After having read Pearl James’ “Introduction: Reading World War I Poster,” you can see many different elements of WWI propaganda within this specific poster. Initially, I noticed the color scheme in the poster: the large, blue background; the white stripe rising up behind the figure, as well as the white block behind the letters; and the red hair and lips of the figure, along with the red belts of her armor.  Because the figure of Joan of Arc is not one automatically tied into American patriotism, we are given the colors of red, white, and blue to associate her with America.  On top of this, she is attractive by traditional standards, and despite being dressed in armor, she still has a somewhat slender waist.  These elements of beauty, along with the patriotic color of the poster, catch the eye of the walker-by.

Considering that this is an American poster, it is important to consider President Wilson’s speech asking for a declaration of war on German.  This speech featured the idea of America crusading for democracy in the world.  Because of the power of the speech itself, the crusader was a very prominent symbol in American propaganda posters. Obviously, the artist behind this poster was trying to play on this.  We get a classical figure, made famous by her fight for her country, presented with a classical pose: raising the sword in defiance or even victory.  On her breastplate, there is a single, red vertical line which reminds one of an ornate cross on the armor of a knight.  Perhaps they chose to leave out the horizontal line of the cross to distinguish the poster from similar Red Cross posters, especially since a woman is featured.  Additionally, Joan of Arc is representative of a country which was America’s ally in the war, which adds further distinction between the allies and Germany.

I also think that a feminist reading of the poster is important, as it features a female symbol of war which was unique back then.  However, I do not necessarily find this picture completely progressive; in fact, it could be read as just the opposite.  Joan of Arc is portrayed as classically beautiful with what appears to be a tiara-like helmet (her hair appears to me to come out above the metal strip on her forehead).  This aspect reconstitutes her as a woman, rather than as a “masculine” figure.  Also, as stated above, she still has a seemingly narrow waist (despite armor), and her hair, eyes, and lips create a very classically beautiful image.  As this is a poster for War Stamps, it is aimed specifically at both men and women.  The women read the lines “Joan of Arc Saved France/Save your Country” and are meant to see that the average woman should be able to do her part to “save [her] country.”  If a man from this era sees the poster, he might see it as a challenge: this woman was able to save an entire country, and that he should be able to do just as much, if not more than her.