subordination of women and the family is seen here, “Connie sat out back in the lawn chair and watched them drive away, her father quiet and bald, hunched around so he could back out the car, her mother with a look that was still angry and not at all softened through the windshield, and in the back seat poor old June all dressed up as if she did didn’t know what a barbeque was, with all the running yelling kids and the flies” (Oates 454). Gatherings such as barbecues and cocktail parties were part of the suburban society culture, as a result of being away of the urban city life, with the purpose of remaining connected as a community (Lamb 5). June is wearing her Sunday best to a barbeque, which is notoriously messy and have many children running around. There is no expression in the story about whether or not June or the mother wants to attend the barbeque, only there attendance is recognized. This is because were subservient to their gender role and therefore their wants had no need to be

Connie reflects rebels guerilla warfare fighting style. “She wore a pullover jersey blouse that looked one way when she was at home and another way when she was away from home. Everything about her had two sides to it, one for home and one for anywhere that was not home…” (Oates 452). Connie, just as a rebels in a conflict, was forced to conceal herself in certain time. Another issue that feminist campaigned against was that women were to refrain from premarital sex, while boys of the same age having premarital sex was perfectly accepted. But here, “… and the rest of the time Connie spent around the house – it was summer vacation – getting in her mother’s way and thinking, dreaming, about the boys she met. But all the boys fell back and dissolved into a single face that was not even a face, but an idea, a feeling, mixed up with the urgent insistent pounding of the music and the humid night air of July” (Oates 454), Connie is clearly not wanting to conform to this standard and is fantasizing of expressing her own sexuality. Another instance of Connie’s rebellion is presented is this segment, “Her parents and sister were going to a barbeque at an aunt’s house and Connie said no, she wasn’t interested, rolling her eyes, to let her mother know just what she thought of it” (Oates 454). Therefore, she is telling her mother that she disapproves of these events that