Riveting Ways of Rosie by Gayla

Riveting Ways of Rosie by Gayla - February 2016 Scholarship Essay

Rosie the Riveter became the face of women during the 1940’s with four simple words with such an immense meaning, “We can do it.” (Rosie the Riveter.) With World War II going on, many men went off to war; it became the women’s responsibility to step up and “wear the pants” in the family. So, off to work they went. Many women were the sole provider for their families. They took over the role of head of the household and our nation-survived for years without men. When men came home after the war, they expected things to be the same as it had been when they left. They thought the women would quit their jobs and return home to do the cooking and cleaning, they were in for a surprise. Women had a new found purpose. They realized they could successfully be more than a housewife. Enter Rosie the riveter. Her image began as a government propaganda tool to get women into the work place so the economy wouldn’t fail, but she became more than that. She was an inspiration to all women she showed women that they could do anything a man could do, and that gender doesn’t matter. Even though she was a fictional character, her presence was important to the American culture.
As a young woman growing up in the 21st century, it’s hard for me to imagine that women were thought of as lesser than their male counterparts. Rosie taught women that if we believe in ourselves we can do anything. She gave modern women the chance to be something more than a stay-at-home mom. She gave us the opportunity to be anything we wanted. When people ask me, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” and I plan to become chemical engineer, I often get reactions that make me second-guess myself. Then I remember that I can do it. With enough hard work and dedication I can do anything I set my mind to. I keep a picture of Rosie on my wall to inspire me to never give up and to keep pursuing my dreams. If she had not inspired thousands of women through the years by telling us “we can do it,” we would never have proven to ourselves - or the world - a woman’s worth.