In my last post I discussed the iconic “I Want YOU” poster that depicts Uncle Sam pointing at the reader and indicating that they should enlist in the U.S army. This poster was created during WWI by James Flagg, and kairos was obviously a driving element to it.
As we discussed in class, various issues wax and wane as they are brought in and out of the spotlight. Prime examples of this are gun control and terrorism; they are always being discussed but are really brought to the forefront when there is a shooting or terrorist attack. Now, the poster being discussed doesn’t have much to do with these topics, but the point it does address is the military. The military is a topic similar to gun control or terrorism in that it has massive spikes in how much it is being discussed. Obviously during WWI it would have been one of the most pressing issues at the time.
Most people at the time the poster was created had favorable views of the military, and even those who didn’t would still have thought it necessary. What this means is that it was a very kairotic moment for this poster to be created, as people would have viewed joining the military as a patriotic duty.
Not only does this poster address the military, but by using Uncle Sam as the speaker it has patriotic implications as well. If the reader refuses Uncle Sam’s call then they are shown to be unpatriotic since Uncle Sam represents the country itself. And during this time period a patriot was one of the best things a person could be. Again, this means that it was a very kairotic moment for this poster to be printed. Every element of this poster was intentionally included because it would appeal to the reader, and kairos was the driving force behind it.
It’s intriguing how you cited the militaries being something people basically pay attention to when they want to, and how the government takes notice of that and especially during this time period, rushed to utilize this attention before it ended. Well worded and explained.
I like how you discussed the idea that “If the reader refuses Uncle Sam’s call then they are shown to be unpatriotic since Uncle Sam represents the country itself.” I think this adds an element of pathos (guilt-tripping the audience) and is emphasized by the kairotic moment.
I agree with the idea you have proposed that this poster uses kairos due to the fact that at this point in time most of the country was probably very patriotic or supportive of the military. Moreover, I like the way that you have compared the military to current issues like gun control as I think that these two controversial issues are indeed very similar in terms of their kairotic elements.
The idea of refusal and civic duties are well represented in this work. Specifically pertaining to the Uncle Sam poster, people feel a strong sense of civil desire and motivation to fight upon seeing this poster. Mentioning these points as well as specific imagery the piece uses helps argue your point.