Ad Comparison to the 1940s or 1950s
Order Description
Use the readings by Graebner, Coontz, and the opening chapters of Ehrenreich’s The Hearts of Men for this assignment. Select a specific theme found in advertising from this period and craft an argument about the ways in which a contemporary ad repeats and reworks that message. Suggested themes: look for contrasts that may revolve around such opposites as war (public, nationalistic, pragmatic, realistic, etc. although also sentimental) or peace (private, familial, idealistic, etc.); public sphere vs. private/domestic sphere; production vs. consumption; sacrifice/denial vs. hedonism/pleasure, or an emphasis on democracy (equality) vs. an emphasis on freedom (individualism). You might also examine broader themes like the construction of gender (femininity or masculinity), race/ethnicity, the American dream, or the American family.