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| This American soldier's reply would be, "There is nothing I wouldn't
give." By his side is a letter claiming that the men are willing
to fight and die for their country with or without compensation.
As is apparent from the bandage on his arm, he has already been wounded
in battle. Yet still he stands looking toward the battlefield with
determination, pride, and joy, not toward the letter and home.
The message in this poster is addressed to males, presenting an image
of manhood. Manhood is achieved by being a man who will fight and
die for his country-a patriotic and noble cause-even without pay.
This message may be felt most by the working-class man, since he would
be financially unable to fight without pay. He must face the reality
that this impediment excludes him from full manhood. Upper-class men may
feel the message as well. Those men seeing the poster would have
remained in the United States; therefore, they are receiving a glimpse
of the devotion of their peers, which hints at their own childishness.
Since he is not fighting or willing to give up material wealth or life
itself for his country, he too is not quite a man.
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