Self Invention

Inspired by "War Affects Every Home" gallery

I got my inspiration from the WWII exhibition on how war affected a home. I felt that this was a time of self-invention, which is a key part in the American history. Based on the discussions in class, every home became self-invented through the war. When the men went to war, the women had to stay behind and take care of the responsibilities that men used to do. They were finally able to enter the work-force than just be home which helped the country to thrive. However, the image of an ideal home changed when the war ended because the women had to embrace being housewives and lose their jobs. They had to invent themselves to the "ideal housewife" and found pride in making sure that their home looked the best by being clean and keeping up with new inventions. They just had to look pretty, take care of the home and take care of the children while men just worked.