Out of all the propaganda posters I saw in my research, this one really touched me. All of the other posters are forceful, degrading (such as saying anyone who does not kill is not a man), sexist, and overall, negative. If I was to hope for my husband to go into any armed force it would be the Navy because of this image....But that's the idea. It is the best alternative to being forced to join some area of soldiership, when no one should be forced to do anything in the first place. This poster emerged in World War II. I'm sure we have all seen a similar picture of a sailor hugging his wife after returning home safely. Even so, we are a democracy and should not be forcing citizens to murder against their will. As inspiring as this image is, wouldn't it be better if he had never had to leave her in the first place?
I like what you were saying about what the message of the poster was for you, but when I saw it I thought of the woman I met who had served in the WAC during WWII. WAC stands for Women's Army Corps. When I saw WAVES on the poster, I googled the term. WAVES stands for Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Services. Maybe your poster is telling women to join the Naval Reserve so that women's service can help to end the war sooner-- which would also bring their partners home sooner.
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