Intro part 6 (Chap. 21)

     In chapter 21 we learn about the collapse and recovery of Europe. There were two major factors that really seemed to catch my attention; Women and the Great War and The Bombing of Hiroshima. The Women of the Great War includes the women for both sides of the war. On page 630, there is a photo illustrating a woman putting on her jacket in the middle of men on one side dressed in uniform and women on the other side doing work. The words read "These women are doing their bit ... Learn to make munitions." Not only does this show how involved women were in the war and in this time but it is also interesting to see a man in the background looking at her, raising his hand as if in agreement to her getting ready to work. The words are also very important because they signify the invitation and promotion of women during this time. They are advertising the roles of women in this picture and it is a positive one. This is important to me because it shows the equality developing between both men and women and men are not refusing the help of women as if they were incapable of doing the job (like the past).
     The dropping of the atomic bombs in Hiroshima was important to me because it was the ending of the World War 2. After this event, all of the survivors were in devastation and in loss of everything. They really had no where to go and no where to turn to, all they could do was rebuild all that was gone. The majority of women during this time became known as "comfort women" whose job was to serve the sexual needs of the Japanese troops. Although, there were many women taking the jobs in the industry as well, it was only temporary. Because many jobs had been reserved for men, women in this time in both the military and industry were only there until enough men were able and well enough to work again. I found this very interesting and different from the "usual" (women having no part in the working and military field).