Description
Book SynopsisAmerica’s Changing Icons is a discursive examination of the female patriotic icon in the United States. This creative and entertaining work examines her use and decline, particularly in the 20th century, with a particular focus on popular culture icons like Lady Columbia, Rosie the Riveter, and Wonder Woman. These fictional creations, used with advertisements; letters; and literature of the eras work together to craft a multi-layered and dynamic portrait of cultural politics, tides, and perceptions about American women, life, and place.
Trade ReviewBabic treats the development of the patriotic feminine, always white, from the goddess-like Columbia to the war-supporting Rosie the Riveter through the many transformations of Wonder Woman. A reworking of Babic’s dissertation, the book examines these figures through the lenses of contemporaneous advertisements in popular magazines, posters, editorials, and journalism. Babic begins with the iconic Columbia, the self-sacrificing "American girl" on a pedestal, and goes on to consider Rosie the Riveter as a patriot who labors for herself and her country. Even Wonder Woman, introduced in 1941, has numerous identities that fit the times. No single image of the patriotic feminine ideal emerged after WW II—the US became more multifaceted and conflicted in its views about women and their roles in family, work, politics, society, and war. Babic discusses women’s liberation, the unsuccessful campaign for the ERA, and even the Gulf War, ending with a postscript on the film Wonder Woman (2017). Scholarly notes appear at the end of each chapter. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduates students, researchers, faculty. * CHOICE *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Prelude Introduction Chapter One: Columbia and the American Girl During World War I Chapter Two: Wonder Women Fetishes and Fantasies Chapter Three: Redesigning the 1950s American Woman Chapter Four: Bra Burning and Other Misdemeanors Chapter Five: The Gulf Wars and the Changing Light Images Selected Bibliography About the Author
